Caledonian Society of Alabama Bagpipe Band Sponsorship

The Caledonian Society of Alabama proudly sponsors our own local bagpipe and drum band, the Heritage Pipes and Drums. Heritage Pipes and Drums of Birmingham, Alabama is Birmingham's premier parade and performance bagpipe band led by award-winning soloist and the state's only fully professional ceremonial bagpiper Pipe Major Ryan Morrison. Ryan is a competing member of the Bushmills San Francisco Irish Pipers Pipe Band Grade 3 competition band, competing at events throughout the West. In 2008, Ryan will be the first native-Alabamian to attend the All Ireland Championships in the Republic of Irelandas well as the Munster Provincial Championships in County Clare.

Under the direction of Pipe Major Ryan Morrison, and featuring the talents of instructors from the East Coast to the West Coast, Heritage Pipes and Drums is the state's premeir teaching institution for Scottish piping and drumming. We gratefully employ the assistance and tutelage of Pipe Major and Director of our mentoring partner Bushmills San Francisco Irish Pipers Pipe Band, Mike LeBoeuf, the LA Scots Pipe Band's Grade 1 Pipe Sergeant Stevie Megarity, and the expertise of Andrew Hoinacki of the Grade 2 James J. Coyne Memorial Pipe Band among others to help train and prepare our band for competitions. Heritage Pipes and Drums has enjoyed success at pipe band competitions in Kentucky and Tennessee in 2006, placing 2nd and 3rd in their division.

Heritage Pipes and Drums has a rich and long history as the oldest band in Northern Alabama. The band was founded more than thirty years ago by the late Pipe Major Emeritus Ian Sturrock, the very first piper in the state of Alabama, and whose pipes still play in this band. Under its previous incarnation the Ben Dearg Pipe Band, then Governor George Wallace actually named the band the Official State Pipe Band of Alabama. HPD is a cultural unit organized as a part of Trinity Presbyterian Church (formerly Reformed Heritage Presbyterian Church) and Heritage Academy of Birmingham, Alabama.

Heritage Pipes and Drums is the one and only signature act and headliner for Birmingham's City Stages Mason Corporation Oasis Stage. HPD is proudly sponsored by two of the largest Scottish-enthusiast organizations in Alabama, the Caledonian Society of Alabama and the St. Andrews Society of the Middle South.

For more information about Heritage Pipe and Drums, please visit their website at hpd-pipeband.org, or contact Pipe Major Ryan Morrison at pipemajor@hpd-pipeband.org or call at (205) 836-2306.

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