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Our Past
Washington, D.C.
can thank the United States Air Force for its proud pipe band history. Eager to distinguish itself from the
older services, the Air Force set about recruiting some of the top pipers
and drummers in the United States
in the 1950s under Pipe Major Sandy Jones and Drum Sergeant John
Bosworth. The U.S. Air Force
Pipe Band quickly established an international reputation for itself in
ceremonial duties at the White House, Arlington National Cemetary and other
landmarks in the Nation’s Capital. All that was missing was a
competition band. Since Air
Force regulations prevented the band from showing its talent in the pipe
band competition circuit, members of the band joined with local talent in
the Washington area in 1961
to form a civilian Grade Two competition band, which they named Denny &
Dunipace, after two towns in Scotland.
Denny & Dunipace turned out that first season under
Pipe Major Bill Logan and Drum Sergeant Walt Birtles wearing MacDonald of
Clanranald and natty bowties and balmorals. In addition to veteran Air Force
pipers like Logan and Jim Neary, the band was filled with younger pipers
like Tim Carey, Ed Krintz, and Jerry Early, who would later go on to fame
in the U.S., Canada and Scotland.
In1970 Pipe Major Sandy Jones of the Air Force Band took over Denny
and began a more deliberate effort to teach local pipers and drummers and
to establish the band as a powerhouse in Grade Two in the early years of
the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA). In 1973 the band traveled to Scotland
and developed a longstanding friendship with the townspeople of Denny and
Dunipace and the members of their very successful bands.
In 1975 the band underwent another change in leadership. Sandy Jones retired and Ed Krintz
was named Pipe Major, with Tommy Kee as leader of a reconstituted drum
corps. It was in the years that
followed that the current leadership of the band came on to the scene as
newest generation of vunderkids: Mike Green, Vic Frank, Chris Hamilton, Jon
Quigg and Pete Vanderpoel. With
this infusion of younger talent, Ed Kritnz led the band through several
very successful seasons that saw the band win the Canadian Champion Supreme
and North American and Canadian Grade Two Championships in 1976. During this time the band developed
a reputation for playing innovative and original music, much of it composed
or arranged by P/S
Charlie Glendinning.
Charlie led the band from 1978 to 1980 while Ed took a position
teaching piping in Dunedin, Florida. Upon Ed’s return in 1980, the
band recorded its first album with Tim Gladden as the new drum sergeant.
In 1982 Tim Carey took over as pipe major. Harnessing a new chanter sound and a
richer repertoire, Tim led the band to a string of victories in Grade Two
in the EUSPBA. In 1985 the band
won a sponsorship from a merchant in Annapolis,
Maryland and turned out that season
with new Black Stewart kilts and a new name: Scottish & Irish Imports
Pipe Band. The band competed in
Scotland
under that name in 1985, and was upgraded to Grade 1 for the 1986 season.
Charlie Glendinning led the band for the 1986 season, and Tim was back
at the helm in 1987. The drum corps was under the leadership of Jon Quigg and Tommy Kee at various times. The band finished as EUSPBA Grade One
champions several times for the remainder of the decade, and made
respectable showings in Canada
in Grade One. In 1989 the band recorded their second album, "Tunes of
Glory", which was released internationally by Lismor. Then in 1989 Tim
led the band to Scotland for first place finishes in Grade Two in the
Inverkeithing and Bridge of Allen Games. In a controversial move that next
week, the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association upgraded the band back to
Grade One on the morning of the World Championships, and the band had to
withdraw from the contest because it had not prepared the necessary
repertoire.
Reeling from the disappointment of the 1989 debacle at the Worlds and a
shortage of personnel, the band was out of action for the 1990 season.
In the fall of 1990, Mike
Green returned from academic work in Japan and was named Pipe
Major. Together with Drum
Sergeant Jon Quigg he opened a
new and highly successful chapter in the band’s history. After briefly competing in Grade One
under its old name of Denny & Dunipace in 1991, the band was returned
in 1992 to Grade Two as part of a EUSPBA realignment of grades to conform
to international standards. The
1992 season ended with a major victory at Santa Rosa Games and a new
solidity to the band’s ensemble.
In 1993 the band continued to dominate EUSPBA Grade 2, and traveled to
Scotland again. Since the Denny & Dunipace Pipe Band from Scotland
would also be in the World Championships, the band decided to rename
themselves as The City of Washington Pipe Band. The results in Scotland were
disappointing, but the experience was important and the band built on what
it learned to climb to the top of Grade Two international competition over
the next few seasons. In 1994
the band fended off a strong challenge by the Lehigh Valley band to retain
the championship title in EUSPBA and finished second in the North American
Championship at Maxville, including first in piping. In addition, the City
of Washington 'B' band was EUSPBA Grade Four Champions. In 1995 the band won the North
American Championships in Grade Two, defeating the reigning Canadian
champions. In 1996 the band
returned to Scotland and took first place at Perth and Second in the World
Championships the next week.
It was also in 1996 that Icelandair began its generous sponsorship of
the band, allowing regular trips back to Scotland so that the band could
establish itself as an international competitor. In 1997 the band won all its
domestic competitions in Grade Two and returned to Scotland for a somewhat
disappointing fifth place finish out of 31 bands. In 1998 the band returned to
Scotland and took second again in the World Championships, closing in on
the prize. In that year the band also won the Grade One March Strathspey
and Reel contest over Halifax Police at the Antigonish Games, showing
potential to compete at a higher level. Then in 1999, the band did it
– first place and World Champions in Grade Two.
With the new millennium, the
band geared up for the intense competitive environment of Grade One. A Second Place in the North American
Championships at Maxville in 2000 showed that the band was indeed ready for
the big league. That August the
band took tenth at Cowal, making an early mark on the Grade One scene in
Scotland. In 2001 the band made
the finals in the World Championships and took 12th
overall. Firmly ensconced now
as a competitor in Grade One, the band embarked on a new project with
Scottish fiddler Bonnie Rideout.
Drawing on collaboration with Bonnie on the 1999 CD “Scottish
Rant,” the band signed up for a concert series that included
performances at major halls such as the Kennedy Center and the Michigan
Arts Festival. These experiences
have brought the band’s music to a whole new audience and a new level
of professionalism to the band’s technique, even as the band has
continued competing in Grade One in Canada and Scotland.
Today the City of Washington Pipe Band proudly carries forward with the
musical traditions of all its roots.
These include the rudimentary drum and bugle percussion style of
John Bosworth; the fiddle and folk traditions learned from Bonnie Rideout;
and the original compositions of Charlie Glendinning. The band’s members also work
with local bands like Guilford & District and Rockville High School to
ensure that future generations of pipers and drummers keep these musical
traditions strong. And like the
U.S. Air Force Pipe Band a half-century ago, the City of Washington Pipe
Band brings all the power and glory of the modern pipe band to the
Nation’s Capital in performances ranging from the Smithsonian
Folklife Festival on the Mall to the Concert Hall of the Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts.
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