Rhode Island Highlanders Pipe Band

The Rhode Island Highlanders Pipe Band is a bagpipe band in Rhode Island. Founded in 1948, and is the oldest pipe band in the state.Fact|date=February 2008 The band currently plays for parades, Burns' Nights, Graduations etc., and also competes in Highland Games at the Grade 4 level. The pipe band was the Grade 5 Champions of the Eastern United States in 2007.

History

The Rhode Island Highlanders were formed in 1948 by a group of veterans of World War II in order to preserve the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland.

There have been 4 past pipe majors of the band. The first, John Everett MacLean, led the band to many victories in competitions in the US and Canada.Under Alexander R. Glen, the second P/M, the band became a recreational band focused more on teaching then competing. The third, John Sullivan, transformed the band from a recreational unit into a nationally recognized competitive Pipe Band of some distinction with many trophies and awards to its credit. The fourth and current Pipe Major is Debbie Kane. She has worked valiantly and taken a broken band in threat of disbanding and turned it around for an amazing second season where the band took home the 1st Place prize for its grade in the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association.

List of Jobs

*Carnegie Abbey Golf Club Burns' Night
*St. Patrick's Day Parades:
*Newport Parade
*West Warwick Parade
*Providence Parade
*Mystic Parade
*Brown University Graduation
*Gaspee Days Parade, Warwick
*Independence Day Parade of Milbury, Massachusetts
*Scotland, Connecticut, Highland Games

Competition

The band is currently competing in Grade 4, in the EUSPBA. It was upgraded from last year where it won the Overall Points Winner Award for Grade 5. In the 2007 season, the band gained a first place at every competition attended except for a second place at Glasgowlands, Ct. The band also won the Northeastern Regional Championship for Grade 5 for 2007 at Altamont, New York. In 2006, the band competed in Grade 3, but did not do so well, and downgraded for the next year.

Members

2008 Roster

*Liam Crouse ~ Secretary (pipes)
*Gerry Boyce (tenor)
*Gerry Davies (p)
*Ian Boyce (snare)
*Shawn Fagan ~ Quarter Master (p)
*Lauren Boyce (bass)
*Juergen "Jogi" Fimmers (p)
*George Caldow ~ Drum Sergeant (s)
*Devon Flynn (p)
*Wallace "Wally" Coburn ~ President
*William "Waldo" Kahler (p)
*Richard "Rick" Deragon (s)
*Debbie Kane ~ Pipe Major (p)
*Diane Fagan (t)
*Aaron Lindo (p)
*Dillon Fagan (t)
*Gerry Newell (p)
*Shane Fagan (s)
*Bob Reid~ Pipe Sergeant (p)
*Frank Kane ~ Bass Drummer Emeritus (b)
*Mike Stone (p)
*Heidi Lanzelin (s)
*Bob Terlisner ~ Treasurer (p)
*Tom Wright ~ Band Manager (p)
*Andrew Youman (t)

Uniforms

The band also wears the Clan Macpherson red tartan, with a black doublet, red flashes and a blue tie.

References

* [http://results.euspba.org/reportgen/Reports/Season_Standings_2007-2000.html 2007 EUSPBA Rankings]

External links

* [http://www.rihighlanders.org/ Official website]