Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band

Infobox Pipe band
name = Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band


established = 1946
location = Lisburn, Northern Ireland
grade = 1
major = Richard Parkes MBE
sergeant = Keith Orr
tartan = Drumalig
honours = World Pipe Band Champions: 1992, 1993, 2002, 2004, 2006 & 2007

Cowal Highland Gathering Champions: 1990, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007 & 2008

Scottish Champions: 1992, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006

British Champions: 1992, 1993, 2002, 2006 & 2007

European Champions: 1993, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 & 2008

RSPBA Champion of Champions: 1992, 1993, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 & 2007

All Ireland Champions: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006

Ulster Champions: 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2008

"Drumming Titles"

British Champions: 1993 & 1999. Scottish Champions: 2001 & 2004. European Champions: 2002, 2004, 2005 & 2008. RSPBA Champion of Champions: 2000 & 2004.
website = [http://www.fmmpb.com/ www.fmmpb.com] |The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band (Sponsored by St Kilda) is a grade one pipe band based in the city of Lisburn, Northern Ireland and named in honour of Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein.

Overview

The band was formed in 1946 shortly after the end of World War II by young Northern Irish war veterans in the townland of Drumalig, near Carryduff on the outskirts of Belfast. (The tartan worn by the band, created especially by St Kilda for the band and introduced in 2007, is named the Drumalig tartan) On settling on the name of the band the founding members wrote to Field Marshal Montgomery himself requesting permission to use his name. As well as answering in the affirmative Montgomery sent the band a donation of 10 shillings for band funds! The original piping instructor was William Wood and the first drumming instructor was Kit Reynolds. Present band President Billy Maxwell was the original Pipe Major while Donald McKay was the first Drum Sergeant Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band is the most successful pipe band ever to come out of Northern Ireland. Having been promoted to Grade One in 1985 the band has since been crowned World Champions at the World Pipe Band Championships in the years 1992, 1993, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

The present Pipe Major Richard Parkes MBE (awarded in 2004), inherited the 'top job' in 1981 from P/M Rickey Newall (PM 1975 - 1981) and the current Leading Drummer, Keith Orr joined in 2002 replacing Andrew Scullion (1998 - 2002). Previous Drum Sergeants were Jim McMinn, Bill Russell, Jackson Shaw, Harry Russell, Richie Coffey(1975 - 1979) and Gordon Parkes(1979 - 1998).

The membership of the band is drawn from all over Ireland and the UK, as well as from mainland Europe, the United States and Canada.

Championships

As well as the World Championships, the band is a regular winner of the other four Major Championships (Scottish Championships, British Championships, European Championships and Cowal Highland Gathering) having amassed 37 major wins since their first win at Cowal in 1990 when they became the first band to carry the Argyll Shield outside of Scotland.

The band has won 6 World Championships, 9 Cowal Championships, 9 Scottish Championships, 5 British Championships, 8 European Championships and 7 RSPBA Champion of Champion titles as well as 18 Ulster Championships and 17 All Ireland Championships.

Also worthy of note is the achievement of 1993 when the band become only the third pipe band in history to attain a clean sweep of all five Major Championships (The others being Strathclyde Police Pipe Band and The House of Edgar - Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band.

The band is the current European and Cowal Highland Gathering Champion and is presently considered to be one of the so-called "big three" - the three top bands in the world who between them have filled the top three places at the World Championships since 1999. The others in this 'elite' group are Simon Fraser University Pipe Band and House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead Pipe Band. In fact, the World title has been held by one or other of this triumvirate every year since Field Marshal Montgomery first won the trophy back in 1992 (with the exception of 1998, when the Victoria Police Pipe Band from Australia were crowned champions).

Discography

* "Debut" (1991)
* "Live In Concert" (1996)
* "Unplugged" (2002)
* Re:Charged (2007)
* Rewind:Replay - "Re:Charged" - "The Concert"(DVD) (2008)

External links

* [http://www.fmmpb.com/gallery.htm Media gallery at fmmpb.com]