Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
The Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming is a British Army training establishment that provides instructions of Scottish bagpipe music to military pipers, drummers and pipe bands. Founded in 1910 and called the Army School of Piping at the time (later renamed the Army School of Bagpipe Music), the School is still located at Edinburgh, Scotland. Generally regarded as the smallest unit in the British Army, the School is commanded by a Director who is a qualified army Pipe Major and who normally holds the military rank of Warrant Officer. Once appointed the School's Director, however, he is usually promoted to become a Captain or Major. The Director is assisted by a Chief Instructor who is the Senior Pipe Major of the British Army.
The School provides courses at different levels to pipers and drummers of the British Forces throughout the year, and qualified instructors are drawn from pipe bands or pipes and drums of various regiments in the Scottish Division. While the School does accept civilian, police or military students from foreign nations, the students themselves or their governments are responsible for their tuition expenses.
The School forms part of the Institute of Piping, which is a collaboration among the Piobaireachd Society, the College of Piping, and the Piping Centre. Together, the Institute sets a standardised piping certificate program for students from around the world.
Former Directors
- Captain John MacLellan (Queen's Own Highlanders)-1961-1974
- Major John Allan (Queen's Own Highlanders)-1981-1987
- Major Gavin Stoddart, BEM, MBE (Royal Highland Fusiliers)-1987-2003
- Captain Stuart Samson, (The Highlanders)-2003-present
Categories: Military stubs | British Army | Musical instruments | Scottish music | Military of the United Kingdom
