Big thank you from Lisburn.com

City Hall date for the Belvoir Drum Majors 

BELVOIR Drum Majors were recently honoured by a visit from the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Pat McCarthy.

The class give a short display for the Mayor with the Cleland Memorial Pipe Band from Bangor providing the music.

Belvoir Drum Majors have been invited by the Lord Mayor to a reception in Belfast City Hall on 14th February where class Instructor Kathleen Smyth will receive a plaque in recognition of her work with the drum majors.

Mark Wilson, world-class drummer and musical director of Altnaveigh House in Newry, is the man behind a 'Piping Hot' musical extravaganza at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

The show, on Friday 16th February, will feature the Cross-Border Orchestra of Ireland, a choir of 500 primary school children drawn from all over Northern Ireland.

The performance includes orchestral music, accompanied by Highland pipes and drums, Irish 'River Dance' and Ulster Highland dancing. The performance will be hosted by UTV's Paul Clark.

For further information contact Altnaveigh House telephone 3083 7610.


The 2007 Co. Fermanagh Pipe Band Championships to take place on 27th May will now be held at the new venue of the Lakeland Forum, Enniskillen. This venue has more open "green space" for the bands to tune up etc. It is located right beside the river Erne and Enniskillen Castle and it is a very short walk to the shopping centre of Enniskillen.

Further details will appear in due course.

Also, the Fermanagh section in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Piping and Drumming School, has commenced Piping and Drumming and Drum Major classes in Enniskillen. This has attracted around 40 pupils, who are receiving the very best tuition from fully qualified instructors.

Further information on the classes can be obtained from Cecil Jones (new Chairman of the Fermanagh section) by telephone 07753823073 or 35548806. Cullybackey Pipe Band are organising a Gospel Concert on Saturday 10th February at 7.30pm in Cullybackey High School. Special guests with include the Rev. William McCrea and Friends.

The junior and senior bands of Cullybackey, along with the Grade 2 drum corps, will also be taking part Admission is £5 and tickets are available from any band member or pay at door.

The period since 2002 has proved to be one of the most successful in the history of Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, and following a series of major competition successes they are once again RSPBA World Champions and RSPBA Champion of Champions.

Field Marshal Montgomery, and in particular Keith Orr and his drum corps, wish to acknowledge the significant contribution to their successes derived from their business relationships with Pearl Drums.

Now at the conclusion of this period of Pearl's endorsement the band acknowledge their outstanding contribution and extend their sincere thanks and best wishes to them for the quality of the professional service which they have received.

Field Marshal Montgomery have now switched to playing Premier HTS 700 Drums and will compete on them in future competitions. This drum, designed by 16 times world solo champion Jim Kilpatrick, has shared in the success of more solo and drum corps championships titles than any other snare drum in history.

Ulster Star
09/02/2007