The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band is a grade one

pipe band A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of Bagpipes, pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland b ...

affiliated with Simon Fraser University in

Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard I ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. It is led by

pipe major The pipe major is the leading musician of a pipe band, whether military or civilian. Like the appointment of drum major, the position is derived from British Army traditions. During the early twentieth century, the term sergeant piper was used ...

Alan Bevan Alan Bevan is a piper and current pipe major of the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band. Life Before joining the Simon Fraser University band in 1995, he was pipe major of the Grade 1 Abbotsford Police Pipe Band. Bevan graduated from Simon Fraser ...

and leading drummer J. Reid Maxwell.

History

The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band was originally formed by a group of students at Simon Fraser University in 1966. Brothers Terry and Jack Lee joined the Simon Fraser University band in 1981 after being approached by then-president of the University

George Pedersen George Pedersen may refer to: * George Pedersen (academic administrator) Knud George Pedersen, (born June 13, 1931) is a Canadian academic administrator. He was the president of Simon Fraser University (1979 to 1983), University of British Col ...

through Scottish soccer coach John Buchanan, who wanted to have a better quality band than the one that would form as necessary for events. The next year, the band won the North American Championships, and in 1983 came 10th at the World Championships. In 1985, the band came second at the Worlds. J. Reid Maxwell joined the band as leading drummer in 1992, having previously been leading drummer of the

78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band The 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band, is a grade 1 competitive pipe band from Campbellville, Ontario, Canada. History The band was formed in 1982 by members of the disbanded General Motors Pipe Band with support from a 78th Fraser Highlanders ...

when it became the first non-Scottish band to win the World Championships in 1987. After Robert Barbulak and Malcolm Bokenfor were killed in a road accident in 1994, the Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band was created as a system of three bands in lower grades to act as a feeder to the Grade 1 band. The Robert Malcolm Memorial bands have also been successful in competitions in their respective grades. The band wears the Simon Fraser University

tartan Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...

, which was custom designed for the band in 2010. On September 29, 2013, Terry Lee stepped down as Pipe Major after leading the band for over 30 years, having appointed

, a two-time solo Gold Medalist, as his successor. Jack continues to act as pipe sergeant.

Personnel

Terry and Jack played in the

City of Victoria Pipe Band The City of Victoria Pipe Band was a grade 1 pipe band based in Victoria, British Columbia. History James Troy was pipe major of a youth band under Ian Duncan of Victoria, until he turned sixteen and aged out. In 1961, he joined the Royal Canadi ...

, and then Terry led the now defunct Port Moody Pipe Band, before they joined the Simon Fraser University band in 1981.

Steven McWhirter Steven McWhirter is a pipe band drummer from Northern Ireland. He has won multiple World Championship titles as a solo performer and as part of band. He is the lead drummer for the Inveraray & District Pipe Band. Life McWhirter was born in Bally ...

and

Stuart Liddell Stuart Liddell MBE (born 12 January 1973) is a Scottish bagpipe player. As well as competing in solo competitions, he is the Pipe major of the Inveraray and District Pipe Band. Early life He was born in Oban on 12 January 1973 and spent his ear ...

, now leading drummer and pipe major respectively of

Inveraray & District Pipe Band Inveraray and District Pipe Band is a Grade 1 pipe band based in Inveraray, Scotland. History Stuart Liddell, a native of Argyll and one of the world's top solo players began coaching youngsters at Inveraray Primary School in 2003, and registere ...

, played with Simon Fraser University for several years.

Competition

The band has consistently placed in the top three in world competition and has won the Grade One World Pipe Band Championships six times, in 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2008, and 2009. SFUPB is one of only four bands located outside of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

that have won a World Pipe Band Championship (the other three being the

, the

Victoria Police Pipe Band The Victoria Police Pipe Band is a former Grade One World Pipe Band Championship-winning pipe band based in Melbourne, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. The band still operates today, though with reduced numbers and not competitively, after a con ...

and the

St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band The St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band is a Grade 1 pipe band based in St. Mary's Hospital Campus Phoenix Park, Dublin,Ireland. The band was established in 1910, and won the RSPBA World Pipe Band Championships in 2010. The band's Pipe Major is Alen ...

). In addition, the band has placed second nine times. The band placed in the top three at the World Championships for 14 consecutive years up until 2012, with a fourth placing in 2013 and no placing in 2014. They are the second most successful pipe band from outside Scotland, after the

Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band is a competitive grade one pipe band from Lisburn, Northern Ireland named in honour of Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. The band has won the World Pipe Band Championships 13 times, making it th ...

. SFUPB regularly competes in Highland Games competitions sanctioned by the

British Columbia Pipers Association The British Columbia Pipers Association is a non-profit organization, which sanctions all major bagpipe competitions in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. It frequently joins with Scottish heritage groups and athletic organizations to organ ...

in the northwestern United States and southwestern British Columbia before traveling to

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

in August for the World Pipe Band Championships. The band wears the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band

. Since 1994, the SFUPB has led an extensive family of pipe bands which each compete in their own grades. This organization is called the Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band.

Concerts and recordings

SFU Pipe Band at Lincoln Center (7001022726)

The band has produced twelve recordings, three concert/documentary videos, and appeared on four BBC Radio Scotland broadcasts. In April 2001 the band recorded a CD live at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. On February 20, 1998, the band performed in concert at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. This concert marked the first time a pipe band has performed a concert at this prestigious venue. The debut performance was recorded and released in June 1998 as ''Simon Fraser University Pipe Band - Live at Carnegie Hall''. In June 1996, the band released its first live album ''Alive in America'', the first live, in concert recording in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

of a pipe band. In May 2012, the band returned to New York and recorded its latest album ''Live from New York City'' at the

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

. In August 2015, gave a concert called ''Nous Sommes Prets'' at the

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is a concert and arts venue located in Glasgow, Scotland. It is owned by Glasgow City Council and operated by Glasgow Life, an agency of Glasgow City Council, which also runs Glasgow's City Halls and Old Fruitmarket v ...

Albums

* ''Live in Chilliwack'' (Live 2020) * ''Live From New York City'' (Live 2012) * ''Affirmation'' (Live 2009) * ''On Home Ground Volume 2'' (Studio and Live 2006) * ''On Home Ground Volume 1'' (Studio and Live 2005) * ''Down Under - Live at the Sydney Opera House'' (Live 2001) * ''At The Worlds'' (Compilation 2000) * ''Live at Carnegie Hall'' (Live 1998) * ''Alive In America'' (Live 1996) * ''Do Mo Chara Maith'' ("For My Good Friend") (Studio 1994) * ''The Silver Anniversary Tribute'' (Studio 1991) * ''A High Cut Above'' (Piping for Highland Dancing) (Studio 1991) * ''Nous Sommes Prêts'' ("We Are Ready") (Studio 1984)

References

External links

Simon Fraser University Pipe BandRobert Malcolm Memorial Pipe BandWorld Championship winning medley 2008 (Youtube)In concert in 2009 (Youtube)
{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1966 Grade 1 pipe bands

Pipe Band A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of Bagpipes, pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland b ...

World Pipe Band Championships winners Canadian marching bands College marching bands in Canada 1966 establishments in British Columbia