The MacMillan Pipe Band splits for events this weekend — our recent growth allows us to take on more events at once.

Saturday morning, part of the band will step off at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at the Rio Shopping Center in Gaithersburg. The other part of the band will perform at the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Luncheon at the Rennaisance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore.

Be sure to catch us at one of these events!

The MacMillan Pipe Band marches on through its first parade of the year this Saturday in Alexandria’s 25th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade steps off at 12:30 and marches down King Street from West Street to Fairfax Street, where it turns left and terminates at Cameron Street.

This event is Metro accessible: take the Blue or yellow line to King Street.

After a season which saw the MacMillan Pipe Band’s first win, the Band placed 12th overall in the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association’s (EUSPBA) 2005 season standings for Grade III. MacMillan tied with the Rhode Island Highlanders and the 87th Cleveland Pipe Band; all three bands earned 10 points for the season.

First place went to Charleston Police Pipes & Drums, with 30 points.

For the first time in its four year history, the MacMillan Pipe Band took first place at the Anne Arundel Scottish Festival and Highland Games yesterday. The band took two first places in Piping; a second in Ensemble; and a second in Drumming.

Last year, MacMillan took third place at Anne Arundel.

This weekend marks the annual Virginia Scottish Games, a two-day event held at the Episcopal High School in Alexandria.

Both the grade 3 MacMillan Pipe Band and the grade 5 MacMillan-Birtles Memorial Pipe Band will compete on Saturday. The MacMillan Pipe Band will compete in its grade and in the open band competition. This is the MacMillan-Birtles Memorial Pipe Band’s competition debut. Several long-time grade 3 band members will be competing in the grade 5 band, playing different instruments.

On Sunday, both bands will take turns performing for attendees along with other bands.

This event is Metro accessible: take the Blue or yellow line to King Street. From King Street, transfer to the shuttle to Episcopal High School. Shuttle fare is $1.00.

The MacMillan Pipe Band took 5th place in Saturday’s grade 3 band competition at the Colonial Highland Gathering in Fair Hill, Md. During the closing massed bands segement, it was announced that MacMillan took first in grade 3 drumming. Unfortunately, the announcement was made in error and Saffron United was the actual grade 3 drumming winner.

The six bands that competed were ranked as follows:

1. City of Charleston Police Pipes & Drums
2. Carnegie Mellon Pipes & Drums
3. Saffron United Pipe Band
4. Ulster Scottish Pipe Band
5. MacMillan Pipe Band
6. Bergen Irish Pipe Band

The MacMillan Pipe Band, along with several other local bands, dancers and others, will perform at the 37th annual National Capital Area Scottish Festival (NCASF) this Saturday, May 7. The festival returns to Rockville High School for the first time since 2002.

MacMillan debuted at the 33rd NCASF in 2001 as the Peary/Rockville Alumni Pipe Band. (See our Band History.)

The NCASF is the annual fundraising event for the Rockville High School Pipe Band (RHSPB), founded in 1961 as the Robert E. Peary High School Pipe Band by Dr. Fred Dunn. The RHSPB, an official extracurricular activity at Rockville, receives no funds from the Montgomery County Public School system. It must raise its own operating funds to pay for tutors, practice space, instruments, and other expenses.

Performers donate their time and talents to the NCASF free of charge, allowing the RHSPB to reap the full benefits of the festival profits.

Besides the MacMillan Pipe Band, other performers include the Scottish Country Dance Society of Washington; the Columbia School of Highland Dance; the City of Washington Pipe Band; the University of Mary Washington Eagle Pipe Band, making their first NCASF performance; and, of course, the Rockville High School Pipe Band.

The show begins at 5:00 p.m.

This event is Metro accessible: take the red line to either Twinbrook or Rockville, and then take Ride On Bus route 45 to Twinbrook Parkway and Baltimore Road. Please note, bus service to the Metro will end before the festival ends.

The MacMillan Pipe Band placed third in today’s grade three competition at the Celtic Festival of Southern Maryland. This was the band’s first competition for the 2005 season.

The band was beat out by Carnegie-Mellon University in 1st place, and Ulster Scottish in 2nd. MacMillan’s scores were as follows:

» Piping (3 judges): 3rd, 2nd, 3rd
» Ensemble (1 judge): 1st
» Drumming (1 judge): 2nd

At last year’s Southern Maryland event, MacMillan placed 2nd with scores of 2 across the board.