RHSPB Newslog
May 10, 2008
40th Annual National Capital Area Scottish Festival
Mark your calendars now! The Rockville High School Pipe Band will celebrate its 47th anniversary by presenting the 40th Annual National Capital Area Scottish Festival on May 10, 2008. Click for more details.
The festival is hosted by the Rockville High School Pipe Band, and showcases Scottish pipe bands, dancers, singers and other performers from the Washington-Baltimore region. This year, our performers include the City of Washington Pipe Band, the MacMillan Pipe Band, Birtles Memorial Pipe Band, and the Rockville High School Pipe Band. We are also hosting Highland Dancing and more!
Our festival offers people the chance to hear one of the very best Scottish pipe bands in the world. Our featured performer, the City of Washington Pipe Band, is one of only a few pipe bands from the United States to compete in Grade 1 in the World Pipe Band Championships. Even discounting the energy the "City of Washington" brings to our evening, the festival is an amazing event. The pipe bands demonstrate all the pageantry and drama of solemn Scottish traditions, while the dancers reveal the more whimsical spirit that lives in every heart.
May 5, 2007
39th Annual National Capital Area Scottish Festival
Mark your calendars now! The Rockville High School Pipe Band will celebrate its 46th anniversary by presenting the 39th Annual National Capital Area Scottish Festival on May 5, 2007. Click for more details.
The festival is hosted by the Rockville High School Pipe Band, and showcases Scottish pipe bands, dancers, singers and other performers from the Washington-Baltimore region. This year, our performers include the City of Washington Pipe Band, the MacMillan Pipe Band, Birtles Memorial Pipe Band, Pipes & Drums of the U.S. Naval Academy, and the Rockville High School Pipe Band. We are also hosting Highland and Scottish Country Dancing.
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Our festival offers people the chance to hear one of the very best Scottish pipe bands in the world. Our featured performer, the City of Washington Pipe Band, is the 1999 World Champion. Even discounting the energy the "City of Washington" brings to our evening, the festival is an amazing event. The pipe bands demonstrate all the pageantry and drama of solemn Scottish traditions, while the dancers reveal the more whimsical spirit that lives in every heart. |
March 28 - April 6, 2007
Trip to Scotland
Since around 2000, the Rockville High School Pipe Band has been talking about taking a
trip to Scotland... Well it finally happened this year from the end of March to the beginning of
April. The band went as a guest of the Ballater and District Pipe Band with an exchange program.
While the band was in Scotland, they went to the National Piping Center, and the College of Piping, in
Glasgow, spent a night in Stirling, and then went on their way to Ballater. While in Ballater, the
members of the band stayed with members of the Ballater band in their own homes, while the
parents of Rockville members stayed with P/S Callum Fraser-Sharp's grandparents' bed and breakfast
in Braemar, which is a few towns over from Ballater. Overall, the band made many life-long friends
while in Scotland, and it was an experience never to be forgotten.
(contributed by P/S Andrew Donlon)
Here is James Hartman's (tenor drummer) trip experience:
Over spring break, we went to Scotland. Scotland is where a lot of Scottish people live, and it is also where
bagpipes come from. Since we play bagpipes, we wanted to go to Scotland. The Ballater and District pipe
band took us into their homes and were very nice people. They play bagpipes too! I stayed with Bridget and
Joe MacLugish. Joe is a forester on the Balmoral Royal Estate, so I got to stay in a cottage there. There were
pretty cows and sheep and trees and castles there. It is ever so pretty and I would like to back some day.
Here are some selected photos from the trip.
November 26, 2006
Review of the Year
The Rockville High School Pipe Band experienced a spectacular season this past year. They competed at the Southern Maryland, Fairhill, Anne Arundel, and Richmond Scottish Games (it has been more than thirty years since they've competed four times in the competition season). Thanks to fantastic instruction and hard work they managed to come away carrying the trophy (or plaque) for first place in the Grade V Band Competitions at all four of these games thus setting a new record for the band. Over this past year they have become more and more popular to hire to play at events. They've played at football games at RHS, curling club ceremonies, a Veterans' Day ceremony, Marine Corps Marathon, and many other activities at Rockville High School just to name a few. Also, the appeal of playing pipes and drums, wearing kilts, and free lessons open to anyone (grades 6-12) living in Montgomery County has drawn many enthusiastic new recruits to join the ranks of the band. A good year has been had by all.
