Ashbourne Highland Gathering
Pipe Band Competitions
The skirl of the Pipes is synonymous with
The Ashbourne Highland Gathering culminates with a prize
giving ceremony that involves a spectacular mass Pipe Band march followed by all
the competing bands marching through the town of
The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) is the
governing body for pipe band competitions worldwide and it is under its auspices
that the Ashbourne Pipe Band Competition is held with RSPBA officials
adjudicating, many of which travel down from Scotland just for the competition.
The Ashbourne Highland Gathering involvement is as the promoter of the event.
There are two types of competition; Major Championships,
of which there are five, and ordinary competitions. For Major championships the
following grades apply. Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3 ‘A’, Grade 3’B’, Juvenile,
Grade 4 ‘A’, Grade 4 ‘B’ and Novice Juvenile. And for ordinary competitions the
following – Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, and Juvenile, Grade 4 and Novice
Juvenile.
The Ashbourne competition is in the latter class and the
competition and has always been for Grades 1,2,3 and 4. There are no competing
Grade 1 bands in England and the competition has not been attracting any bands
of that grade from Scotland and Ireland, but a Grade 1 competition is still
being offered to give an opportunity for the top Grade 2 bands to “Play Up”* and
have their performance assessed by the RSPBA judges.
*Playing up is the process by
which a band can compete in the grade above the one they are, in order to be
assessed at that level and eventually be upgraded.
Tune selections:
Grade 1:
5/7 Minute Selection
Grade 2:
March Strathspey Reel
Grade 3:
3/5 min selection
Grade 4:
Quick March Selection: 2mins 30sec
– 4min 30sec
Bands may play up* if time permits.
In addition to the pipe band
competitions there are also competitions for Drum majors and for solo pipers.
The drum majors entry form is included in the Pipe band entry form, but both
they and solo pipers can enter on the day of the competition.
For solo competition details
click here.
For Pipe band entry form - click here