Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band
{{Short description|Scottish pipe band}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox pipe band
| name = Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band
| image =
| established = 1972
| location = West Lothian, Scotland
| grade = 1
| major = Calum Watson
| sergeant = Kerr McQuillan
| tartan = Ancient Hunting Fraser
| honours =
World Champions: 2023
Cowal Highland Gathering Champions: 1994, 2000, 2010 & 2012
UK Champions*: 2023
Scottish Champions: 1986, 1987
British Champions: 1983, 1986 & 2024
European Champions: 1989, 2003 & 2012
World Pipe Band Championship Runner-Up: 1982, 1983, 1994 & 2013
World Drum Corps Champions: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 2001, 2012
- UK Championship replaced Cowal Championship in 2014
| website = {{URL|http://www.theboghall.com/}}
}}
The Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band is a pipe band from West Lothian, Scotland which formed in 1972. The band has competed in Grade 1 since being promoted to that level in 1980.
Throughout its competitive history, the band had not won the World Pipe Band Championships until 2023, though it has been runner up four times and has won the drum corps prize 6 times to date under Tom Brown MBE and his son Gordon Brown.{{Cite web|title=Tom Brown awarded MBE for services to pipe band drumming|url=https://www.pipesdrums.com/article/tom-brown-awarded-mbe-for-services-to-pipe-band-drumming/|access-date=2020-08-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Faculty|url=https://mhaf.org/faculty/|access-date=2020-08-15|website=Winter Storm|language=en-US}}
The band is currently led by Pipe Major Calum Watson and Leading Drummer Kerr McQuillan.
History
In 1972, a few townspeople of Boghall in West Lothian decided that they would try to form a pipe band. An advertisement was put in the local newspaper for young people wanting to learn the pipes or drums, and a group of primarily young players began practising at a Bathgate school.{{cite web |url=http://www.boghallandbathgate.com/about |title=History |publisher=Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band |accessdate=25 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226171900/http://www.boghallandbathgate.com/about |archive-date=26 December 2013 |url-status=dead }} As with many youth bands, numerous adults and committee members from the community were necessary to keep the band running during its early years.
The band rose quickly through the lower grades and a Novice grade band was created in 1977 to handle additional youth who were joining the band. By 1978, the original band had won the Champion of Champions title in Grade Two while the Novice band was upgraded to Juvenile.
The senior band was promoted to Grade 1 in 1980, and throughout the subsequent decade its drum corps won every single major drumming prize. The band as a whole proceeded to win the Scottish, British and European Championships during that decade.
Band
The Pipe Major of the band is Ross Harvey, who joined the band in 1994 and became pipe major at the end of the 2015 season. The Leading Drummer is Kerr McQuillan.{{cite web |url=https://www.theboghall.com/history |title=History / Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band |publisher=Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band |accessdate=26 June 2023}}
Performances
The band travelled to Ontario in 2013 for the 50th anniversary of the Cobourg Highland Games, to compete and perform in concert.{{cite web |url=http://www.boghallandbathgate.com/weblog/comments/boghall-and-bathgate-star-in-canada |title=Boghall and Bathgate star in Canada! |publisher=Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band |accessdate=26 December 2013}}{{cite news |url=http://www.pipesdrums.com/ViewObject.aspx?sys-Portal=57&sys-Class=Article&sys-ID=19045 |title=Boghall & Bathgate coming to Cobourg, IndiOntario, in June |work=pipes – drums |date=2 December 2012 |accessdate=26 December 2013}} Individual members of the band have also been successful in solo competitions.{{cite web |url=http://www.boghallandbathgate.com/weblog/comments/merry-christmas-and-happy-new-year-from-all-at-boghall-and-bathgate |title=Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all at Boghall and Bathgate! |publisher=Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band |accessdate=26 December 2013}}
Results
The band has won awards in Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well as at Juvenile and Novice Juvenile levels.
{{cite web |url=http://www.boghallandbathgate.com/about/category/awards |title=Awards |publisher=Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band |accessdate=25 December 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://www.rspba.org/results/displaybanddetail.php?Year=2013&Band=Boghall%20and%20Bathgate%20Caledonia |title=Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia 2013 Results |publisher=RSPBA |accessdate=25 December 2013}}
Pipe Majors
- Bobby Allan (1972)
- Kenny Watson (1972)
- Bob Martin (1972–1986)
- Craig Walker (1986–1996)
- Ross Walker (1996–2015)
- Ross Harvey (2015-2024)
- Calum Watson (2024 - present)
Leading Drummers
- Melvin Sim (1972-1974)
- David Steadman (1974-1978)
- Tom Brown (1978–1992)
- Gordon Brown (1992- 2022)
- Kerr McQuillan (2022 - present)
Discography
- Debut Album (1984)
- The Rubik Cube (1989)
- Inspired in Belfast (2001)
- In Concert (2004)
- Forte (2013)
- Cabar Feidh (2024)
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.theboghall.com/}}
- {{AllMusic|id=mn0000078883|class=artist}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Grade I Pipe bands}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Musical groups established in 1972