Bio's for Piping on the Clyde 2011
Peel Regional Police
2011 marks the 35th Anniversary of the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band. For three plus decades the band has performed ceremonial duties including police graduations, awards banquets and civic events on behalf of the Peel Regional Police Service. None of these more important or poignant than the bands participation in a police funeral for a Peel Regional Police Officer killed in the line of duty in March of 2010. The band members, all civilians are proud to serve the Peel Regional Police Service and the greater Region of Peel.
The PRPPB is currently under the direction of Pipe Major John Cairns and Lead Drummer Graham Brown, both with many years experience at the highest levels of piping and drumming. Competing in Grade 1, the band is the 2010 North American Champion and the current (2011) United States Pipe Band Champions. The band members contribute untold years of experience to the band’s recent success.
The Peel Regional Police Pipe Band is pleased to appear at Piping on the Clyde and do so with the kind permission and continued support of Chief of Police Mike Metcalfe and Peel Regional Police Services Board Chairman Mr. Emil Kolb.
Scott Wallace
Scott Wallace from Northern Ireland has been piping for 7 years, he started tuition with Pipe Major Lexie Burrows of Drumlough Pipe Band and played with Drumlough from 2005 until 2007, during this time he won 2 Scottish, 2 All-Ireland, 3 Ulster, British and World titles, He then received tuition from Lexie's son, Stephen Burrows who was a member of the Grade 1 Royal Ulster Constabulary Pipes and Drums, In 2007 Scott moved from Drumlough who where then in Grade 3 to Ballycoan Pipe Band in Grade 1, where he and the band pre-qualified for the final of the world pipe band championships.
During Scott's time with Ballycoan he received tuition from Pipe Major Chris Armstrong at the National Piping Centre and he hold's Chris in very high regard, other influences on his piping career have been Lexie and Stephen Burrows and Terry and Alen Tully, he especially admires Stephen Burrows for his general piping knowledge and how much he has done for him through the years and Alen Tully for his pure musicianship and professionalism.
As well as being a member of a Folk group namely "Scotch in the Lug", Scott has also played on stage with a few of the world's greatest pipers and musicians such as The Ulster-Scots Folk Orchestra, Willie Drennan, Fred Morrison, Allan McDonald and just recently performed a concert with the world renowned Galician piper Carlos Nunez at Dublin's National Concert Hall as part of the St. Patricks Week festival.
Scott joined the ranks of St. Laurence O'Toole in 2009 and he highlights this as one of the moves of his career! He proceeded to win the All-Ireland, European and World Championships with the band and perform on stage at St Laurence O'Toole's "Evolution" concert to a Sell-out audience in Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall.
Scott was also a member of the SLOT Quartet that won the Piping Live! International Quartet Competition.
Scott has been a successful competitor on the solo scene in recent years and here is a list of accolades to date:
- 4 time runner-up All-ireland Solos
- 4 time runner-up Ulster Solos
- Glenarm Highland Games Senior MSR 1st Place 2008
- Glenarm Highland Games Overall Champion 2008
- Seven Towers Champion 2008
- Scottish Piping Society of London C Grade MSR 1st place 2009
- Scottish Piping Society of London C Grade Overall Champion 2009
- Runner-up MSR Fort Invitational 2010
- Runner-up Hornpipe and Jig Fort Invitational 2010
- Cullybackey Champion 2011
- Kingdom Thistle open MSR 1st Place 2011
- Kingdom Thistle Runner-up Open Hornpipe and Jig 2011
- Kingdom Thistle Open Overall Champion 2011
Lomond & Clyde
Lomond and Clyde Pipe Band came in to being in March of 2000, changing name from Clydebank and District Pipe Band – itself an amalgamation of the Good Year Tyre Co. Pipe Band and the Singer (Sewing Machine Factory) Pipe Band – so as to provide a better representation of the area the members of the band lived in.
The band commenced competitions this year under the direction of Pipe Major Paul Warren and Leading Drummer James (Stix) Moore. In this first season the band was crowned Scottish, British and European Champions, leading to the title of Champion of Champions for grade 4B being awarded, a fantastic achievement considering the little time the band had been on the pipe band scene.
In the September of 2008, looking to the future, the band enlisted the services of David Wotherspoon as Pipe Major, who had previous experience of the role in Grade 1 with City of Glasgow Pipe Band and also had spent the 8 previous years playing under The House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead, winning World Championships along the way. This change was complimented with the introduction of new Lead Drummer Allan Craig in to the band.
With the 2009 season complete the band looked ahead to 2010, and their 10th anniversary year. A major part of this celebration was the hosting of a Grade 1 Invitational indoor competition in the March of the year. Featuring 7 of the world’s best bands it was eventually won by The House Of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead.
Looking towards the season the band strengthened in all departments. The season was one of constant improvement with the band placing higher and higher as time progressed. This led to possibly the band’s greatest achievement to date where it finished 6th in Grade 2 at the World Pipe Band Championships. Two weeks later the band was once again successful at the Cowal Championships Not only was the band placed 3rd overall the drum corp were also crowned Cowal Champions
The Kyle Warren Band
2010 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year finalist, Kyle Warren has recently graduated with First Class Honours from the Scottish Music – Piping Degree at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and on the 16th of May releases his debut album – ‘Wanted’.
As well as signing to KRL records to release his first album 2010 saw the release of ‘Tunez’, a book of 50 of his own compositions – many of which are featured on his album and also performed by some of the worlds leading pipe bands.
Kyle’s pipe band career saw him play an integral part in progressing Lomond and Clyde Pipe Band from Grade 4B to Grade 2 in five years. Whilst Pipe Major of the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland he performed with some of the biggest names in traditional music such as Carlos Nunez and Brian McNeill. Kyle won a Danny Kyle Award with TNT – “The New Tradition” at the International Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow; the Breton Championships with Bagad Cap Caval at the Lorient Festival in France, and competed with the world famous Grade 1 Strathclyde Police Pipe Band.
In 2010 Kyle joined the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and toured extensively in Europe, Asia and North America. As well as the release of his debut album ‘Wanted’ this year Kyle has joined the Grade 1 Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band from Northern Ireland.
Stuart Cassells
Stuart Cassells is one of Scotland’s leading young bagpipers, with a CV that includes winning most of the top junior solo competitions, being heard on the soundtrack of the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as well as recording with the British rock band The Darkness.
In 2005 Stuart also became the first graduate with the new BA Scottish Music – Piping degree from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Taught originally in Wallacestone Pipe Band and then by Pipe Major George Lumsden and Donald MacPherson, Stuart made rapid progress and by the age of thirteen was playing in grade one pipe bands, firstly with Torphichen and Bathgate and then with the famous MacNaughton’s Vale of Atholl Pipe Band. He then went on to be a successful Pipe Major of The Royal Burgh of Stirling Pipe Band at the tender age of eighteen. He is now a member of the 78th Fraser Highlanders based in Toronto, Canada.
As a result of his solo piping successes, in 1996 he was featured on the acclaimed Greentrax recording, Young Pipers of Scotland. He has just released his debut solo recording with his new band, entitled ‘Blown Away’ with Footstompin records.
Stuart’s other band – The Red Hot Chilli Pipers – are also in much demand and perform at all sorts of functions and events all over the world.
Since winning The BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year at the Celtic Connections festival in January 2005, Stuart has had a tremendously busy year performing at many festivals including the BBC Proms in the Park in Glasgow, recording with The Darkness for their new album, One Way Ticket to Hell and Back and featuring on the song “Do the Hippogriff” by Jarvis Cocker for the film ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’.