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The Dunoon Argyll Pipe Band Story |
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2006 |
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On September 18th 1965, Dunoon's local paper featured a letter from a Mr John McDonald inviting people interested in setting up a competing band in the town to contact him.
A meeting was held soon after this, and Iain Henderson was appointed the new band's first Pipe Major. President of the Band was to be the then Provost of Dunoon, T. Gordon Trapp.
On the 4th December 1965, an official notification was carried in the local paper that the Dunoon Argyll Pipe Band was now up and running,with sufficient players to constitute a competing band. The princely sum of £1,000.00 had to be raised so that the band could purchase instruments and uniforms.
The original members of the DAPB came largely from the Cowal Highland Pipe Band, which had existed in the town a few years earlier, but had disbanded due to lack of numbers.The CHPB had also been unable to compete whilst in existence. It was decided to combine them with several members of the recently disbanded local regiment, the 8th Argylls, who made up most, if not all of the original drum corps.
Recently, at the beginning of 2007, a member of the band had reason to go under the floor of the pipe band hall, and found some drums being stored under there. There is a brass plaque on the bass drum which reads:
Presented to
The Cowal Highland Pipe Band
Dunoon
in proud memory of
Pipe Major John MacLellan DCM
by Drum Major John McLeod
27th July 1955
This drum was passed from the existing band members to the newly formed Dunoon Argyll Pipe Band, and is shown in the picture below.
 There have been some notable families involved with the band over the past 40 years.
In drumming, there were the families Lauder, Matthews, Black, McKay, Lamont, Currie, McPhee, Stark and Davie.
In piping, names such as Henderson, MacDonald, McKay, McCowan, Cairney, Tait, Waddell, Weatherspoon, Rae, Brown and currently Prentice spring to mind as having made an impact on the Band.
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The late Iain Henderson was the Band's first Pipe Major, and clearly it's longest serving one, fulfilling this role for more than 25 years.
His brother Jim Henderson also served as Pipe Major on more than one occasion, and was successful in taking the Band from Grade 4 to Grade 3 during his time. Jim remains the Honorary Pipe Major to the Band.
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Pictured above are Pipe Major Neil Henderson, with the two Pipe Majors of Dunoon Argyll Pipe Band - Ian and Jim Henderson.
The picture below shows the current Pipe Major of the grade 3A band, Jim Prentice, Pipe Sergeant, William Gordon and the Pipe Major of the grade 4B band, Colin Prentice.
The highest position achieved by the Band in its 40 year history was Grade 2, when it competed for a couple of seasons under PM David Weatherspoon. It was noted however, that several of the players at that time came from outwith the area, and when they left, the band struggled to reform and stay at that level.
In the midst of reforming again the DAPB requested to be downgraded, and also started recriuting new bandmembers, this time with players predominantly from the locality. This remains the position, and so pride comes from the fact that anything the band now achieves, truly belongs to the town of Dunoon too. The bands first premises were the Cage Bird Hall in Hamilton Street. When the hall was demolished the band moved to the Woodside School building in Mary Street. Then in the 1970's, the band built its own hall in Johston Terrace, where it remains today.
The Band proudly wears the ancient Lamont tartan, which is the tartan of the Lamont clan of this part of Argyll. In the 1990's, permission was sought and gained to wear the cap badge and tie of the 8th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and the cap badge is worn by the Band still.
For the first time in the Band's history, there is now a second Dunoon Argyll Pipe Band. Our new band will compete in Grade 4B, and several local people are attending weekly practises with the intention of competing in the 2006 season. The purpose behind this Grade 4B band is to ensure that the original Band continues it's existence in recognition to the tremendous feat already accomplished by the efforts of so many local people.
The DAPB Grade 3A band competed in 2007 under the direction of Pipe Major Jim Prentice. The newly formed Grade 4B band is in the capable hands of his son, Pipe Major Colin Prentice, who was taught by Annie Grant initially, through Dunoon Grammar School, and then by Jim Henderson, in solo piping and band craftsmanship.
Have we left anything out of the DAPB's Story? Do you have further information about the DAPB's History? Please contact us through ourGuestbook if you have, and we'll get back to you.
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