A highly-respected musician has retired from his post in a West Lothian pipe band.
After more than 30 years of service, the leading drummer of the Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band, Gordon Brown, has stepped down.
Gordon was born in Whitburn in 1964 and from an early age showed a keen interest in drumming.
His father, Tom, taught his son how to drum but it wasn’t until 1976 that Gordon took up drumming seriously.
He joined the Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Novice Juvenile Band in November that year, where his dad was already teaching junior players, and then went to Grade Three Adult Corps.
A few months later, in February 1977, at his first attempt, Gordon gained sixth place in the Juvenile Section of the World Solo Drumming Championship.
That season, Gordon and the Novice Corps went on to win the Drumming in the five Major Championships.
In 1978, the then Grade three Adult Band was upgraded to Grade two and Gordon became a member of that Drum Corps under the leadership of his dad.
During the seasons of 1978 and 1979, the Grade two Drummers tackled almost every major Championship-Drumming & Band.
On the solo side, Gordon steadily moved up the prize lists at solo drumming events, including winning the World Juvenile Solo Drumming titles in 1980 and 1981.
It was during this time that he started to get involved in teaching at his fathers Tuesday night drumming class in the Whitburn Burgh Town Hall.
Gordon and the band were promoted to Grade 1 Status in 1980 and in their first season, they won the Cowal Drumming Championship.
The next three seasons saw them lift a fine hat trick of World Drum Corps Championships; 1981, 82 and 83, as well as every other drumming award.
One of the proudest moments for Gordon and the Boghall Drummers was being the First Drum Corps to win the “Alex Duthart Memorial Trophy” for the Grade One Champion of Champions Drum Corps.
Gordon was also named ‘2012 Drummer of the Year’ in the tenth Annual Pipes/Drums Honours List.
In 1994, Gordon’s life-long ambition came true when he gained first place in the World Solo Drumming Championship.
He had made it through to the final on several occasions and was placed fourth in 1993.
Gordon achieved first place again in the 2002 event and a top six placing up until he retired from the event in 2013.
The new leading drummer will be band member and student of Gordon, Kerr McQuillan.
Gordon said: “It has been a great honour to lead the band over the last three decades.
“I feel the band’s 50th anniversary year is the right time to pass the reigns onto Kerr.
“I’d like to wish him all the best in his new role and I can’t wait to see how the corps develops under his leadership.”
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