Belfast is to host the prestigious European Pipe Band Championships for the next three years. The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association has confirmed that Belfast City Council’s bid to host the championships from 2010 through to 2012 has been successful. It is estimated that the competition will attract around 90 top class international pipe bands from all over the world, bringing with them more than 25,000 competitors and spectators, and generating more than £1.3 million for the Belfast economy each year. “We are delighted to have been successful in bringing this prestigious international competition to the city for the next three years, and we look forward to hosting a series of highly successful championships between now and 2012,” commented Councillor Michael Browne, Chairman, Council Development Committee.

The Pipes of Christmas will celebrate its 10th anniversary season with performances in New York and New Jersey this December.

Two concerts are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 at Central Presbyterian Church, 70 Maple St. The “Pipes” will also return to New York City on Sunday, Dec. 16 at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, located at 921 Madison Ave. at 73rd Street. That concert begins at 2:30 p.m. The New York performance is a benefit concert to support the Society’s scholarship program.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing our popular Christmas program back to Summit and to be celebrating our tenth anniversary,” said society president Robert Currie. “To present this concert in such beautiful and inspiring surroundings as Summit’s Central Presbyterian Church is both an honor and a privilege. We extend a warm highland welcome to the entire New York metropolitan community of Scots, American Scots, and all those who love the music and poetry of the British Isles, to join us.”

Pipes of Christmas will celebrate its 10th anniversary with shows in Summit, New York City -

The leader of the Emerald Society pipe and drum band stands in front of the U.S. Navy Band New Orleans in front of the USS New York in christening ceremonies at Northrop Grumman shipyard in Avondale, La., Saturday, March 1, 2008. Approximately 7.5 tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center are cast in the bow stem of the ship. The bow stem is the foremost section of the ship’s hull on the water line. The New York will be officially commissioned in New York City in the fall of 2009. The band is composed of musicians from the New York City fire and police department personnel. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

With the 2008 season behind us, planning for the 2009 championships is already well underway and the locations and dates have been decided as follows:

• Scottish - May 16th at Dumbarton
• British - June 27th at Banbridge, NI
• European - July 25th at Inverclyde
• Worlds - August 15th at Glasgow
• Cowal - August 29th at Dunoon

Please note the change of expected date for the Scottish Championships.  This was at the request of West Dunbartonshire council and is one week earlier than normal.

Over 40,000 spectators enjoyed a day of thrilling competition to watch Simon Fraser University of Canada put two years of heartbreak behind them to clinch the world title. The band from Vancouver joined over 200 bands from around the globe in entertaining an international audience with music full of passion and energy.