The music of New Zealand has been influenced by blues, jazz, country, rock and roll and hip hop, with many of these genres given a unique New Zealand interpretation. A number of popular artists have gone on to achieve international success including Lorde, Split Enz, Crowded House, OMC, Bic Runga, Kimbra, Ladyhawke, The Naked and Famous, Fat Freddy's Drop, Savage, Gin Wigmore, Flight of the Conchords, and Brooke Fraser.
PIPE Networks is an Australian telecommunications company, based in Brisbane, Queensland. It is a subsidiary of TPG Telecom. Its primary business is setting up peering exchanges. PIPE itself stands for "Public Internet Peering Exchange". The company also provides services such as co-location, telehousing, and fibre networks.
The New Zealand International Exhibition opened on 1 November 1906 in Hagley Park, Christchurch, New Zealand. Nearly two million people visited the exhibition during the next few months. A 90 chains (1,800 m) branch railway line was built in late 1905 across North Hagley Park starting at the Riccarton station to service the exhibition and a temporary tram line was built in Peterborough Street, Park Terrace and Salisbury Street to connect with the Victoria Street tram. The attractions included New Zealand's first professional symphony orchestra, and the first Dominion pipe band contest, which was won by the Dunedin Highland Pipe Band.
The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band is a grade one pipe band affiliated with Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. It is led by pipe major Alan Bevan and leading drummer J. Reid Maxwell.
"Mull of Kintyre" is a song by the British rock band Wings written by Paul McCartney and Denny Laine. The song was written in tribute to the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland and its headland, the Mull of Kintyre, where McCartney has owned High Park Farm since 1966. The song was Wings' biggest hit in Britain and is one of the best selling singles of all time in the United Kingdom, where it became the 1977 Christmas number one and was the first single to sell over two million copies nationwide.
The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) is a governing body to oversee pipe band competition, and to promote and encourage the development of pipe band culture throughout the world. It was founded, and has been active, since 1930.
The City of Adelaide Pipe Band is a grade two pipe band, based in City of Adelaide, South Australia. The band has won grade one at the 1998 Australian Championships and Grade two in 2008. It placed 4th in grade one at the New Zealand and South Pacific Championships, in Dunedin in 1999. The band is led by Pipe Major Andrew Fuller and Drum Sergeant George Ujvary, and is a member of the South Australian Pipe Band Association.
The Scots School Albury is an independent, K-12, Uniting Church, co-educational, day and boarding School, located in the suburb North Albury of Albury, New South Wales, Australia. It draws students from the local area and other parts of Australia.
The Coastal Scottish Pipe Band, also known simply as 'Coastals', is a grade 3 pipe band based in Perth, Western Australia. The band was formed in 1898, and along with the City of Melbourne Highland Pipe Band is one of the oldest pipe bands in Australia. Their many recent successes include winning the 2007 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships, held in Dunedin.
The World Pipe Band Championships is a pipe band competition held in Scotland. The World Pipe Band Championships as we currently know them have been staged since 1947 although the Grade 1 Pipe Band Competition winners at the annual Cowal Highland Gathering were recognised as World Champions as far back as 1906. Although titled "The World Pipe Band Championship" this designation was made by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) without consulting any other Pipe Band Association. Even though bands around the world compete the vast majority of bands that enter are from the United Kingdom. For competitive bands, the title of World Champion is highly coveted, and this event is seen as the culmination of a year's worth of preparation, rehearsal and practice. There are no qualifications to enter, bands do not have to enter or win any other competitions. The only requirement is the band is a member of the RSPBA or a Pipe Band Association recognized by the RSPBA
The New Zealand Police Pipe Band is a Grade 1 pipe band based in Wellington, New Zealand.
The City of Blacktown Pipe Band is a Grade 4 pipe band based in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia.
The Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band is a Grade One pipe band based in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The band is led by Pipe Major Stewart McKenzie and Drum Sergeant Gary Potter.
Waimatuku is a small Southland, New Zealand farming community on the Southern Scenic Route, on New Zealand State Highway 99 between Invercargill and Riverton. The community's name is Māori for "water of the bittern".
The City of Dunedin Pipe Band is a competitive pipe band, based in Dunedin, New Zealand. The band is led by Pipe Major Alec Findlater and Drum Sergeant Sam Coutts. The band wears the Gordon Tartan. The band regularly performs at all home games for the Otago Highlanders Super Rugby franchise at Forsyth Barr Stadium and graduation parades for the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic.
The Police Scotland Fife Pipe Band is a Grade 1 pipe band from Fife in Scotland, established in September 2007.
The Hamilton Caledonian Pipe Band otherwise known as The Cales is an organisation with two bands. One in grade "3" and one non-competing, with over 50 playing members based in Hamilton, New Zealand.
John Reid Maxwell is a pipe band drummer and current leading drummer of the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band. Maxwell is the first person in history to have led the drum corps of two different bands to victory the World Pipe Band Championships.
