World Pipe Band Championships winner 2023
After two days of tough competition on the Glasgow Green on August 18 and 19, 2023, Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia were crowned the Grade 1 winners of the 2023 World Pipe Band Championships. This was the first time for the band - which has been competing in Grade 1 since 1980 - to claim the top spot at the Worlds with a final score of 34 points. Field Marshal Montgomery, one of the most successful pipe bands in most recent history, came in second place with 41 points in total.
Winners at the world piping championships are determined by the performance in two events. The first one is the March, Strathspey and Reel event (MSR), consisting of three pre-arranged tunes (a march, a strathspey, and a reel) which are played as a set. The second one is a medley, which consists of a selection of music arranged by the band and which lasts five to seven minutes in total. The band must prepare two MSR and two medley sets, and then play one on each day of competition. The final selection of which of the respective two sets is being played is determined by a draw on the line before entering the competition arena. Performances are ranked and bands get points based on their placement within the competition. The band with the lowest score wins.
Despite winning the World Pipe Band Championships, Boghall did not automatically claim the end-of-season Champion of Champions title. Placing third at the Worlds that year, Inverary and District were crowned the 2023 Champion of Champions as best pipe band among Grade 1 bands, with a total of 20 championship points.