Some time ago an idea was hatched, by a few people who had competed during the 1970s, to acknowledge the initiative of the members of the then Scottish Pipe Band Association who introduced a Medley competition as the format for the World Pipe Band Championships in 1970.
Prior to this all championships had been conducted within the MSR Format, with one pipe and one drum adjudicator on duty. The new Medley Format required the use of a third adjudicator for the new discipline of ensemble.
And so the 70s Tribute Pipe Band was formed.
We are a group of players who have all had experience playing at Grade 1 level and we will be performing as a group of session musicians to reproduce, as accurately as possible, the prize-winning performances of the 1970s.
The latter part of the 1960s was dominated by the famous Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band. During that era Grade 1 bands were obliged to submit three March, Strathspey & Reel sets.
Muirhead & Sons had won the World Champions title on five consecutive occasions form 1965 through to 1969.
From our research we learned that several Grade 1 Pipe Majors had expressed the desire to establish an alternative competition format – Medley Selection.
The introduction of Medley and Ensemble allowed Pipe Majors and Lead Drummers to explore different time signatures and rhythms which, until that time, had not been used in pipe band performance. It enabled the development of harmony and counterpoint which has elevated the Medley to a point where it is now almost Orchestral.
Our target initially was to perform during 2020, thus marking 50 years of Medley/Ensemble. Unfortunately, due to Covid, this was not possible.
The 1970s were dominated by four bands – Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia, Edinburgh Police Pipe Band, Strathclyde Police Pipe Band and Dysart and Dundonald with Muirhead and Sons and Red Hackle Whiskey Pipe Bands featuring in the prize list throughout the decade.
We have sought and been granted permission, from bands which were active during the 70s, to reproduce the performances which gained the title ‘World Pipe Band Champion’.
The 1974 title was awarded to the Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band under P/M Tom MacAllister jnr. and D/M Alex Duthart. Runners Up were Dysart and Dundonald Pipe Band in their first year as Grade One competitors.
Pipers and drummers from Ireland, Scotland and U.S.A., have been meeting together in rehearsal and the performance of the 1974 winning medley will have its first showing at the All Ireland Pipe Band Championships on Saturday 5th July 2025.
The 70s Tribute Band performance will be conducted under the leadership of P/M David Caldwell and D/M John Scullion. Both have experience of the playing style of the various competing bands, during the 70s, and have directed the band members in order to adapt their personal playing styles in the pursuit of authentic reproduction of the winning performances.
The Force, Display Team of Champion Drum Majors will also be performing alongside the tribute band this year again!
So there you have it – sit back and listen to a wee bit of history.
Here is a video of the 70s Tribute Band from last year
