Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band

The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band is a competitive grade one pipe band from Lisburn, Northern Ireland named in honour of Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. The band has won the World Pipe Band Championships 12 times- making it the third most successful competing pipe band in history behind the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band and the Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band.

Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band
Established1945
LocationLisburn, Northern Ireland
Grade1
Pipe majorRichard Parkes MBE
Drum sergeantKeith Orr
TartanDrumalig
Notable honoursWorld Champions: 1992, 1993, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018

Scottish Champions: 1992, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014

British Champions: 1992, 1993, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015

United Kingdom Champions: 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017

European Champions: 1993, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 & 2015

Cowal Champions: 1990, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007 2008, 2009, 2011 & 2013

All Ireland Champions: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018.

Ulster Champions: 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 & 2016

RSPBA Champion of Champions: 1992, 1993, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015
Websitewww.fmmpb.com

History

The band was founded in 1945 in the townland of Drumalig, a few miles from Carryduff on the outskirts of Belfast.[1] A group of farmer’s sons had decided to form a band and name it after Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The youths wrote to Montgomery to ask for permission to use his name, and as well as allowing them to use his name he donated ten shillings to their funds.[1] In the years to follow, the band successfully worked its way through the lower grades, led by its first pipe major Billy Maxwell, who later became band president, and later by Sandy Cumming.[1][2]

Around 1970 Field Marshal merged with Raffrey Pipe Band to become Freymont, which played in Grade 3, but in 1976 it was decided to reform the band as Field Marshal Montgomery under the leadership of RIcky Newell owing to the balance of players in Freymont. The band achieved promotion to Grade 2 under the Newell's leadership, but in the middle of 1981 Newell left after a disagreement and Richard Parkes became pipe major.[3][4] Field Marshal was promoted to Grade 1 at the end of 1985, won its first Grade 1 Major Championship at Cowal in 1990, won its first World Championship in 1992, and then won every Major Championship in 1993.[5][1]

From 2010 to 2009, the band won 28 major championships, including four World Championships and five runners-up awards.[1] In 2004, Pipe Major Richard Parkes suffered a stroke, and the band was led by Alastair Dunn until Richard recovered and led the band to win the last three majors of the season.[1] Parkes was awarded an MBE in the 2004 Birthday Honours for services to pipe band music in Northern Ireland.[1][6]

The band won the World Championships in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018, also becoming the first band to win all the Major competitions in a single year more than once after achieving this in 2011 and again in 2013.[1][7][8] 2013 was also the first year that the Drum Corps won the world title.[1]

Band

As of 2014, the band is made up of the Pipe Majors and Sergeant and the Drum Major, as well as twenty-six pipers, twelve drummers, seven members on tenor and bass.[9][10] The youngest member is 16 and the oldest is 57.[9]

Honours
The band rehearsing for the 2006 World Championships in Kelvingrove Park

As of 2018 the band has won a total of 67 major championships, namely 15 Scottish Championships, 12 World Championships, 12 Cowal Championships, 12 European Championships, 12 British Championships, and 4 United Kingdom Championships.[11] Further, the band has won 25 Ulster Championships, 24 All-Ireland Championships, and gained 14 RSPBA Champion of Champions titles.[11] Since its first Grade 1 prize at a major championship in 1990, the band has never been out of the top six at a major championship, finishing in the prize list in 128 consecutive championship competitions.[11]

The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band became the last band to win the Cowal Championship and thus Argyll Shield whilst it was still accredited RSPBA Major championship status.[12]

Pipe Majors
  • William Maxwell (1945-1970)
  • Sandy Cumming (1970-1975)
  • Ricky Newell (1975-1981)
  • Richard Parkes MBE (1981- )

Leading Drummers
  • Donald McKay (1945-1950)
  • Jim McMinn (1950-?)
  • Bill Russell
  • Jackson Shaw
  • Harry Russell (?-1975)
  • Richard Coffey (1975-1979)
  • Gordon Parkes (1979-1998)
  • Andrew Scullion (1998-2002)
  • Keith Orr (2002- )

Discography
  • Debut (1991)
  • Live In Concert (1996)
  • Unplugged (2002)
  • Re:Charged (2007)
  • IMPACT (2016)

References
  1. "History". Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  2. "Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band". Premier Music. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  3. "Richard Parkes: The pipes-drums Interview – Part 1". pipesdrums.com. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  4. "Pipe Major Richard Parkes MBE, MSc". fmmpb.com. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  5. "History". fmmpb.com. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  6. McConnell, Mervyn (11 February 2005). "Richard receives his MBE from the Queen". Ulster Star. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  7. "Field Marshal Montgomery". BBC. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  8. "Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band 2013 results 2013". rspba.org. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  9. Sweeney, Joanne (21 August 2013). "Meet the Manchester United of piping". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  10. "Roster". Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  11. "Results". Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  12. "Field Marshal completes perfect season with win at final Cowal Championship". pipes drums. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
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