In the world of music, some stories are told through the harmonious blend of notes and melodies, while others are etched into history through the triumphant skirl of bagpipes and the resounding beat of drums. Such is the tale of Haileybury Pipes & Drums, who set off from Australian shores earlier this year and journeyed to the true home of bagpipes — Scotland.
On 18–19 August, the Haileybury Pipes & Drums band competed at the 2023 World Pipe Band Championships in Grade 3B — and they came out the other side reigning champions.
For those who are new to the pipe band grading lingo, the grades from lowest/beginner to highest/expert rank: Novice Juvenile B, Novice Juvenile A, Grade 4B, Grade 4A, Juvenile, Grade 3B, Grade 3A, Grade 2 and, finally, Grade 1, the premier league.
The members of Haileybury Pipes & Drums were among 190 bands and 8,000 musicians that descended on Glasgow Green in Scotland for the championships.
The standard is higher in Scotland than anywhere else in the world and the bands competing at the World Championships are at peak performance,” said Pipes & Drums Director, Lincoln Hilton.
Despite more than 24 hours of travelling, jetlag and a bout of food poisoning three days earlier, the students were tireless in their practice regime, rehearsing long hours up to seven days a week. Earlier in the trip, they even managed to achieve a very commendable second place at the North Berwick Highland Games, and third place at the Perth Highland Games, competing in Grades 2 and 3 respectively.
These achievements were all the more remarkable considering that just a few months prior, the band had been competing in Grade 4A.
Drums captain, Grishma (Year 12) says the world champions are still coming to terms with their huge achievement.
The opportunity to play at a World Championships, let alone to win, is very rare,” Grishma said.
The win has been two years in the making with the students practising and honing their performance skills for countless hours.
When Haileybury was named world champions in our category it was a surreal moment. It felt like a dream,” Lincoln shared.
Every note during the performance had to be played by memory and with precision, but the Haileybury students have sacrificed many, many hours to practice and they were determined to perform at a world-class level,” he said.
In true Scottish fashion, a dreich (dull and damp) day rolled in on the morning of the Worlds, but being from Melbourne and regularly seeing four seasons in one day, the team was well prepared to compete against 14 other bands from six countries: Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Belgium, Canada and France — three of which won the recent majors.
At the stroke of 11.00 am, routines that were timed down to a minute began. Most championship performances are heavily affected by nerves and excitement, but this was Haileybury’s best performance of the trip.
As the skirl of bagpipes echoed through the Scottish air and the drums reverberated with pride, Haileybury Pipes & Drums etched their names into the annals of pipe band history. They had risen to the challenge, beating the UK Champions, the European Champions and the Scottish Champions to claim their well-deserved victory.
A key factor of this incredible achievement was the exceptional group of tutors who poured their hearts into preparing the band for this prestigious competition. Their hard work and dedication served as the guiding light for the young musicians.
Pipe Corporal of the band, Jessie (Year 10) was quick to share her appreciation.
I’d like to say a big thank you to all the teachers who went over with us. Mr Hilton, Mr Perry, Mr Evans, Mr Staley and Ms Mummery, and the teachers we have here in Melbourne, Mr Templeton and Mr Young.”
The victory serves as a source of inspiration for aspiring pipers and drummers around the world. The team proved that regardless of one’s geographical location, dedication and hard work can lead to extraordinary achievements.
They are just one of a handful of Australian bands to win such a world championship, and are the highest grades ever attempted by any school band in Australia.