Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming
Encyclopedia
The Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming is a British Army
training establishment that provides instructions of Scottish
bagpipe music to military pipers, drummers and pipe bands.
in Edinburgh
, Scotland
and is administered by the Infantry Training Centre
, it is also affiliated with the Corps of Army Music
. Generally regarded as the smallest unit in the British Army, the School is now commanded by a Director who is a qualified army Pipe Major
and who usually holds the rank of Captain
or Major
(usually being commissioned from Warrant Officer
rank on appointment). The Director is assisted by a Chief Instructor, who is the Senior Pipe Major of the British Army.
The School provides courses at different levels to pipers and drummers of the British Armed Forces
throughout the year, and qualified instructors are drawn from the pipes and drums of various units in the British Army
. The School accepts students from Commonwealth
armed forces, but not civilians. It has in the past provided instruction to various police
band members, but this has not taken place for a number of years.
The School forms part of the Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board, which is a collaboration among the Piobaireachd Society, the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, the College of Piping
, and the Piping Centre. Together, the Institute sets a standardised piping certificate program for students from around the world.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
training establishment that provides instructions of Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
bagpipe music to military pipers, drummers and pipe bands.
History
Founded in 1910 as the Army School of Piping (later renamed the Army School of Bagpipe Music), the School is located at Inchdrewer House near Redford BarracksRedford Barracks
Redford Cavalry and Infantry Barracks are located on Colinton Road, near the Edinburgh City Bypass, east of the suburb of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland....
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and is administered by the Infantry Training Centre
Infantry Training Centre
The Infantry Training Centre is a unit of the British Army administered by HQ School of Infantry responsible for both basic and advanced training of Soldiers and Officers joining the infantry...
, it is also affiliated with the Corps of Army Music
Corps of Army Music
The Corps of Army Music is a corps of the British Army. It was formed in 1994 as an umbrella organisation, centred on the Royal Military School of Music, to oversee the 29 new permanent Military Bands formed following Options for Change, although each band continues to wear the capbadges and Full...
. Generally regarded as the smallest unit in the British Army, the School is now commanded by a Director who is a qualified army Pipe Major
Pipe Major
The Pipe Major is the director of bagpipe music in a Scottish or Irish pipe band. Like Drum Major, the position of Pipe Major is derived from British Army traditions. During the early twentieth century, the term Sergeant Piper was used for the role in place of "Pipe Major".Civillian and military...
and who usually holds the rank of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
or Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
(usually being commissioned from Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
rank on appointment). The Director is assisted by a Chief Instructor, who is the Senior Pipe Major of the British Army.
The School provides courses at different levels to pipers and drummers of the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
throughout the year, and qualified instructors are drawn from the pipes and drums of various units in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. The School accepts students from Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
armed forces, but not civilians. It has in the past provided instruction to various police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
band members, but this has not taken place for a number of years.
The School forms part of the Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board, which is a collaboration among the Piobaireachd Society, the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, the College of Piping
College of Piping in Glasgow, Scotland
The College of Piping was founded in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1944 by Seamus MacNeill and Thomas Pearston to pass on the art of the Great Highland Bagpipe to all who wanted to learn Scotland's national instrument...
, and the Piping Centre. Together, the Institute sets a standardised piping certificate program for students from around the world.
British Armed Forces Pipe Bands
- Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon GuardsRoyal Scots Dragoon GuardsThe Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. It was formed on 2 July 1971 at Holyrood, Edinburgh, by the amalgamation of the 3rd Carabiniers The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) (SCOTS DG) is a cavalry regiment of...
- Pipes and Drums of the Royal Dragoon GuardsRoyal Dragoon GuardsThe Royal Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of two other regiments: The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards...
- Pipes and Drums of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment1st Royal Tank RegimentThe 1st Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It is part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It was originally formed as 1st Battalion, Royal Tank Corps in 1934....
- Pipes and Drums of the Queen's Royal Hussars
- Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion, Scots GuardsScots GuardsThe Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
- Drums and Pipes of the 1st Battalion, Irish GuardsIrish GuardsThe Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
- Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots BorderersRoyal Scots BorderersThe Royal Scots Borderers is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.Two infantry regiments ; the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers merged on the 28 March 2006, and with the other Scottish infantry regiments amalgamated into the single seven battalion strong Royal...
, 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland - Pipes and Drums of the Royal Highland FusiliersRoyal Highland FusiliersThe Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland....
, 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland - Pipes and Drums of the Black WatchBlack WatchThe Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland - Pipes and Drums of the HighlandersThe Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.Prior to 28 March 2006, the Highlanders was an infantry regiment in its own right; The Highlanders , part of the Scottish Division...
, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland - Pipes and Drums of the Argyll and Sutherland HighlandersArgyll and Sutherland HighlandersThe Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland....
, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland - Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)
- Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha RiflesRoyal Gurkha RiflesThe Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas...
- Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha RiflesRoyal Gurkha RiflesThe Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas...
- Pipes and Drums of 19th Regiment, Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- Pipes and Drums of 40th Regiment, Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- Pipes and Drums of the Lancashire Artillery Volunteers
- Pipes and Drums of the 52nd Lowland52nd Lowland RegimentThe 52nd Lowland Regiment now forms the 6th Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 6 SCOTS. Due to its erstwhile association with the 1st Regiment of Foot, it is the senior Territorial line infantry battalion in the British Army...
, 6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland - Pipes and Drums of the 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
- Pipes and Drums of the London Scottish
- Pipes and Drums of the London Irish RiflesLondon Irish RiflesThe London Irish Rifles is now known more formally known as "D Company, London Regiment" and is a volunteer Rifle Regiment with a distinguished history...
- Pipes and Drums of the Royal Corps of SignalsRoyal Corps of SignalsThe Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
- Pipes and Drums of the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- Pipes and Drums of City of Edinburgh UOTCOfficers Training CorpsThe Officer Training Corps is a part of the British Army which provides military leadership training to students at UK universities...
- Drums and Pipes of Aberdeen UOTC
- Pipes and Drums of Glasgow UOTC
- Pipes and Drums of Tayforth UOTC
- Pipes and Drums of 102 Battalion REME
Directors
- Captain John MacLellan (Queen's Own Highlanders), 1961–1974
- Captain Andrew Pitkeathly (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders), 1976-1981
- Major John Allan (Queen's Own Highlanders), 1981–1990
- Major Gavin Stoddart, BEM, MBE (Royal Highland FusiliersRoyal Highland FusiliersThe Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland....
), 1990–2003 - Captain Stuart Samson (The HighlandersThe Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.Prior to 28 March 2006, the Highlanders was an infantry regiment in its own right; The Highlanders , part of the Scottish Division...
), 2003–2007 - Captain Steven Small (Black WatchBlack WatchThe Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
), 2007–