Canterbury Pipe Band wins NZ Pipe Band Championship

15 March 2012

Canterbury Caledonian Society Pipe Band wins NZ Pipe Band Championship

At the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 March 2012, the Canterbury Caledonian Society Pipe Band won the New Zealand Pipe Band Championship. In its 110 year history this is the first time that the Band has won the Grade 1 Championship, and also the first time that the championship has been held by a South Island band since 1980.

The Band, led by Pipe Major Richard Hawke and Drum Sergeant James Laughlin, both internationally regarded exponents of bagpipes and drums, won the Grade 1 Medley event, finished 2nd in the Selection event, won the Grade 1 Street March, won the New Zealand Drumming Championship and also took trophies for the best bass and tenor section.

Band Chairman, Richard Smith, said that as well as the Championship being a major milestone in the Band’s history, it is also a massive reward for all of the hard work, dedicated practice and effort the band members, and supporters, had put in over the past 18 months in particularly trying circumstances. The Canterbury Caledonian Society was based at the Caledonian Hall in Kilmore Street, Christchurch however that building was destroyed by the earthquake on 22 February 2011. Since then all of the Society’s pipe bands have been practising in various facilities around Christchurch with no permanent base.

The Band also lost equipment and some uniforms in the earthquake, however had managed to raise funds to replace that. Also with the Drum Corp’s developing international reputation the Band was fortunate to have secured an endorsement from Premier Percussion resulting in a new set of drums being provided to the Band, which was greatly appreciated. The Band saw the Championship result as being an appropriate recognition of the support and assistance that the Band had received from many people and organisations following the February 2011 earthquake, not only from throughout New Zealand but internationally also.

ENDS

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