ScottishPower Pipe Band

Piper Biographies

Chris Armstrong

Started playing at 6 years old. He was initially taught at Torphichen and Bathgate Novice Juvenile Pipe Band. He received solo tuition from Pipe Major John Matheson BEM from the age of 8, then had lessons from Andrew Wright for Piobaireachd and now receives lessons from John Wilson. Chris has been a full time instructor at the National Piping Centre for the last 7 years, and holds the PDQB level 6 and Senior Teachers certificates. Past successes in solo piping include winning the Bratach Gorm, J. B. Robertson Rose Bowl and the Overall Champion Piper at the Scottish Piping Society of London in 2007, 1st in the Former Winners MSR at the Argyllshire Gathering and also the A grade MSR at the Northern Meeting in 2001. 1st in the PM Donald Macleod Memorial MSR, runner up twice in the Former Winners MSR at the Northern Meeting. He has been the overall champion in 2002/03 at the Cowal Highland Gathering; in 2003 he won the Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting. Previous bands include, Torphichen and Bathgate Pipe Band – Novice and Grade 2, Seafield and District Pipe Band – Grade 3, Coalburn I.O.R Pipe Band – Grade 3, Eden Pipe Band – Grade 1, Pipe Sergeant of Dumbarton and District – Grade 2 and Pipe Major of the David Urquart Travel Pipes and Drums – Grade 1.

Alan Black

Started playing around the age of 9. He was taught by William Dempster a local man who lived in Alexandria and he still gives Alan the inspiration to play. Alan’s pipe band achievements include being consistently in the prize’s in novice, grade 2 and grade 1 over 20 years. He won prizes in junior solos but never pursued it past there, he says he’s more of a band player and enjoys being part of a team. He started playing with Dumbarton and district pipe band where he spent around 10 years then joined Torphichen and Bathgate and followed on to Glasgow Skye then ScottishPower and this is his 5th season with the band. He states that having the opportunity to audition and play with one of the worlds leading bands is a great personal achievement and he’s always interested in listening and learning more.

John Bowes

Started playing in 1979 and was taught by Eddie Mclelland. His pipe band achievements include winning the Scottish Championship and the British Championship with the Power of Scotland Pipe Band. John used to compete in the junior solo piping but says that it was that long ago that long ago he can’t remember much about it! His previous bands are Toyota Pipes and Drums, British Caledonian Airways Pipe Band and Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band. John has been a member of ScottishPower Pipe Band for 13 years.

Keith Bowes

Started piping in 2001 with tuition from his dad and granddad, Keith Andrew Bowes and Hamish MacLachlan before receiving lessons from Gordon Walker. His recent tuition comes from Chris Armstrong and John Wilson.
Keith holds the RSPBA Advanced Certificate and is currently in his third year studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Scottish Music. Keith is a regular on the solo piping circuit and features often in the prize lists. He has been a Mod Winner and also won the SPSL Hornpipe and Jig. Keith's previous bands are Johnstone 2003, David Urquart Travel Pipes and Drums 2004-05, ScottishPower 2006-present. He says that Committee members Jack Henderson and Jimmy Liddell played in the Red Hackle with his granddad.

Glenn Brown

Started piping at the age of 9. He was initially taught by Gail Brown and now receives lessons from Willie McCallum. Glenn’s pipe band achievements include Juvenile World Champions 1994, Grade 3 World Champions 1997 and Grade 1 World Champions 2003 and 2005. Glenn competes regularly on the solo piping circuit and his prizes include the Canadian Gold Medal in 2006, Snuff Mull Piobaireachd at the SPSL in 2006, Dunvegan Medal in 2007 and prizes at the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting Gold Medals. Glenn has played for the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band, Peel Regional Police and Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band.

Gordon Bruce

Started playing at the age of 8. He was taught initially by Harry Beattie and now receives lessons from Anne Johnston. Gordon graduated from the RSAMD with a First Class BA Honours Scottish Music Piping Degree. His previous band experience includes competing in every grade from Novice Juvenile - Grade 1. Some of his achievements gained with pipe bands are; Novice Juvenile Champion of Champion (Arbroath RBLS), Grade 4b Champion of Champion (Arbroath RBLS). He also played in Grade 2 with 52nd Lowland regiment. In 2008 he played with Bagad Cap Caval in there two major Breton Championships in Brest and Lorient, winning both and becoming Breton Champions. Gordon has won various prizes in junior competitions, one of which sent him to America for a piping scholarship at the Balmoral School of Piping. He features regularly in the Senior Piping Results around the circuit. Gordon is the Bagpipe Instructor for West Lothian Council and before that was the Schools instructor for North Ayrshire Council. He says there have been many memorable occasions with the band. One that sticks out was a trip to a Spanish piping festival, it was just after his graduation from university and it was great to get away for a few days with the lads from the band and have a blast!!

