Pipes and drums descend on Dounby
for massed parade
Local pipe major hails gathering of young musicians a big success
By Ian Johnston
(From The Orcadian dated July 4, 2002)

Dounby played host to one of Orkney’s largest ever gatherings of young pipers and drummers at the weekend.

Six pipe bands – two of which travelled over from Caithness – put on a parade at the Dounby School grounds on Saturday night.

Kirkwall City Pipe Band’s No1 and No 2 bands took part in the parade, along with members of the Stromness Royal British Legion Pipe Band, the Caithness Junior Pipe Band, the newly-formed North Highland Juvenile Pipe Band and members of the Dounby Chanter and Drum Practice group.

A parade by the North Highland Juvenile Band and the members of the Dounby Chanter and Drum Practice also took place in Finstown of Friday evening – as a way of thanking many of the organisers from the parish for their help and as a warm-up for the pipers for the show the following evening.

The weekend of activities was mainly aimed at encouraging and developing the skills of local young players, and was organised by Brian Sabiston, Pipe Major of the Dounby Chanter and Drum Practice, who said that the event was a huge success.

“Overall I’d say it was a big success. The kids who came up from south really enjoyed it. The parade in Finstown on Friday night didn’t attract as big a crowd as we hoped, but it still went well,” he said.

Prior to the main attraction of the parade on Saturday evening, workshops and classes for pipers and drummers were run all day in the Dounby School.

Mr Sabiston said that a large crowd turned out for the the parade on Saturday evening.

“The events in the hall throughout the day didn’t attract many people, but a good crowd showed up for the main parade at night. Considering it was the first time that we have planned an event this big, I’d say it was a good success,” he said.

Mr Sabiston explained that the technical side of the parade on Saturday evening was organised by Bobby Coghill, Pipe Major with the North Highland Juvenile Pipe Band and Caithness dance band leader, who also led part of the piping and drumming tuition in the Dounby School earlier in the day, along with Kevin Gunn and Willie Angus, both of the Caithness Junior Pipe Band.

Mr Sabiston added that he was trying to arrange for the three men to return to Orkney later this year to deliver a few more tuition sessions to the local youngsters.

“They were very pleased with what they had seen in the afternoon. Hopefully, they will be coming back at the back end of the year to provide the younger ones with some support and help,” he explained.

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