HBHS Band stars at Central North Island Pipe Band Competition

Our pipe band students have competed in two competitions so far this year representing the Hamilton Caledonian Pipe Band. These were the Paeroa Highland Games on Saturday February 5^th and the Central North Island Pipe Band Championships on Saturday February 29^th, held in Rotorua.  There were 12 bands competing at both competitions from across the North Island including Whangarei, Rotorua, Hawkes Bay, Tauranga, Hamilton and multiple bands from Auckland.  Partick Chen is our only student currently competing in Grade 2 and the results in Grade 2 were 1^st place, from all 8 judges across both events, at both competitions, a clean sweep.  Patrick also competed in Grade 4 and the juvenile grade with additional school band members Alexander and Rupert Nielsen, Ruaridh Martynoga and Jared Mann.  There were also great results in those grades with the Grade 4 band getting 1^st= overall with the Rotorua Pipe Band at Paeroa, and 1^st= with the Rotorua Pipe Band in the medley event at the Central North Island Championships.  These students also play in the Waikato Juvenile Pipe Band (The Lewis Turrell Trust Memorial Pipe Band) which placed 1^st at both these competitions.

Solo achievements:  Alexander Nielsen, who won the prestigious New Zealand Bronze Medal piobaireachd (pronounced Pee Brock) event in 2019, backed up his results by winning the main solo piping event at the Paeroa Highland Games, the B grade piobaireachd solo piping event.  An outstanding result as this event has several adult competitors (including Alexander's father who got 3^rd place).

All the above-mentioned students are traveling to Invercargill to compete at the New Zealand National Pipe Band Championships on March 13^th and 14^th.

Pictured is Patrick Chen with the all the trophies awarded for Grade 2 from the Central North Island Pipe Band Championships.