Richard Parkes (piper)

Last updated

Richard Parkes
Born (1960-01-29) January 29, 1960 (age 64)
OccupationEngineer
Instrument Bagpipes

Richard Parkes MBE (born 29 January 1960) is a bagpiper from Northern Ireland and former pipe major of Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band.

Life

Parkes was born in Belfast on 29 January 1960. [1]

He started playing in Raffrey Pipe Band at the age of 9, and received tuition from Sandy Cummings. After taking a break of a few months, he returned to the band in 1971, by which time Raffrey had merged with Field Marshal Montgomery to become Freymont, in Grade 3. In 1976 it was decided to reform the band as Field Marshal Montgomery owing to the balance of players in Freymont. The band achieved promotion to Grade 2 under the leadership of Ricky Newell, but in the middle of 1981 Newell left after a disagreement and Parkes became pipe major. [1] [2] Field Marshal was promoted to Grade 1 at the end of 1985, won its first World Championship in 1992, and won every Major Championship in 1993. [3]

Parkes suffered a stroke in March 2004, and Alastair Dunn led the band to victory at the European Championships in his absence, before Parkes returned to lead the band to victory at the World Championships in August. [4] [5] He has said that as a result of the stroke he has to concentrate harder on his own playing in order to not make mistakes. [6]

Under Parkes' leadership Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band has won 65 Major Championship titles as of 2016, and is the only pipe band in history to have won all five Championships in a year twice. [7]

He has a Master of Science degree in Polymer Engineering and works for Bombardier Aerospace. [1] Parkes married his wife Ruth in 2000. [8] [1]

Parkes has been conferred two doctoral degrees honorem causa . On 1 July 2019, Queens University Belfast conferred a Doctor of Literature for services to music. On 4 July 2019, Ulster University conferred a Doctor of Letters for services to pipe band music nationally and internationally.

After 43 years, in September 2024, Richard Parkes retired as Pipe Major of the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band. [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band</span> Northern Irish pipe band

The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band is a competitive grade one pipe band from Lisburn, Northern Ireland named in honour of Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. The band has won the World Pipe Band Championships 13 times, making it the third most successful competing pipe band in history behind the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band and the Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glasgow Police Pipe Band</span> Scottish pipe band

Glasgow Police Pipe Band was a grade one pipe band from Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1883 as the Burgh of Govan Police Pipe Band, the band enjoyed its greatest competitive success as the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band. It ceased competing as Glasgow Police Pipe Band in 2021.

The Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band is a grade 1 pipe band from Shotts, in the North Lanarkshire region of Scotland. The band has won the World Pipe Band Championships sixteen times. The current pipe major is Emmett Conway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Fraser University Pipe Band</span> Canadian 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Police Pipe Band</span> Canadian pipe band organization

The Toronto Police Pipe Band is a Canadian pipe band organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada directly composed of a band in grade 2; and 5 through its youth affiliate, Ryan Russell Memorial. The band performs at parades, festivals, ceremonies and funerals on behalf of the Toronto Police Service, and participates internationally in piping competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band</span> Irish pipe band

The St. Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band is a Grade 1 pipe band based in St. Mary's Hospital Campus, Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland. The band was established in 1910, and won the World Pipe Band Championships in 2010.

The Dysart and Dundonald Pipe Band is a currently disbanded pipe band located in Fife, Scotland.

The Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band is a pipe band from West Lothian, Scotland which formed in 1972. The band has competed in Grade 1 since being promoted to that level in 1980.

The Police Scotland Fife Pipe Band is a Grade 1 pipe band from Fife in Scotland, established in September 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inveraray & District Pipe Band</span> Grade 1 pipe band from Scotland

Inveraray and District Pipe Band is a Grade 1 pipe band based in Inveraray, Scotland.

Muirhead and Sons Pipe Band was a pipe band based in Grangemouth, Scotland. The band was highly successful, winning the World Pipe Band Championships a total of eight times. This total has been surpassed only by Strathclyde Police, Shotts and Dykehead, and Field Marshal Montgomery pipe bands who held the title twenty-one, fifteen, and thirteen times respectively, and equalled by the Clan MacRae Society Pipe Band which also won eight times.

Donald Shaw Ramsay was a Scottish bagpiper. Qualified as a pipe major in the British Army, he led the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band to victory at the World Championships twice and was also leader of the all-star Invergordon Distillery Pipe Band during its four years of existence.

Torphichen and Bathgate Pipe Band are based in West Lothian, Scotland and compete at the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association's Grade 2 level.

Bruce Gandy is a Canadian bagpipe player and composer.

Steven McWhirter is a pipe band drummer from Northern Ireland. He has won multiple World Championship titles as a solo performer and as part of band. He is the lead drummer for the Inveraray & District Pipe Band.

Invergordon Distillery Pipe Band was a pipe band associated with the Invergordon Distillery. The band was characterised by the extremely high calibre of the individual players.

Jim Kilpatrick MBE is a Scottish pipe band drummer, and leading drummer of the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band. He has won numerous drumming titles as both a solo drummer and in pipe band competitions, enjoying his greatest competitive success with the Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band.

Red Hackle Pipe & Drums, sometimes known as the Hackle, was a grade 1 pipe band based in Glasgow, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pipeband Club</span> Australian pipe band

The Pipe Band Club is a competitive pipe band located in Sydney, Australia. The band is currently in Grade 2, and occasionally competes in Grade 1 (open) contests in addition to its own grade. It is the leading pipe band in NSW and has consistently held the state championship title every year since inauguration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Dunedin Pipe Band (United States)</span> Pipe Band out of Dunedin, Florida

The City of Dunedin Pipe Band is a Grade 1 pipe band out of Dunedin, Florida. It is led by pipe major Iain Donaldson and drum sergeant Eric MacNeill.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Richard Parkes: The pipes-drums Interview – Part 1". pipesdrums.com. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "Pipe Major Richard Parkes MBE, MSc". fmmpb.com. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  3. ↑ "History". fmmpb.com. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  4. ↑ "Richard Parkes recovering from stroke". pipesdrums.com. 31 March 2004. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "2004 New Year's Honours". pipesdrums.com. 31 December 2004. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Richard Parkes: The pipes-drums Interview – Part 3". pipesdrums.com. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  7. ↑ "Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band wins ninth world championship". bbc.co.uk. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  8. ↑ "Pipe Major Richard Parkes MBE" (PDF). atlantapipingfoundation.com. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ "Richard Parkes retires: the greatest pipe-major in competitive pipe band history steps down as FMM leader". pipesdrums.com. 14 September 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.