TROON BLACKROCK PIPEBAND
Gill Sherry
There are hundreds of competitive member pipe bands registered with the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA), one of which is Ayrshire’s Troon Blackrock Pipe Band.
I caught up with Secretary, Iain Cox, to find out more about this local pipe band.
When was the band first established?
In the summer of 1994.
How many members does the band currently have?
Approximately 20 members.
Presumably, some of those members hold positions on a voluntary committee?
Yes, I’m the Secretary and Pipe Sargent. We also have a Pipe Major, Treasurer, Chairman, Leading Drummer, Drum Sargent, and two fundraisers.
Where does the band practice?
We practice at St Meddan’s Church, Church Street, Troon twice a week – Monday and Thursday evening from 7.45pm.
And the band is a Grade 4 competing pipe band?
Yes. Pipe bands are split into different grades according to ability, ranging from Novice Juvenile (youngsters), right through to the elite at Grade 1. Grade 4 is like the Novice Juvenile for adults. It’s a starting grade. We have played at Grade 3 but it’s a bit like a football league. You can get promoted but you can also get demoted, based on how well you do.
How often are the competitions and how far do you have to travel?
Competitions mostly take place in the summer. From early May to the end of August it’s almost weekly. The furthest we’ve travelled is Belgium, for the European Championships in 2003. We’ve been down to Birmingham as well and as far north as Aberdeen.
Do you perform at local festivals too?
Yes, we do gala days, Dundonald Boys’ Brigade Parade, church parades, Armistice Day parade…
Do you need to be able to play at a certain level to join Troon Blackrock Pipe Band?
No, we take complete learners. I actually teach the learner pipers from scratch, and we teach drums as well. We have three youngsters in the band that have come through the teaching process.
What about funding?
Everybody in the band pays a nominal fee every week which we call band subs. This covers the cost of hiring the halls. Tuition is free but learners are asked to pay subs. Prize money from competitions also helps, and we had a stall at Monkton Gala Day this year. We also apply to different organisations for funding.
Has the band enjoyed any notable successes you’d like tell us about?
We won the British and Scottish Championships in 1998, and we’ve been Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway Branch Champions.
We played with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers in August last year at Troon Concert Hall, and we were asked to play with Scottish Fiddle Orchestra at their Autumn Concert last year.
We’ve also represented the town abroad. We’ve been to Troon’s twin town, Villeneuve-sur-lot in France, and a Celtic Festival in Bardi, Italy, and we’ve been twice to Bressuire in France for their Highland Games.
What are the benefits of playing in a pipe band?
The piping community is like one big family. You get to meet other people from other pipe bands. In France this year we were there with Fraserburgh Royal British Legion Pipe Band, and in 2024 we met up with some bands from Ireland. It’s good networking. It’s also good for your mental health and for self-discipline. But a lot of people just play for enjoyment. Some members don’t want to compete, they just want to play and perform at engagements.
What is the age range like?
We have a vast age range from 10-year-old learners to 72.
What events are you currently looking forward to?
We have the Armistice Day Parade in Ayr. We’ve also been invited to play at the Prestwick Christmas Lights Switch-On.
If someone is interested in joining the band, what should they do?
Contact us via Facebook
(Troon Blackrock Pipeband) or send us an email: troonblackrock@yahoo.co.uk Or come along to a practice!
