Western Australia Police Pipe Band
| Western Australia Police Pipe Band | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1966 |
| Pipe major | James Murray |
| Drum major | OIC - Sergeant Ian Stewart |
| Notable honours |
Current (as of March 2016) Australian and South Pacific Grade 1 champions |
| Website |
wapol |
The Western Australia Police Pipe Band is a Grade 1 pipe band based in Perth, Western Australia and associated with the Western Australia Police.
History
The original Western Australia Police Band was a brass band between 1902 and 1925, before being disbanded.
The WA Police Pipe Band, now commonly known as WAPOL, was formed in 1966.[1]
The band won the Grade 2 title at the World Pipe Band Championships in 1998, and was promoted to Grade 1 at the end of the season.[2][3]
At the World Championships in 2004 the band qualified for the final and came 11th overall.[4]
As of March 2016, the WA Police Pipe Band are the Australian and South Pacific Grade 1 champions, having won this biennial national competition in 2012 and 2014.
They are also the reigning WA Grade 1 Champions.
The band have performed at numerous high profile engagements and military tattoos around the world and recently performed to an estimated audience of 600,000 at just one event.
The band is led by;
- Officer in charge and drum major - Sergeant Ian Stewart[5]
- Pipe major - James Murray.[5]
- Leading drummer - Gareth McLees[5]
The band has two sworn police officers and thirteen unsworn civilian staff on their roster.
The band officers perform a dual role for WA Police by assisting frontline services at police stations, dog squad, mounted section, prosecuting and other specialist services at least two days per week, whilst performing at 240 policing, schools and community engagements to an average of 1.5 million people each year.
The band are part funded by the WA Police Pipe Band Supporters' Association.
WAPOL also has a volunteer guest player support program for local pipers and drummers.
References
- ↑ "Home". wapol.com.au. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
- ↑ http://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/bagpipe-education/teaching-staff/alisdair-mclaren/
- ↑ https://www.pipesdrums.com/article/Western-Australia-Police-Pipe-Band/
- ↑ https://www.pipesdrums.com/article/WAPOL-changes-plans-to-compete-at-World-s/
- 1 2 3 http://wapol.com.au/home/roster/
External links
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