Cambridgeshire highland pipe band notches up ‘best ever’ results in national competition

A community pipe band has done our region proud in a recent high-profile national contest.

The Cambridgeshire Caledonian Pipe Band (CCPB), from Yaxley, overcame considerable odds to claim second place at the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s South Branch Pipe Band Championship on April 23.

The competition, which was held at the University of Bedfordshire in Luton, pitted bands and individual pipers against contemporaries from all across England.

Iain Soutter is CCPB’s lead drummer and manager.

He told the Peterborough Telegraph that even though his band is “fairly new to the world of competing pipes and drums,” it managed to beat off established bands “from as far north as Manchester and as far south as Plymouth.”

Iain’s 30-strong band achieved glory in both the Grade 4 Marches and Grade 4 March to Spare Wheel contests. Individuals also won solo piping medals.

The competition was the first of five across England which make up the Celtic pipe bands competition season between April and September.

Originally from the Isle of Arran, Fletton resident Iain was philosophical about just missing out on the overall top spot:

“The band from Essex had our number on the day but they’re a well established, very successful band,” he noted. “Even to get that close [to them] is quite an achievement.”

Iain believes CCPB’s “best ever” results reflect the time and effort the band has put in since Covid:

“We’ve grown the band a lot, and we’ve trained up a lot of new pipers and drummers.”

The 38-year-old business analyst is understandably keen to capitalise on the band’s success.

To this end, he is actively looking to ‘drum up’ more interest: “I am particularly looking for new snare drummers and new tenor drummers,” he added.

Potential applicants can be assured they needn’t be Scottish, or experienced drummers, to consider joining.

“Very few of the folk in the band are actually Scottish,” Ian explained, “and we’ll teach you from scratch.”

Tuition, drums and uniforms are offered freely in exchange for a commitment to support the band at functions and events.

Anyone interested in joining can find out more by attending the band’s Coronation performance at Yaxley Royal British Legion on May 8, or by visiting their Facebook page.