Olympic Pipe Band

If you watched the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics, you may have seen the Mains of Fintry Pipe Band. The Grade 4 Pipe band from Dundee was spotted by Chinese officials during a tour of France and were asked to perform at this years Olympic Ceremonies. The band believed that it was a joke at first, but after some research were thrilled with the news!

The Band was sworn to secrecy last September and had less than a year to prepare, including putting together enough funds to be able to travel to Beijing and to purchase uniforms, which the band did not previously have. They rarely played in National Championships and therefore did not have band uniforms. After much fundraising, the band had the opportunity of a lifetime.

With 16 of the 26 band members performing, ranging in age from 13-63, the Mains of Fintry Pipe Band performed Scotland the Brave in front of nearly 100 thousand spectators and bllions of tv viewers, as the European athletes entered the Olympic stadium.

Canadian Pipe Band wins Worlds

The 2008 World Pipe Band Championships were held August 16th in Glasgow. Over 8000 pipers and drummers were there from 16 countries. The winners of the Grade 1 final were Canada's own Simon Fraser University!! Second Place went to Northern Ireland's Field Marshal Montgomery, Third place to The House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead of Scotland, Fourth to Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia of Scotland, Fifth to St. Laurence O'Toole of Ireland, and Sixth to Strathclyde Police of Scotland. Congratulations to the SFU on their 5th Worlds victory.

August 23 High River Highland Games www.highriverhighlandgames.com/

August 30 - Calgary Highland Games www.calgaryhighlandgames.org

August 31 - Canmore Highland Games www.canmorehighlandgames.ca

September 2 - 96th Registration Night www.96th.ca