Gavin Ferguson

Started playing in Primary six when he was nine with the Kintyre Schools Pipe Band. His instructors were Ian McKerral and John Brown. Gavin’s pipe band achievements include winning all 5 major championships in Novice Juvenile grade in 2003 and in 2006 winning the European Championship in Juvenile grade. He is a keen solo competitor round the games and his prizes include 1st in the RSPBA Willie Fergusson Contest in 2006, 1st in the Strathspey & Reel at Cowal in 2008 and 1st in the Burgh Cup (MSR) at Cowal in 2008. Gavin spent six years with the Kintyre Schools Pipe Band and has been a member of ScottishPower Pipe Band for 3 years. Gavin says he made the trip to London last year for the SPSL competitions and missed his slot to play in the competition!

Chris Gibb

Started piping at the age of 8 years old. He was originally taught by various people in the Boys Brigade then by Willie McBride and George Lumsden. Chris Graduated from the RSAMD with a BA Scottish Music (Piping) with Honours and is now the Piping Instructor for Stirling Schools. Some of his band achievements include winning the Worlds in Grade 2 with Drambuie Kirkliston Pipe Band and various top prizes as member of ScottishPower.
He is also a keen solo piping competitor and is the winner of Piobaireachd and Marches at the North American Championships and has featured regularly in the prizes around the games in Scotland and Canada.
His previous bands include Drambuie Kirkliston and the 78th Halifax Citadel Pipes and Drums. He has been a member of ScottishPower pipe band for 6 seasons.

Sylvain Hamon

Sylvain started learning the pipes in a local band, Bagad Plougastell (near Brest – Brittany) in 1995. His instructors include Franck Nicolas, and Hervé Le Floc’h. His pipe band achievements include winning the Breton championship in 2008 with Bagad Cap Caval and top six placings with ScottishPower Pipe Band. Sylvain regularly competes round the games in Scotland since 2002, and has won prizes in most of them. His major prizes include first winner of the Gordon Duncan Memorial solo competition in 2007 and 1st prize in the B grade MSR in London 2008. Sylvain is still a current member of Bagad Cap Caval and has been part of ScottishPower Pipe Band for two years. He plays in a Piping Quartet called ADSX, along with Alexis Meunier, Daniel Moign and Xavier Boderiou which was created in 2002.
He also plays in a duet, with the Bombarde player Steven Bodénès, doing many concerts and winning several Duet competitions in Brittany.

Chris MacDonald

Started piping when he was 12. He was originally taught by Alasdair MacAffer of Struy, and then started to receive tuition from Chris Armstrong at the National Piping Centre. Chris is currently studying for a BA in Scottish Music (Piping) at the RSAMD. He has won various prizes at junior level including 2nd in March Strathspey and Reel competition at the National Piping Centre in 2006 and 1st in the MSR at Dunrobin Castle in 2005. His previous bands are Lomond and Clyde Pipe Band and Inverness. Chris says he once got hit in the face with a football at Dornoch Highland Games whilst competing in the under 18 MSR competition.

Iain MacFadyen

First picked up a practise chanter around age 4. His instructor is his father. His previous pipe band prizes include winning Cowal in his first year with the band and various other top 6 prizes. Iain has been a member of the band for 12 years and some of his most memorable times with the band are playing at the Champions League cup final at Hampden and seeing Zidane’s volley which won the match 1-0. Then in the lap of honour being about six yards away from the European Cup (in with the Madrid fans in full No1 kit!) as the Madrid player’s celebrated.

Alasdair MacKenzie

Starting learning at the age of 8. He was initially taught by Andy Venters and also received tuition from Norman Gillies. Latterly, before moving down to Glasgow 6 years ago he was taught by Paul Harrison. One of Alasdair’s pipe band achievements was being part of the ScottishPower Quartet that won the Piping Live Quartet Challenge in 2008. He hasn’t competed in solo piping since the juniors, but is hoping to get back into it in 2009. He was a frequent prize winner at the Highland Games around the North of Scotland and also won the North Young Piper of the Year in 2003 and the Dunrobin Castle Piping Competition in 2004. His previous bands include Dingwall Royal British Legion, Beauly Firth and Glens, Queensland Highlanders and he is also a member of the Bagad Cap Caval. He joined in 2004 and is entering into his 5th season in ScottishPower Pipe Band. As well as the band, he spends some of his time piping for highland dancing competitions. Highlights range from piping at the World Highland Dancing Championships held in Cowal each year, to the Tokyo Highland Games and also the Continental Championships, Alden Biesen, Belgium.

