Mains of Fintry Pipe Band

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#006633" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="3a0d6c00ddvuru.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#0066FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Practical Pipers Society</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#333399" FACE="Arial" >    </FONT> |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Practical Pipers Society"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Alyth and District Pipe Band"><U>Alyth and District Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Argyllshire Gathering 1950"><U>Argyllshire Gathering 1950</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id127.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Auchterhouse Nov Juvenile"><U>Auchterhouse Nov Juvenile</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id102.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blairgowrie"><U>Blairgowrie</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Broughty Ferry Pipe Band"><U>Broughty Ferry Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bullionfield Papermill Pipe Band"><U>Bullionfield Papermill Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Camperdown Masonic Pipe Band"><U>Camperdown Masonic Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id130.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Carnoustie and District Pipe Band"><U>Carnoustie and District Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id93.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="City of Brechin"><U>City of Brechin</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="City of Dundee Prize P B"><U>City of Dundee Prize P B</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id88.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Comrie Pipe Band"><U>Comrie Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dundee District Piping Society"><U>Dundee & District Piping Society</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dundee City Police Pipe Band"><U>Dundee City Police Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id122.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fife and Forfar Yeomanry (TA)"><U>Fife and Forfar Yeomanry (TA)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Forfar Burgh Pipe Band"><U>Forfar Burgh Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jute Industries"><U>Jute Industries</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id119.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kirriemuir Pipe Band"><U>Kirriemuir Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mackenzie Caledonian Pipe Band"><U>Mackenzie Caledonian Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="McLean Ladies Pipe Band"><U>McLean Ladies Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Macleod Pipe Band"><U>Macleod Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <B>Mains of Fintry Pipe Band</B>   |   <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="National Cash Register P B"><U>National Cash Register P B</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id128.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Perth and District Pipe Band"><U>Perth and District Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Salmond"><U>Salmond</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id89.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Strathearn Pipe Band"><U>Strathearn Pipe Band</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id124.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tayforth Universities Officer Training C"><U>Tayforth Universities Officer Training Corps</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id149.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="University of Abertay Dundee"><U>University of Abertay Dundee</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id87.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vale of Atholl"><U>Vale of Atholl</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="3rd YMCA Boys Brigade, Dundee"><U>3rd YMCA Boys Brigade, Dundee</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="6th/8th Dundee Boys Brigade"><U>6th/8th Dundee Boys Brigade</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id120.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="15th Dundee B. 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B.</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="4th/5th Black Watch"><U>4th/5th Black Watch</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Massed Bands"><U>Massed Bands</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bands Index"><U>Bands Index</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id152.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Miscellaneous Photos"><U>Miscellaneous Photos</U></A></div> <div> Mains of Fintry Pipe Band</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Why not visit this bands "Home Page" by clicking below</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mofpb.co.uk" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mofpb.co.uk"><U>http://www.mofpb.</U></A>co.uk</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0c1aefa0.jpg" border=0 width="430" height="250" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Band members play at many functions and our pictures shows just some of the Pipe Corps</div> <div>  under the watchful eye of their Pipe Major Richard Smith (far right).</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="20aecda0.jpg" border=0 width="748" height="474" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B><U>2005</U></B></div> <div> A very recent photo of the band in action on stage at the Caird Hall, Dundee</div> <bR> <div> Below we have a few snaps of the band in action at Braemar 2005</div> <div> <IMG SRC="2717fa80.jpg" border=0 width="639" height="424" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Outside the "Overseas Tent"</div> <div> <IMG SRC="27397b80.jpg" border=0 width="663" height="440" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="275e4410.jpg" border=0 width="484" height="321" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="611" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 314 WIDTH="599"><div> <B><U>Pipe Major Richard Smith</U></B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Verdana" >  </FONT></div> <div>      Richard was a late starter to Piping and only made a start to the instrument in 1981 when he was in his late 20's. Much of his very early work was self taught, but he soon sought out tuition from a local Dundee instructor.</div> <div>        In 1985, he moved on to Gordon Rogers to further his tuition. Richard was one of the first pipers to arrived on the doorstep of the Practical Pipers. But he was quickly followed by others. Since that time, Richard and Gordon have helped out some enthusiastic youngsters in the newly started Auchterhouse Juvenile Pipe Band.  </div> <div>      His thought was to receive tuition and coaching from Gordon and Valerie Rogers in their own practice rooms in Broughty Ferry, Dundee. But Richard was to become one of the founder members of the Society.  The Mains of Fintry Pipe Band was formed in the early 1970's by Richard's father, William Smith, himself an ex-army Piper from the London Scottish Regiment and later with 4th/5th Black Watch T. A.   The Fintry Band consisted  of ex-army pipers and  ex-members of the NCR Pipe Band.</div> <div>      In recent times, Richard has taken over the running of the Fintry band from his late father, and he now has 22 members. The band is registered in Grade 4 of the R.S.P.B.A., but Richard has never forgotten the need for help and tuition, and now spends many nights every week tutoring many learners for his own band. It is probably safe to say that the band members are virtually all the product of Richard's work.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>      From its beginnings three and a half decades ago and as a 12-strong band practicing in the Fintry community centre in Dundee.</div> <div>      Founded by local Pipe Major William Smith in 1972, the original dozen members, drawn from Artillery and Black Watch TA bands, stepped out resplendent in MacBeth tartan kilts, favouring military pleat over the more common dress pleat .Glengarrys sporting black cock feathers and archer green doublets, bought second hand from Bullionfield Pipe band, along with fine horse hair sporrans, completed the band livery.</div> <div>      When the older members left and the band went into decline, Harry Ellis had been giving tuition to anyone who showed an interest in</div> <div> piping within the band, this included the Pipe Major’s eldest son, Richard. The band struggled on for a few years only having 5 pipers.</div> <div>      Stan Frew, a stalwart member of the local Boys Brigade scene, was the leading drummer and had the task of trying to encourage drummers into the band. One of the young drummers was Richard Stewart who is now the current leading drummer.</div> <div>      Along with Pipe Major William Smith and his son Richard, pipers Tony Heron and his son Russell, who joined in 1976, the family bond was strong. In the current band there are Grandfathers` and Grandsons`, Husbands` and Wives, Boyfriends` and Girlfriends` all continuing this tradition.</div> <div>      After the retirement of William Smith as Pipe Major in 1987 his son Richard took over and it has remained under his leadership to this day.</div> <div>      Now in its 35th year, the Mains of Fintry Pipe Band has become part of the fabric of the local piping community. Since its very first performance playing with the massed bands in Dundee City Centre in 1972, and its first competition at Dundee Highland Games in Caird Park. Notable performances chalked up so far include appearances before HM Queen Elizabeth II in Dundee City Centre in 2002 and the Braemar Highland Gathering in 2005. The band has also attended the European Folklore Festival in Bitburg, Germany in 2002 and 2003.</div> <div>      The future looks bright for the band, with a packed calendar of performances and competitions scheduled for 2007 including an</div> <div> invitation to the Festival de Confolens in France and a further foreign excursion to Japan lined up for 2008.</div> <div>      With a healthy contingent of thirty players of all ages, and under the inspirational leadership of Pipe Major Richard Smith, the Mains of Fintry Pipe Band is looking forward to a brighter playing future.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archives and Photos"><U>Archives and Photos</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>