North Lanarkshire’s newly crowned 2026 Novice A World Champions brought their music to the Civic Centre performing for councillors ahead of a meeting of the full council recently.
The North Lanarkshire Schools Pipe Band has enjoyed another outstanding season, with its young pipers and drummers claiming the World Championship title and adding to an impressive record of success since the band was originally formed in 2004.
The talented musicians, drawn from schools across North Lanarkshire, will now look forward to an exciting opportunity to perform on the international stage when they travel to New York in April 2027 to take part in the New York Tartan Day Parade as part of New York Tartan Week.
Provost Kenneth Duffy said: “It was a real privilege to welcome our world champion pipers and drummers to the Council Chamber and hear them perform in front of elected members. Their performance was outstanding and was clearly appreciated by everyone.
“Their achievement in becoming world champions is something the whole of North Lanarkshire can be incredibly proud of. It is the result of tremendous talent, hard work and dedication from the young people themselves, alongside the commitment of their parents, carers, schools and instrumental music staff.
“They are fantastic ambassadors for North Lanarkshire and Scotland, and I have no doubt they will represent us with the same pride and passion when they perform in New York next year.”
The North Lanarkshire Schools Pipe Band has won the Novice A World Championship three times, in 2016, 2019 and 2026, and has consistently competed at the highest level of school piping and drumming.
The band’s success also provides young people with opportunities to develop their musical skills, with members achieving strong National Qualifications results alongside their performances and competitions.