A TALENTED piper from Sweden got off to a winning start in Glasgow at the weekend when he played in his first competition with the ScottishPower Pipe Band.
Twenty-five year-old Robert Wallgren, from Stockholm, played alongside 22 of his fellow band mates on Saturday 19th March to help secure first place for the band in the Lomond and Clyde Pipe Band Invitational competition.
The band fought off stiff competition from eight other pipe bands to secure the top prize.
The event, which is now in its second year, was held at the Radisson Hotel in Glasgow.
Robert, who has being playing the pipes for 16 years, re-located from the Nordic capital to Glasgow in January to become a member of the ScottishPower Pipe Band.
The up-and-coming musician was inspired to learn the Scottish instrument through his parents, who attended Scottish dancing classes and Burns suppers in Stockholm as he was growing up.
Robert was thrilled with the result for the band.
He said: “Securing first place at the Lomond and Clyde Pipe Band Invitational competition was a fantastic way to begin my career with the ScottishPower Pipe Band – it was a really exciting experience and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it.”
Heather McDonald, Group Sponsorships manager at ScottishPower, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Robert got off to a winning start with the ScottishPower Pipe Band, helping to secure first place in Saturday’s competition.
“This has been a hugely encouraging start to the year for the band. As competition season fast approaches, the band are meeting regularly and practicing hard with a view to securing more top results in 2011.”
For further information on the band, visit www.scottishpowerpipeband.com.
For background on ScottishPower, log onto www.scottishpower.com
ENDS
Issued on behalf of ScottishPower by The BIG Partnership.
For further information on this release please contact Nicola Macnaughton on 0141 333 9585 or nicola.macnaughton@bigpartnership.co.uk
Notes for editors
- ScottishPower became the title sponsor of the band in 1989.
- The band is led Pipe Major Chris Armstrong and Drum Sergeant Barry Wilson. Barry lifted the title of World’s Leading Solo Drummer in 2007 and retained the title when he competed again in October 2008 and 2009.
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Contact: Nicola Macnaughton
Email: nicola.macnaughton@bigpartnership.co.uk
Website: http://www.bigpartnership.co.uk
