The 1st Denny and Dunipace Boys Brigade Pipe Band grew from a chanter class which was established in 1964 by John Deuchar B.E.M. with the help of Roy Smith who became the first Pipe Major, a post he held until 1970. Jim Miller then took over as Pipe Major in 1970 and continued this early development until 1975 when Robert Deuchar took over. Throughout this period the band established a teaching tradition which continues to this day and much is owed to those early instructors.
It was in the mid seventies that the members of the band began to make their mark on the competition field and in 1976 the band had its first major success with a second place in Grade 4 at the Cowal Gathering. The band continued to build with the support of the Boys Brigade Company and began to attract members from other youth organisations as well as the BB.
In 1977 the band went on to achieve three firsts in Grade 4 ensuring the accolade ‘Champion of Champions’ was brought back to Denny for the first time.
The 1977 band Roster (L to R)
Back row - Drew Watson, Matt Walker, Drew Jarvie, Craig Whyte, David Anderson
MiddleRow - P/M Bobby Deuchar, Walter Jarvie, Kenny Bell, Cameron Nisbet, Sandy Johnston, Brian Ferguson, Gordon MacLachlan, Stewart Poodle, Alastair Black
Front Row - AlanTempleton, Colin McPherson, John MacFarlane, John Deuchar, John Dyer, Derek Laing, George Turner
The band was subsequently promoted to Grade 3 for the 1978 season and then in 1979 the RSPBA re-organised the grading structure and this saw the Denny and Dunipace band promoted to Grade 2 for the 1980 season. Meanwhile the band continued to teach new players and this meant that a second band, competing in Novice Juvenile, was established in 1979.
Senior band members such as Dr Robert Deuchar, Roy Smith and George Turner were again at the heart of this development and spent a lot of time and effort in providing tuition for the younger playing members of the band. It was realised about this time that the band had outgrown its BB roots with the vast majority of its members coming from outside the BB. This resulted in the formation of the Denny and Dunipace Pipe Band Association.
The senior band also acquired a new tartan changing from the Ancient Lindsay to the tartan which was previously worn by the now-defunct Muirhead and Sons Pipe Band, the Princess Elizabeth, also known as the Red Inverness. The ’wee band’ now competing in grade 4 in order to accommodate learners too old to play in juvenile competition continued to wear the Ancient Lindsay.
The early 80’s was a period of development with a number of new players attracted to the band including John McInnes, now a member of the RSPBA Judging Panel. John took charge of the drum corps in 1983 and played with the senior band throughout the 1980’s and early 90’s. A number of foreign trips were organised with the band venturing to
Both bands at Denny Cross 1984
The Association continued to develop throughout the 1980’s and in 1985 the band released its first recording on the ‘Scotdisc’ label. However this paled into insignificance when, in 1987, the senior band, competing in Grade 2, won the Champion of Champions title, with first places at the British and European Championships and prize winning performances in the Scottish, Worlds and Cowal Championships. This meant that in 1988 the band was promoted to Grade 1. This was a great achievement for the Association and for the band under the leadership of Pipe Major Robert Deuchar.
1987 at Strathcarron Hospice
1988 proved to be a year of consolidation for the senior band with the advent of a new sponsorship agreement with the Carrongrove Papermill. During the same year, the junior band under the leadership of Pipe Major Lorne Brown, took some inspiration from the ’big band’ and began to pick up prizes at the major championships in Grade 4 leading to their promotion to Grade 3 at the end of that season.
In 1991 ‘The Captain’, John Deuchar was awarded the
Over the next few years both bands worked to consolidate their positions in their respective grades but, after failing to make any impression on the Grade 1 prize list, the senior band was demoted to Grade 2 in 1992. The same year, due to the increasing pressure of his work as a General Practitioner, Dr Robert Deuchar was forced to step down as Pipe Major. Roy Smith took over for a year but this proved to be an unsettled period. Changes in personnel and problems with practise facilities all caused difficulties that contributed to a further drop to Grade 3.
Craig Whyte became Pipe Major in 1994 and began to put the band back on track. After several years of hard work, the band returned to the prize list at the Major championships in 1998, winning both the British and Cowal titles on their way to scooping the ‘Champion of Champions’ title in Grade 3. This meant a promotion to Grade 2 for the 1999 season.
However over the next few years the senior band again failed to make any impression on the prize list at the major championship competitions and as a result returned to grade 3 at the end of the 2004 season with Craig Whyte bowing out and
However it was not all doom and gloom as during the 2004 season the Association had re-established the ‘junior’ band competing in grade 4B. Initially led by Chris Hendry this was very much a new band with the vast majority of players never having competed before. Chris took a ‘career break’ at the end of the 2004 season and his brogues were filled by Colin Shearer the current Pipe Major of the ‘wee band’.
The 2005 season saw some success from what was very much a band in transition. The band has continued its tradition of teaching new players and with the work being put in by all the members of the Association it wasn’t long before the band’s name began to feature back in the prize lists at the Major competitions.
The 2006 season started off with disappointment for the senior band who finished just outside the prize list with a seventh place at the Scottish Championships. However a second place at the British Championships and a third at the European Championships paved the way to the one prize that had eluded the band throughout its 42 year history. On 16th August 2006 at Glasgow Green the senior band achieved another milestone when they were crowned World Champions in Grade 3A with the Drum Corps and the Bass Section also taking World Championship titles in their respective disciplines.
Drum Major Andy Grant , Alexander Richardson and Roy Smith display the trophies won by the band at the World Championships, Glasgow Green, August 2006
The Grade 3A band followed this with a second place at the Cowal Championships which meant that the band achieved the accolade of Champions of Champions in Grade 3A for 2006. Promotion to Grade 2 was soon to follow.
2007 saw the senior band consolidating its position in the new grade with some prizes at the minor competitions. Another venture was the publication of our first book of pipe music showcasing the talents of the various composers who have been members of the bands over the years.
Like most bands we aim to move on. We want to win in grade 2 and we want the wee band to win in their grade too! We would also like to have a novice juvenile band in competition. Time will tell – watch this space!