City of Rockford Pipe Band
Encyclopedia
The City of Rockford Pipe Band (USA) is a Grade Three pipe band
from Rockford
, Illinois
. It was founded in January 2000 and made its performance debut on Saint Patrick's Day
just three months later.
Since that first appearance the band has been active in Highland Games
competitions, stage performances, parades, memorials, festivals, charitable events and fund raisers, as well as providing pipers for weddings, funerals and special occasions. The band is affiliated with competitive Highland Dancers, and often appears combining Highland Music and Dance.
In 2003, the City of Rockford Pipe Band earned the title of Grade Five Midwest Pipe Band Association
(MWPBA) Champion Supreme by placing 1st in both the Midwest and Regional Championships. In 2006, the band captured the Grade Four MWPBA Champion Supreme designation and was subsequently promoted to Grade 3. 2007 was marked by the band's induction into the Rockford Area Music Industry (RAMI) "Hall of Fame" after receiving its fifth consecutive RAMI award in the World Music
category.
Members hail from Rockford, Illinois
and the surrounding area, the majority of which are graduates of the City of Rockford Pipe Band School of Piping and Drumming through Rock Valley College
. As of 2006 the band fields both Grade 5 and Grade 3 competition bands.
Pipe band
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term used by military pipe bands, pipes and drums, is also common....
from Rockford
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It was founded in January 2000 and made its performance debut on Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...
just three months later.
Since that first appearance the band has been active in Highland Games
Highland games
Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...
competitions, stage performances, parades, memorials, festivals, charitable events and fund raisers, as well as providing pipers for weddings, funerals and special occasions. The band is affiliated with competitive Highland Dancers, and often appears combining Highland Music and Dance.
In 2003, the City of Rockford Pipe Band earned the title of Grade Five Midwest Pipe Band Association
Midwest Pipe Band Association
The Midwest Pipe Band Association is an association of pipe bands in the Midwestern United States. Within its area of jurisdiction, the association includes over forty pipe bands, offers band, solo piping and drumming, and drum major competitions with sanctioned judges, and is responsible for...
(MWPBA) Champion Supreme by placing 1st in both the Midwest and Regional Championships. In 2006, the band captured the Grade Four MWPBA Champion Supreme designation and was subsequently promoted to Grade 3. 2007 was marked by the band's induction into the Rockford Area Music Industry (RAMI) "Hall of Fame" after receiving its fifth consecutive RAMI award in the World Music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
category.
Members hail from Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
and the surrounding area, the majority of which are graduates of the City of Rockford Pipe Band School of Piping and Drumming through Rock Valley College
Rock Valley College
Rock Valley College , located in Rockford, Illinois, is one of 48 two-year, open-admission colleges of the Illinois Community College System , organized under the Illinois Public Community College Act. RVC’s district comprises Winnebago County and Boone County and parts of Stephenson County, Ogle...
. As of 2006 the band fields both Grade 5 and Grade 3 competition bands.
See also
- Great Highland BagpipeGreat Highland BagpipeThe Great Highland Bagpipe is a type of bagpipe native to Scotland. It has achieved widespread recognition through its usage in the British military and in pipe bands throughout the world. It is closely related to the Great Irish Warpipes....
- BagpipesBagpipesBagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
- Types of bagpipesTypes of bagpipes-France:*Musette de cour: A French open ended smallpipe, believed by some to be an ancestor of the Northumbrian smallpipes, used for classical compositions in 'folk' style in the 18th Century French court...
- Pipe BandPipe bandA pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term used by military pipe bands, pipes and drums, is also common....
- Midwest Pipe Band AssociationMidwest Pipe Band AssociationThe Midwest Pipe Band Association is an association of pipe bands in the Midwestern United States. Within its area of jurisdiction, the association includes over forty pipe bands, offers band, solo piping and drumming, and drum major competitions with sanctioned judges, and is responsible for...
(MWPBA) - Irish Marching SocietyIrish Marching SocietyThe Irish Marching Society was founded in 1979 by a group of individuals who wanted to come together to celebrate the Irish Heritage in the city of Rockford, Illinois. This organization plan and stage, with the help and support of the city of Rockford, the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. They...
- Rockford, IllinoisRockford, IllinoisRockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...