Epping Forest Pipe Band
Encyclopedia
The Epping Forest Pipe Band is a Highland Bagpipe and Drum Band which performs at various events.
and Drums.
In its first five years, the Band performed at a variety of functions including local fetes and Royal British Legion parades.
The first landmark in the Band's history was in 1978, when they toured Poland
for two weeks, raising money for a new Polish hospital. This was rapidly followed in 1979 with another landmark in the Band's history, performing live on BBC
television, in the Birmingham
Studios for "Pebble Mill at One
".
No sooner had the Band changed their name, than they received a second invitation to return to Poland for another two week tour. So once again in 1980, the newly named, "Epping Forest Pipe Band", took to the skies and travelled to Eastern Europe
. Not only was this to be a fund raising trip, but an educational one too, as the Band visited the Salt Mines, Kraków
Square, Zachopany and the Birthplace of the famous composer, Chopin.
During the 1980s the Band grew from strength to strength, under the continued Pipe Major
ship of Bryan Bredin. More and more children were benefiting from membership of the band. Performances were given at many venues, some of the more notable being "The Great Children's Party" in Hyde Park
, the tarmac at Manchester Airport for the first visit of Polish War veterans to England
and London Weekend Television
for The Six O'Clock Show.
During the eighties, the Band successfully competed at a number of Highland Gatherings and Pipe Band competitions and received one or two trophies.
The 1990s were a decade that would see the Band's biggest change. The early nineties continued to see regular performances and shows, however, in 1995, Bryan believed that after 21 years, it was time for a new Pipe Major and stepped down from leadership responsibilities. However, he remained active in support and tuition for the remainder of his years.
In 1996, Simon Bredin took over the Pipe Majorship of the Band with the full support of the committee and has led ever since.
Highlights of the late nineties include performances at the Royal Albert Hall
and two further trips to Europe
, to attend folkloric music and dance festivals.
In May 1999 The Epping Forest Pipe Band celebrated its 25th birthday with a Scottish evening, with guests from other local Bands and past members.
and have performed at The Europeade
Cultural Festival 2007 in Horsens
in Denmark
, as well as in 2008 in Martigny, Switzerland, where they were commended for their superb quality and prowess.
The band was featured live on BBC
television, in the Birmingham
Studios for "Pebble Mill at One
" and have also performed at The Royal Albert Hall
.
The band also often performs for The Royal British Legion at its War Widows Parade in White Hall
, London
, which is held on the previous day to Remembrance Day
.
", "Amazing Grace
", and "Auld Lang Syne
", as well as some of the more complex, including "Desert Storm", "The Egg and Fiddle" or "Banjo Breakdown". Some of pipers play McCallum Bagpipes and most of the Drum Corps play Premier Highland Drums
History
In 1974, Bryan Bredin, Nobby Hall and Alan Geddes of the Waltham Forest Pipe Band, a well established traditional Highland Bagpipe and Drum Band, had the idea of forming a junior Pipe Band, so that children could be taught the art of playing the BagpipesBagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
and Drums.
In its first five years, the Band performed at a variety of functions including local fetes and Royal British Legion parades.
The first landmark in the Band's history was in 1978, when they toured Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
for two weeks, raising money for a new Polish hospital. This was rapidly followed in 1979 with another landmark in the Band's history, performing live on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television, in the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Studios for "Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One was a popular British lunchtime chat show broadcast live originally on BBC2 before transferring to BBC1. It was produced from the Pebble Mill facilities of BBC Birmingham, and uniquely was hosted from the centre's main reception area rather than a traditional studio...
".
No sooner had the Band changed their name, than they received a second invitation to return to Poland for another two week tour. So once again in 1980, the newly named, "Epping Forest Pipe Band", took to the skies and travelled to Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. Not only was this to be a fund raising trip, but an educational one too, as the Band visited the Salt Mines, Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
Square, Zachopany and the Birthplace of the famous composer, Chopin.
During the 1980s the Band grew from strength to strength, under the continued 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...
ship of Bryan Bredin. More and more children were benefiting from membership of the band. Performances were given at many venues, some of the more notable being "The Great Children's Party" in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, the tarmac at Manchester Airport for the first visit of Polish War veterans to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
for The Six O'Clock Show.
During the eighties, the Band successfully competed at a number of Highland Gatherings and Pipe Band competitions and received one or two trophies.
The 1990s were a decade that would see the Band's biggest change. The early nineties continued to see regular performances and shows, however, in 1995, Bryan believed that after 21 years, it was time for a new Pipe Major and stepped down from leadership responsibilities. However, he remained active in support and tuition for the remainder of his years.
In 1996, Simon Bredin took over the Pipe Majorship of the Band with the full support of the committee and has led ever since.
Highlights of the late nineties include performances at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
and two further trips to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, to attend folkloric music and dance festivals.
In May 1999 The Epping Forest Pipe Band celebrated its 25th birthday with a Scottish evening, with guests from other local Bands and past members.
Notable performances
Some of The Epping Forest Pipe Bands more recent highlights include a return to Europe for a four day music festival in FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and have performed at The Europeade
Europeade
Europeade is the largest festival of European folk culture, held in a different European country each year. Last Europeade was held in Bolzano, Italy in 2010, next will be held in Tartu, Estonia in 2011, in Padua, Italy in 2012 and in Gotha, Germany in 2013....
Cultural Festival 2007 in Horsens
Horsens
Horsens is a Danish city in east Jutland. It is the site of the council of Horsens municipality. The city's population is 53,807 and the Horsens municipality's population is 82,835 ....
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, as well as in 2008 in Martigny, Switzerland, where they were commended for their superb quality and prowess.
The band was featured live on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television, in the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Studios for "Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One was a popular British lunchtime chat show broadcast live originally on BBC2 before transferring to BBC1. It was produced from the Pebble Mill facilities of BBC Birmingham, and uniquely was hosted from the centre's main reception area rather than a traditional studio...
" and have also performed at The Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
.
The band also often performs for The Royal British Legion at its War Widows Parade in White Hall
White Hall
White Hall is the name of many localities:*White Hall, Alabama*White Hall, Arkansas*White Hall, California*White Hall, Illinois*White Hall Township, Greene County, Illinois*White Hall, Baltimore County, Maryland*White Hall, Cecil County, Maryland...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, which is held on the previous day to Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
.
Music
The Epping Forest Pipe Band plays music typical of a Highland Pipes and Drums Band, including popular favourites, such as "Scotland the BraveScotland the Brave
"Scotland the Brave" is a Scottish patriotic song. It was one of several songs considered an unofficial national anthem of Scotland.Scotland the Brave is also the authorised pipe band march of The British Columbia Dragoons of the Canadian Forces, and is played during the Pass in Review at Friday...
", "Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
", and "Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight...
", as well as some of the more complex, including "Desert Storm", "The Egg and Fiddle" or "Banjo Breakdown". Some of pipers play McCallum Bagpipes and most of the Drum Corps play Premier Highland Drums