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The Concert Band

(1999 - 2007)

The concert band of Alnwick Pipers' Society was formed in 1999 in order to play at a festival in France and since then has played regularly for concerts, festivals and other events.

The band is, we believe unique in piping circles in that there are about thirty regular playing members.   The normal lineup is about sixteen pipers  supported by a smaller fiddle section together with other traditional instruments such as accordion, whistle and 'moothie' which often play "seconds" or harmonies to the main tune in the style common in Northumbrian duet-playing.  

The band has been involved in several important official opening ceremonies and some of the pieces included on our CD were written especially for these events. 

• "Leaving the Tyne" was written for the commissioning of an oil exploration vessel, Kerr-McGee Global Producer III, in 2001.
• "The Bailiffgate Rant" commemorates the opening of the new Bailiffgate Museum in Alnwick in 2002.
• "The Alnwick Garden" was written for the official opening, also in 2002, of the Alnwick Garden, the major new visitor attraction conceived and developed by the Duchess of Northumberland.

2008

In January 2008 Richard Johnson resigned as musical director following the earlier resignation of Colin Bradford both of whom are to be thanked for all the hard work that went into making the Concert band the success it was. However in March 2008 having been elected Chairman of the Society  Richard Johnstone,  began implementing a major restructuring process with regard to instrumentation, style of play and musical presentation of Alnwick Pipers' Society.  This process is ongoing at the present time.