BAND PERFORMS AT USHER HALL

The band closed a busy year with a performance at a packed Usher Hall in Edinburgh on 30 December when they supported the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra at their annual end-of-year concert. It was the second time the band had played with the orchestra in recent years and was, said pipe major Fraser Wilkinson, “a fantastic experience for everyone concerned”.

“It was a great privilege and pleasure to play with the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, and to perform in front of a huge and very enthusiastic audience made this a very special occasion,” Fraser Wilkinson continued. ”We are very grateful to the orchestra for giving us this opportunity and we very much look forward to playing with them again in the future.”

As the compere highlighted at the concert, Haddington Pipe Band is very much a community band and has a strong family orientation. On the night, three members of one family featured in the band and two other families had two members in the band. The ages of the band members at the Usher Hall ranged from 13 to 83, again a testament to the band’s diversity and wide appeal across the generations.

The previous evening the band had been scheduled to play at the torchlight procession in Edinburgh but unfortunately this was cancelled because of the high winds on the night.

ANNUAL AWARDS AND NEW HONORARY MEMBERS

At this year’s AGM, the winners of the band’s annual awards were announced. Fraser Wells won the Niall Fairgrieve Award for the most improved young drummer; Aileen Roberston won the band member of the year title; and Finlay Vischer won the Gail Wilkinson Award for the most improved young piper.

In addition, the band awarded honorary membership to John McMillan, Provost of East Lothian, and to Jim and Moira Graham (of Graham the Jeweller), all of whom have supported the band superbly over many years.

2025 CALENDAR LAUNCHED WITH FOOD AND DRINK THEME

Our 2025 calendar is now out, with – once again – 13 specially commissioned photos created by professional photographer Nick Callaghan.

Titled ‘Sound Bites’, the calendar has a strong food and drink theme, and the photos of band members, all taken in or near Haddington, celebrate the quality of East Lothian in that sector. From, among others, a picnic by the Nungate Bridge and rolling Easter eggs at the Garleton Hills to pumpkins for Halloween, the power of flour at Poldrate Mill, sushi at the Oriental Garden, and even the transformation of The Loft into a French café, the 2025 edition is another great addition to the long line of creative calendars produced by the band with Nick Callaghan.

Provost John McMillan officially launched the calendar on 28 September, and an exhibition of the photos is on show at The Loft until the end of January. There’s also a chance to vote for your favourite photo in the exhibition and enter a free prize draw.

“We’ve been absolutely delighted to have Nick Callaghan again create the photography for this year’s calendar,” said the band’s Alastair Bruce. “He brings incredible quality to the project, and this has enabled us to put together a series of great photos which celebrate not only the band but also some of the food and drink heroes of our county.”

Read more “2025 CALENDAR LAUNCHED WITH FOOD AND DRINK THEME” →

2023 AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

The recent AGM saw the annual award winners announced. Seen here, they are: Lucy Robertson, who won the Band Member of the Year award; Joseph Murray, who won the Niall Fairgrieve Award for the most improved young drummer; and Adam Wells, who won the Gail Wilkinson Award for the most improved young piper.

Also at the AGM, Andrew Cockburn, who retired from the band recently after many years of service, was made an Honorary Life Member.

Congratulations to all our worthy award winners.

BAND LAUNCHES ‘BEST EVER’ CALENDAR FOR 2024

The band is launching its 2024 calendar – and an exhibition of the specially commissioned photos taken by Nick Callaghan – at The Loft in the town’s Peffer Place.

With a theme ‘The Rhythm of a Year’, the calendar features band members through the seasons in well-known local locations such as the Nungate Bridge, St Mary’s, Winton Castle, Court Street, the Lammermuir Hills, Nunraw Abbey, and even – for the Christmas shot – on the Haddington rooftops.

“We’ve been absolutely thrilled to have Nick Callaghan do the photography for this year’s calendar,” said the band’s Alastair Bruce. “He brings incredible creativity and quality to the project, and this has enabled us to put together a strongly themed approach with photos taken to mark the seasons and some notable dates through the year.

“The shots have all been taken locally and the fantastic range of locations in Haddington and nearby definitely add to the calendar’s appeal.” Read more “BAND LAUNCHES ‘BEST EVER’ CALENDAR FOR 2024” →

TOP PHOTOGRAPHER TO WORK ON BAND’S 2024 CALENDAR

One of the country’s leading professional photographers, Nick Callaghan – who has worked across Europe and beyond for more than twenty years with a wide range of top companies including M&S, Hilton Hotels, Pernod Ricard, Marriot, Ardbeg, and Scottish Power – is to join forces with the band and shoot the photography for our 2024 calendar.

