Riverside, CA: Bagpipe, Scottish Drum Competition March 26

The award-winning UC Riverside Pipe Band will host its second sanctioned event.

RIVERSIDE, CA: The UC Riverside Pipe Band will host the second annual Harry Moore Memorial Solo Piping & Drumming Competition on Saturday, March 26, starting at 9 a.m. at Canyon Crest Country Club, 975 Country Club Drive, Riverside.

The event, named for the band’s first drum sergeant, draws bagpipers and drummers from the western United States and is sanctioned by the Western United States Pipe Band Association.

Competition categories are piping, solo snare and solo tenor grades 2-4, and bass drum. Piping and drumming workshops will be offered as well.

“This competition should be an exciting day for families and aficionados of Celtic music," said Mike Terry, band pipe major. “An entertainment area has been added with pipe band performances, Highland dancing and an appearance by the Celtic rock group Galway Hooker. In addition to a day full of traditional piping and drumming competitions, the UCR Pipe Band will also host a ‘kitchen piping’ contest where world-class bagpipers play faster tunes with the goal of crowd-pleasing entertainment. The top prize for this fast-paced event is $1,000.”

General admission is $10; students with ID $5; pipe and drum workshop $15; competitor general admission, workshop and entry fee, $20. Entry forms and more information are available at http://www.pipeband.ucr.edu/.

Event sponsors include the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Club Corp. and Canyon Crest Country Club, Gardner Trucking, Control Electrix, Tricounty Eye Institute and the Western United States Pipe Band Association.

The UCR Pipe Band competes at the Grade 4 level and has won the Western United States Pipe Band Association aggregate championship award for Grade 4 bands every year since 2008. Bands and soloists compete in Grade levels 1 through 4, with 1 high and 4 entry level.