Victoria Police Pipe Band
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| Established | 1936
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| Location | Melbourne, Australia
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| Grade | 1 (formerly)
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| Tartan | McPherson
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| Notable Honours | Winner, World Pipe Band Championship: 1998
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| Website | www.police.vic.gov.au/... |
The Victoria Police Pipe Band was a past grade one pipe band champion based in Melbourne, Australia. Though the band still exists, it no longer competes after a controversial decision in 2000 to reform the band.
It was the only Australian band in history to attain the title of World Pipe Band Champion, and is arguably the most successful with three third placings at the same competition, and a number of recordings.
[edit] History
The band was started in 1936, with generous funding from Mr W.E. McPherson (hence the McPherson tartan) by a small group of full-time police officers. For some fifty years following this, there is little noted in the history of the band and it is assumed that it continued on much in the way it had, filling its ranks with police who performed part time.
However, 1987 is seen as the year when the band began to aspire for something more. It recruited Pipe Major Nat Russell from the Royal Ulster Constabulary and got some funding from the state government. It began fierce competition in Australia in grade two. One year later, they attained the title of Australian grade two champions, and gained third place in the August world championships for the same grade. This earned regrading to grade one.
Buoyed by this, Victoria Police spent the next decade decimating Australian competition, claiming six consecutive grade one titles locally, and continued competition at a world scale. In 1992, 1994 and 1997 the band again claimed third place in the world championships, this time in grade one.
After some minor adjustments by then Drum Sergeant Harold Gillespie and Pipe Major Nat Russell, the Victoria Police Pipe Band was crowned World Champions at Glasgow in 1998. Interestingly, brothers Danny and Alistair Boyle, of Australia Highlanders were present for this momentus event.
In October of 2000, the band's competing days were over as it reformed, now performing mainly at official functions and for charities and schools.
[edit] Recordings
During the course of their years as a competition pipe band many recordings were made of the band playing, including:
- Live in Concert in Ireland (1993)
- Live in the Rockies (1996)
- Master Blasters (1998)
- The MasterBlasters Concert, Live in Motherwell
- Uphold the Right (2003)
- World Pipe Band Championships (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998)
They are also featured on:
- A Celebration in Music and Song (2003)
- Decade of World Champions 1990-1999 (2000)
- Great Highland Bagpipe Collection - March, Strathspey, Reel (1999)
- Pipes 'N Things (2003)
- Piping Up (2000)
- Scottish Gold - In the Piping Tradition (1995)
- Scottish Collection - The Pipes and Drums (1999)