The Haddington-based photographer worked on all of our early calendars, only stepping down when the success of his business, including a great deal of foreign travel and an intense schedule, left him too little time to support our project. Among his memorable shots have been the iconic image of poppies cascading down on a piper in St Mary’s (created in conjunction with John Archibald) and the Iwo Jima-inspired raising of the Saltire on Traprain Law. Read more “TOP PHOTOGRAPHER TO WORK ON BAND’S 2024 CALENDAR” →

BAND’S 2023 CALENDAR NOW AVAILABLE

Exhibition of the calendar photos – with ‘More Than Just a Band’ theme -on show at The Loft

The band’s 2023 calendar – with a theme of ‘More Than Just a Band’ – is now available in a range of outlets locally and by emailing calendar@haddingtonpipeband.co.uk. The cost has been held once again at £5 (plus any postage and packing).

An exhibition of the photos which feature in the calendar is also on show at The Loft Café in the town’s Peffer Place.

“For all of us, piping and drumming is a hobby and a passion – something which, of course, we love to do,” said the band’s Alastair Bruce. “However, to give a bit of an insight into some of the individuals who play in the band, the bulk of the photos in the 2023 calendar feature them doing their own thing in other parts of their lives – cycling, fishing, sculpting, running, playing rugby, and so on. These are shown alongside photos of each of the members featured playing the pipes or drumming.

“We come together as a band, and are very proud to do so, but as can be seen in the calendar, we are definitely more than ‘just’ a band.”

Among the photos are drum major Gavin McDougall in his voluntary RNLI role, young piper Alasdair Easton taking part in a cycling road race, drum sergeant Claire Miller walking the Tour du Mont Blanc in France, pipe major Fraser Wilkinson completing the 2022 Edinburgh Marathon (in a time of 3 hours and 10 minutes), and piper David Paterson creating one of his sculptures.

“We are extremely grateful to the many businesses and organisations who have very kindly sponsored the production. Their support is invaluable. Among these is The Loft, who once again have very kindly agreed to stage an exhibition of the calendar photos.”

All funds raised from this calendar will be used to pay for tuition, instruments, uniforms and other initiatives which help the band to develop and make a positive contribution to the town and the community.

BAND’S 2021 CALENDAR FEATURES ‘BEST OF A DECADE’ PHOTOGRAPHY

The band’s 2021 calendar, which is now available, features the best of the many photos taken since we first launched a calendar back in 2011. Photos taken by Nick Callaghan, John Archibald, Garry Menzies and Paul Bock make up the final selection for each of the twelve months, with others on the cover and elsewhere in the publication.

An exhibition of the twelve main photos is now on display at The Loft in Peffers Place.

As it always has been, the calendar costs £5 and the funds raised by sales will go towards the costs of instruments, tuition and uniforms. Outlets kindly selling the calendar for us (look out for the ‘On Sale Here’ poster) include the following:

In Haddington, the John Gray Centre in Lodge Street, plus: in the High Street – Joe Forte Sports, Graham the Jeweller; in Court Street – 2 Court Street; in Market Street – Leisure Time, Short Cuts, Celebrations, Magpie & Crow, Gibson’s of Haddington; in Peffers Place – The Loft.

Outwith Haddington, the calendar is on sale in a number of venues. In East Linton – DJ Malcolm in the High Street; in Pencaitland – Granny’s Shop in Easter Pencaitland; at East Fortune – Merryhatton Garden Centre; and in North Berwick – Anderson Butchers in the High Street.

The calendar can also be ordered online by emailing calendar@haddingtonpipeband.co.uk.

Band chairman Ian Sutherland commented: “The calendar would not be possible without the backing of the many local businesses who support this initiative. The band is a voluntary organisation and a charity and we have to raise our own funds, so we are extremely grateful to those who support this project, to the shops and others who sell the calendar, to the photographers, and to everyone who buys a copy. It really does help us.”

BAND URGES PEOPLE TO SUPPORT LOCAL SHOPS

The band today launched a ‘shop local’ scheme with a big prize on offer – a personal performance by the band for the lucky winner in a prize draw.

The scheme was devised as a thank you from the band to the many shops, cafes and other traders who have supported the band over many years, and has been put together with the support of Haddington Business Community Partnership, Haddington Farmers’ Market, and the East Lothian Courier.

Speaking at the launch of the scheme, band chairman Ian Sutherland said: “We are indebted to so many wonderful shops, cafes, stallholders at the Farmers’ Market, and other businesses in the town and the wider area and at this difficult time for them, we thought we would try to give something back. This ‘shop local’ initiative is the result.”

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