The band celebrate their win in Grade 3A, at the British Championships, Annan, 2011
to that more open style the drumming results started to come.” Manor Cunningham approached the 2008 season with an invigorated five-strong drum corps and had managed to get the pipe corps up to nine players, but by the time the compe- titions came around they were back down to seven pipers. Gordon said: “The drumming was making things easier for the pipe corps, and the band as a whole. We won some early contests and drumming prizes, leading up to our win in Grade 4A at the All Irelands. It was 20 years to the day since the band had won its previous All Ireland title, and it was a big day for everyone, but especially Robert Wallace and Gary Wray, who had been members since the band won the All Ireland back in 1988.” The band then clinched their first ever
major with a win at the Europeans for piping and drumming, and then a fifth place at the Worlds with a second for drumming. It gave them promotion to 3B — achieved with only seven pipers. In 2009, the pipe corps grew to a “massive” eight and they won the All Ireland title again. The band seemed to take the step up in quality to 3B in their stride and as Gordon put it: “We had a knack of improving every year and it was a natural step to take.” Alan added: “A very special result for me in 2009 was beating my former leading drum- mer, Willie Wray, and his Castlerock drum corps at the All Ireland in Lisburn. They won two majors that year and gained promotion to 3A. Willie has always been very supportive of me and I owe a lot of my drumming awards to him.” The 2010 season was their second in Grade 3B and saw them win their third All Ireland title. It turned out to be a fruitful period with a second place at the Scottish, British and Euro- pean Championships, fourth at the Worlds and winning the Cowal Grade 3B title. They even won the march-past trophy for the best band on parade at the Cowal Highland Gathering. The drummers also had a strong season,
as Alan explained: “Our drum corps almost had a clean sweep in 2010. We won every competition, but one, at home and we went over to the Scottish Championships and won the drumming in Grade 3B — it was a very emotional day. We followed that with a third in drumming at the British and three weeks later we won the drumming at the Europeans
PIPING TODAY • 40
Pipe sergeant Geoffrey Parke and James Devenney behind
Gary and Robert with the Grade 3A Worlds second place trophy in 2011
Gordon and Alan with the All Irelands Trophies in 2010
Jenni Gordon
REVIEW
BAND PROFILE
Photo: Heather Browne
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