World Pipe Band Championships

The World Pipe Band Championships is an annual competition held every August in Glasgow, Scotland. The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) was formed in 1930 to increase the visibility of pipe band culture all over the world. In response to this, they started a pipe band competition with contestants from all over the world participating. The RSPBA is in charge of the World Pipe Band Championships. They make sure that the rules and regulations are in order as well as maintaining order throughout the competition.

There are four major pipe band competitions yearly, but this competition held in Glasgow is considered the most important and most prestigious event. Pipe bands all over the world regard the title as highly desirable and as such prepare very rigorously for this event.

A pipe band is a band composed of pipers and drummers. Pipers use the musical instrument bagpipes, which is commonly associated with Scotland. It is known to produce a distinct sound. The drummers are comprised of different kinds of drummers such as, snare drummers, tenor drummers and bass drummers. Most pipe bands have a pipe major, who generally leads the band during competitions. In some instances, such as parades, they are led by drum majors who use a mace to direct the actions of the band.

The entire competition is held for just one day. The current venue for the competition is Glasgow Green. It is a park located near the East end of Glasgow and the Northern area of the River Clyde. It dates back to the 15th century and is the oldest park in Glasgow. There are many famous landmarks in the park, with some notable ones being the McLennan Arch, Nelson's Monument, St. Andrew's Suspension Bridge and William Collins Fountain.

Hundreds of band all over the world attend the competition yearly. There is a competition grade system designed to separate the bands into different categories. These categories are based on age, but focus more on the proficiency level of the pipe band. Different pipe bands must typically apply for a different rank of their choice. For the pipe bands who have not qualified for the competition, there is a qualifying round wherein they have to place near the top. This typically happens at the start of the competition, at around 9 AM. There is a second event after the top placers from the qualifying round are included. This event is used to determine the overall winner of the competition.

The highest category in the competition grade system is the rank of "Grade One". The Grade One pipe bands compete in two different events. The first one is the March, Strathspey and Reel Event, wherein the competition organizers select three musical tunes for all the bands to play. The second one is the Medley event, where the pipe bands themselves play a musical tune of their choosing. Placing well in this competition is very important as they are sometimes used to judge whether a pipe band can increase in rank.