James Duncan MacKenzie

Started piping aged 8. He was started off by Nick Gordon and then Iain Morrison. He receives tuition now from Allan Macdonald and Stuart Samson at the National Piping Centre. James is currently studying (BA Scottish Music – Piping) at the RSAMD in Glasgow. He is a keen solo piping competitor and one of his major prizes was 3rd place in the A grade strathspey and reel at 2008 Argyllshire Gathering. He joined ScottishPower Pipe Band in 2008. James has also toured Europe in 2008 playing pipes and flute with the band Breabach.

John MacLeod

Started piping at 10 years old in the Dumbarton and District Novice Juvenile Pipe Band before moving to Lochgilphead where he received lessons from Ian MacLeod, the late Pipe Major Tony Wilson and Archie Kenneth and most recently Ronnie Morrison. In 1991 he joined the Power of Scotland band as it was known then under the leadership of Hugh MacInnes and stayed with the band ever since enjoying major success with the band, most notably Cowal Champions 1999. John has had solo success at both junior and senior level.
At the age of 18 he was a prize winner in the A grade marches at the Argyllshire Gathering and won the A grade marches at the Cowal Gathering in the same year. He continued to compete for a number of years picking up various prizes on the solo piping circuit both in Scotland and abroad. John’s previous bands include Kintyre District Pipe Band and the Black Bottle Whiskey Pipe Band. Among John’s memorable experiences with the band are performing at the sky dome in Toronto and also playing at the Champions League final at Hampden Stadium. He also played when the band had a private audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican when the band performed on the same bill as Lionel Ritchie, Bryan Ferry and many more famous names, the following year the band played at the Royal variety performance along with Pavarotti.

Derek Midgley

Started piping when he was 13 years old. His instructor was George M. Bell of Parlin, New Jersey. He previous bands include Toronto Police Pipe Band
and he served as the Pipe Sergeant for the City of Washington Pipe Band. Derek is a keen solo competitor and some his results include 2nd Place Overall in the EUSPBA Professional Standings in 2008 and 2nd Place in the B/C Grade MSR at the Highland Society of London Competition.

Craig Muirhead

Started learning at 8 years old. He was initially taught by Stuart Cassels and then Gavin Walker. He is currently in his second year of a BA Scottish Music (Piping) at the RSAMD in Glasgow and holds his Level 4 PDQB and tutor certificate. He was a regular prize winner on the junior solo piping scene and is beginning to regularly pick up prizes in B/C contests during the season. Craig’s previous band was Clan Gregor Society.

Craig Sked

Started playing at the age of 14 whilst attending King Edward VII School in Johannesburg, South Africa and his instructor was Pipe Major Chris Mulinder, South African Irish Regiment. Craig holds the Institute of Piping Teacher’s Certificate. He features regularly in the prize list round the games circuit in Scotland. Craig is in his second season with the band.

Struan Thorpe

Started playing aged 9 and has had lessons from Arthur Gilles, Stuart Liddell and Iain MacFadyen. He holds the Institute of Piping Junior Certificate. Previous successes with pipe bands include 1st Grade 3A British Championships 2004 and all the prizes with the band in 2008. His major solo piping wins to date include 1st B/C Grade March at Inverary Games in 2008 and 3rd Open MSR at Taynuilt Games in 2007. Struan’s previous bands are Mid Argyll Pipe Band, Lomond & Clyde Pipe Band and ScottishPower Pipe Band where he has been a member for the last 2 years.

David Wilton

Started learning aged 7 years old. His initial instructor was Willie Whyte then he went on to get lessons from Walter Drysdale. He is currently in his second year of a BA Scottish Music (Piping) at the RSAMD in Glasgow. David has played for 13 years in pipe bands since the age of 7. During that time he has won the Grade 4b World championships with City of Brechin Pipe band in 1998 as well as Champion of Champions. He also won grade 2 British, Cowal, World and champion of champions with Drambuie Kirkliston Pipe band. David features regularly in the prizes round the games and his results include 1st in B/C Piobaireachd at Perth Highland Games, 2nd in Piobaireachd at SPSL and 2nd in the MSR at the Dunrobin Championships. His previous bands are City of Brechin, Drambuie Kirkliston and Clan Gregor Society Pipe Band.