Field Marshal Montgomery takes 2017 UK titles at Belfast Championships

Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band was in fine form at the 2017 UK Pipe Band Championships held on 10 June at the Stormont Estate in Belfast. The band, directed by Pipe Major Richard Parkes with Drum Sergeant Keith Orr, was placed first in the Grade One competition winning both the Grade One Championship and the Drumming Championship.
The band was playing a new medley that sparkled with wit and invention. The tunes were:
Edison (Stuart Irvine)
Morning Blossom (Lincoln Hilton)
The Piper's Bonnet (traditional)
Nameless Air (traditional)
Jane Campbell (Michael Grey)
The Braes of Forbes (G S McLennan)
Richard Dwyer's (traditional)
The Hard Drive (Gordon Duncan)
The weather looks beautiful, and it was sunny and warm as Belfast found itself between two wet weather fronts, but there was a very blustery wind.

[@christophermagill3280]

Having been brought up on this from I've been 3 years of age and been able to hold sticks and listen properly to tunes, this is by far and away my favourite set of all time. At 4 mins 20 secs the hair stands on my neck and same with at 5 mins 22 seconds to finish. The hard drive medley will possibly never be beaten for me . From pipes and tenors to side drums and bass, just perfection in my humble personal opinion.

[@davidpaterson778]

Tears just streaming down my cheeks listening to this selection!

[@chrisnorton8363]

The two folk who've disliked this must be tone deaf. This is incredible.

[@jimlyon7276]

@Chris Norton - And 3 years L8R there are now 24 - must be typically spiteful sassenachs! - I might be a biased Scot but I ALWAYS rated Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band highly ever since I first heard them ! :)

[@flipthemindsetbykennymacka9840]

Absolutely ridiculous👏🏽

[@ashgall8118]

I think this is the best I've ever hear FMM play!

[@tinahudgens3155]

Outstanding performance. Can't get any better than that. 💙

[@johnparr347yrsand2]

The Machine at it again, effing boomin!

[@janetwilson6069]

What I meant to say was that a million years ago, before many people had ever heard of FMM, as a student at Queen's University, Belfast, I had a audition with the pipe sergeant at the FMM practice hall, which was a tiny. I failed. My sad claim to fame !

[@patrickwallace9484]

Wow just listen to those drones sing outstanding.

[@MrNikodemus2]

incredible - the greatest pipe band yet for sure.

[@connoro8610]

Face-melting drones.

[@NerdMov]

I think this may be the most together set I've ever heard

[@ringsidejudge4302]

Rolls Royce quality .FM have raised the bar again. A nice result that was well justified and a credit to the judging team.Thanks to Dronechorus, he is our sound and visual hero one more time.

[@patfitzpatrick1279]

Amazing

[@Ray-lh3oc]

By the way @dronechorus, the last tune is written by Fred Morrison. The High Drive was written by Gordon Duncan

[@patrickwallace9484]

Great drumming to .

[@sidedrum69]

O M G...

[@piperbob2]

I hear Fred Morrison at the end !

[@benlampman3712]

How come in the description that it is a Gordon Duncan tune? (I know that fred morison wrote the tune)

[@Ray-lh3oc]

@@benlampman3712 its because Gordon Duncan wrote a tune with a similar title called "The High Drive"

[@robertmitchelmore2430]

What an ending.

[@jasonfreeman9606]

machine.

[@chinngis83]

They finished with 'The Hard Drive,' awesome.

[@bowkermarie2]

And that medley will win the worlds me thinks....

[@adamscott2219]

bowkermarie2 I'm a big fan of Inverary, but that performance was tremendous. Love Fred Morrisons tune at the end. Typically a solo piece played on the small pipes but they made it work. Could split the judges at the Worlds though but so entertaining 😊

[@jamesfaeh]

Agreed. Was sure this would finally be the year for Inverary. The medley Stuart performed with them last year was one of the best I've heard. But this just blew me away. Impossibly hard technique, unison is immaculate throughout, interesting and complimentary tenor and bass work, intonation on point, extraordinary balance and voicing in the harmonies throughout the slow air. Most bands would be happy to end with a reel like Richard Dwyer's, but they take it up a whole other notch with The Hard Drive. Both innovative and exemplary execution. You just dont get very often. Richard Parks is a god among men. People dont realize how insane it is to produce that kind of superior consistency year in and year out.

[@davidsamson1453]

I can say (in my humble opinion), Inveraray may not play music that has tons of heavy embellishments like Field Marshal Montgomery, but make no mistake, their repertoire is just as technically difficult as Field Marshal's (i.e. tons of GDEs and and other very exposed gracenote-dense passage), rythmically probably a little more difficult, AND on a good day, their gracenotes are actually crisper and more in unison than Field Marshal. It's truly a very fine balancing act the judges have to play when both bands are on top of their game. A little note mistake or raggedy passage of gracenotes in a tune could make the difference between first and second place.

[@philipduthie6444]

Love the set, I have heard the slow air melody by a foke group before but can't remember where.

[@forourfallen]

Triumphant

[@TheSilaspipes]

Wake-District Raleigh Pipe Band the dislikes must have been by accident, no?!

[@forourfallen]

Silas Neale how could anyone not like this performance?!

[@danevans5075]

Some people get jealous ;)

[@jnwahlgren]

Not, favorite medley in terms of construction, but absolutely superbly executed. Flawless to my ears.

[@arforgordzake]

Stunning ensemble !!!

[@reidkyrzyk9000]

They are going to win at worlds tomorrow

[@rlucas340]

Yup

[@masonlongendyke3311]

Fantastic

[@jel517]

Was there, even got my daughter and her friend interested in pipe band starts, got them looking for good starts . Great trip, great people

[@stevelaw274]

I'm with James Faeh.....absolutely stunning in every detail....a masterclass for those of us aspiring to improve... or maybe the last straw and thinking about burning the pipes as I'll never reach that solo, let alone as a band!Thanks again, Dronechorus, for making it possible for us to hear 😘

[@bryanoconnell1176]

Cracking medley altogether. Will be ringside in Glasgow at the worlds. Superb clarity and sound.

[@CharanjitSingh-ve5mv]

Anyone knows how to get the music sheet for the first song?

[@hughpfaff1240]

Ive got it if you want it. Its an epipes file. That is if you haven't found it in the last 9 months

[@CharanjitSingh-ve5mv]

@@hughpfaff1240 hey. It's been two years. Still havent found it

[@danbit5]

I'm wiping out all comments affects my ability to listen,lol

[@rebs.journey]

Phenomenal

[@cassandramitch8793]

Absolutely wonderful 👍 bagpipe music never gets old.

[@louisnorton3265]

Immense

[@kurtjames306]

you're ropey

[@louisnorton3265]

Look m8

[@ProfileP246]

Best iv'e heard so far hands down.

[@graememcvie9763]

Noo that's discipline for yi

[@kevinunderwood3]

...rockin'....

[@janetwilson6069]

A million

[@superkhalsa7]

Just noticed that the drummer to the left of LD missed out on a few beats at 4:16.

[@ashgall8118]

Good eye!

[@thabisomotaung2096]

What slow air are they playing?

[@laez1309]

Nameless Air

[@dunkiedribble9631]

Spoilt by a bit of a ramble tune at the end

[@chrisnorton8363]

dunkie dribble 😂😂 Behave yourself. Piping perfection.