Last year, Ambulance Victoria’s (AV) pipes and drums made a notable mark on the global stage at the World Pipe Band Championships in Scotland. The prestigious event, which gathers pipes and drums groups from around the world, takes place every August and is part of a week of piping and traditional music events in Glasgow.
The competition, divided into categories, sees bands from various countries compete to showcase their musical prowess. For AV pipes and drums, this was their first time entering the competition, organized by the band’s president and co-founder, Graham Mummery.
“I had previously performed at the Championships with a group from Canada, and I always hoped AV could make the trip,” said Graham. “When I asked the band, they were thrilled to be part of it.”
In the competition, the AV band triumphed over six other bands in their category, with Graham describing the atmosphere as “electric.”
While the goal of the trip was to have fun, it also involved significant preparation, including intense rehearsals. The band spent the week leading up to the competition performing at notable locations, including the Palace of Holyrood, the City Chambers in Edinburgh, and a brewery in Glasgow.
The hard work paid off. “When we played at the competition, we were told it was the best we had sounded all week,” Graham said. “We were confident in the music, and didn’t even notice the judges during our performance.”
Representing Ambulance Victoria on such a global platform was a proud moment for the entire band. “It was our first competition, and to be able to represent AV on such a global stage was outstanding,” Graham added.
For Graham, the experience was particularly special as he performed alongside his youngest son. He reflected, “It was surreal to look around and think, ‘We’ve actually done it—we’re here.’ A lot of hard work went into reaching that point, and playing as well as we did was amazing.”
Graham’s ambition to take AV to the world stage had been a long-standing goal. “It’s been my aim to take AV to the Worlds for a long time, so it’s a big tick off the bucket list.”
Although this was the AV pipes and drums band’s first competition, they have previously traveled internationally to perform in Florida and Dublin. The band was founded in 2009 by Graham and Don Ormiston to provide Highland Pipe Band performances while acting as goodwill ambassadors for Ambulance Victoria.
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