July 9-14, 2006
Invermark
The pipe band had an great time at Invermark's five day band workshop (invermark.org). Some of the amazing exploits
of the band include the drummers learning the setting to the competition set*, the pipers learning a new jig among other music, and the whole band upholding the
Invermark tradition of piping into town and back while always keeping at least one pipe going the entire time. Check out the
photos to get a better idea of the great learning and fun that was had by all.
*(now called the "X-box Set" because the said gaming system was held ransom until the set was learned)
May 6, 2006
38th Annual National Capital Area Scottish Festival
Mark your calendars now! The Rockville High School Pipe Band will celebrate its 45th anniversary by presenting the 38th Annual National Capital Area Scottish Festival on May 6, 2006.
April 9, 2005
Plant Sale
The Rockville High School Pipe Band will sell bedding plants at Rockville High School, Rockville, MD on 4/9/2005, beginning at 7:30 am. We will be there until everything is sold. This is a fundraiser to help the band buy much needed uniforms and equiptment.
March 9, 2005
Three RHSPB Pipers join the Bonnie Rideout Scottish Trio and The City of Washington Pipe Band on stage at Strathmore Hall
RHSPB Pipers Nick Hudson, Erik Abbot and Angela Yenca were invited to share the stage with the Bonnie Rideout Scottish Trio and the City of Washington Pipe Band at Strathmore Hall. The show was truly awesome and our pipers honored!
May 1, 2004
36th Annual National Capital Area Scottish Festival
Mark your calendars now! The Rockville High School Pipe Band will celebrate its 43rd anniversary by presenting the 36th Annual National Capital Area Scottish Festival on May 1, 2004. Click for more details.
April 19, 2004
O'Brien's Pit Barbeque Fundraiser
Support the Pipe Band while enjoying Authentic Texas Hickory Smoked Barbecue.
O'Briens will donate 15% of the evening's profits, 6-8pm.
The Pipe Band will perform!
Stop by and say Hello!
| O'Brien's Pit Barbeque 387 East Gude Drive Rockville, MD 20850 301-340-8596 |
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April 3, 2004
Cherry Blossom Parade
The Rockville High School Pipe Band marched in the 2004 Washington DC Cherry
Blossom Parade along with members of the National Capital Tartan Day Committee.
Pipe Band members entertained themselves while waiting for the parade to stepoff
by visiting with other parade participants. Angela Yenca of RHSPB traded hats
with the North Olmstead Marching band drum major from Ohio.
» Posted 10:45 PM (--Eva Murray)
March 27, 2004
Plant Sale
The Rockville High School Pipe Band will sell bedding plants at the Wood Middle School, Rockville, MD on 3/27/2004, beginning at 7:30 am. We will be there until everything is sold. This is a fundraiser to help the band buy much needed uniforms and equiptment.
December 15, 2003
RHSPB Piper Awarded Grant
Congratuations to Erik Abbott, RHSPB Piper, and Bob Mitchell,
Master Artist!
Erik Abbott and Bob Mitchell were awarded a grant from the Maryland
Traditions Folk Arts and Culture Apprenticeship Awards Program. The
Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Awards Program welcomed applications for
apprenticeships in all forms of Maryland’s traditional expressive culture. The
Master Artist must have attained excellence within his or her tradition and
be recognized as such by members of his or her community. The Apprentice must
demonstrate ability in the basic skills of the specific tradition of the apprenticeship
and demonstrate a commitment to the art form beyond the end of the apprenticeship
period.
The judging was done by The Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Awards Jury,
comprised of regional folk life experts. They reviewed each application based
on the following criteria:
· Traditional nature of the proposed art or skill
· Expertise of the master artist
· Relevance and importance of the tradition to the cultural history of Maryland
· Demonstrated level of commitment by the master artist and the apprentice to
the apprenticeship
· Potential impact of the apprenticeship on the continued vitality of the tradition
· Feasibility of work plan and the coherence of the overall apprenticeship
Masters and Apprentices will participate in a culminating event for the program to be held in August or September 2004.
» Posted 10:27 AM (--Eva Murray)
November 16, 2003
Remember the Pipe Band as you Shop this Season
The Rockville High School Pipe Band is asking for your assistance in raising funds for the band. The Pipe Band is a self-supporting extracurricular activity of the Montgomery County Public School System and must cover all expenses via paid performances and Booster Club fundraising. You can help the band by doing some of your shopping this holiday season, and year round, online at Amazon.com and/or CurrentFun.com. Click for Instructions!. Your support is appreciated!
» Posted 02:05 PM (--Eva Murray)
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