Half of the members of the Guelph Pipe Band will be missing this year’s Fergus Scottish Festival, because they are off to Glasgow, Scotland to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships.
Tyler Bridge, pipe major with the Guelph Pipe Band, says it’s the first time the band has entered the competition since 1983.
Organizers of the Fergus Scottish Festival described their upcoming absence at the games as bittersweet.
Prior to the competition the Guelph Pipe Band had to be graded. The grades range from grade one to five with five being an entry level band. The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association gave the Guelph Pipe Band a grade of 3A.
There are no qualifiers for the competition in North America so the Guelph Pipe Band will have to play a qualifying round before they can enter the finals. The competition begins Aug.16.
