North Berwick and Bridge of Allan 2017 Competition Results

Craig Parker

On 5th and 6th August 2017 Vienna Pipes and Drums competed in the Grade 4B Pipe Band competitions at the North Berwick and Bridge of Allan Highland Games. Despite the wet and windy conditions the band played well at their first competitions of the year, achieving 6th place overall in North Berwick and  a 4th place prize in Bridge of Allan.

Here is the RSPBA video of our performance at North Berwick. Our tunes are The McKenzie Highlanders, Campbell’s Farewell to Redcastle, 72nds Farewell to Aberdeen, and The Piper’s Cave. We went on to compete the following week at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.

The 9th Austrian Piping and Drumming Summer School

Graeme Hood

Band members are slowly recovering from a great night at the closing night’s concert in Burg Kreuzen, Niederösterreich. Several band members spent the whole week there, receiving top class tuition from some of the world’s best players and teachers: Willie McCallum, Stuart Liddell, John Angus Smith, Andreas Hambsch, Maik Reckziegel & Mark Wilson.

Vienna Pipes and Drums performed several sets on the castle esplanade just as a thunder and lightning storm broke. We were under a tent and the rain was warm though, which will probably not be the case in Scotland this summer when we compete in North Berwick, Bridge of Allan and Glasgow.

Our youngest member, Jake Beck, won the prize for the most improved player.

The Summer School was organised by Nina, Sylvia and Stephan – congratulation on yet another a well-run event! Looking forward to number 10!

Massed Bands from beginners to professionals
View from the Burg just before the thunder clouds rolled in
Summer School Participants

St Patrick’s Day in the Rain

Graeme Hood

We had a busy and wet weekend with a parade on Friday around some Irish pubs in the centre of Vienna (wet with craft beer and rain), and then on the official embassy-organised parade on Saturday from Yppenplatz to the Ottakringer Brauerei in the wind and rain.

We did this with 5 new members who have never marched with us in public before, and that in the wind and rain – great practice for Scotland this summer!

The rest of the day was spent in an Irish pub watching Scotland thrash Italy and Ireland thrash England in the 6 nations rugby championships. The cherry on the cake of a great weekend.

Burns Night 2017

Victoria Law

Every year Vienna Pipes and Drums organise a Burns Night, a great event to celebrate the life and works of Scotland’s much-loved national poet, Robert Burns. Burns suppers are held by people and organisations all around the world and our 6th annual Burns Night in Vienna was not an exception.

It was a great evening with live music, haggis, whisky, ceilidh dancing, and more dancing! Thanks to everyone for coming out to support the event and the band. Hope to see you next year!

Sychrov Highland Games, August 2016

Craig Parker

On the 27th August 2016, 7 members of the band made a long road trip to Sychrov in the north of the Czech Republic to perform at the Sychrov Highland Games 2016. The Sychrov games are held in the grounds of the spectacular Sychrov castle, and are apparently the largest European highland games held outside Scotland. The Vienna Pipes and Drums last performed at the Sychrov games in 2007 and a return to sample the excellent Czech hospitality and beer was long overdue. Thanks to the organiser Václav Rout for the invitation, and to our new friends in the Bohemian Pipe Band who we played alongside in the massed bands.