After four years of working together to develop young players in the area, the two musical groups have finalised a merger and will be known as Dumfries and Galloway Pipe Band.
The move comes after Lochmaben Royal Burgh Pipe Band found themselves working at a level too difficult for new members to reach the required standard.
Pipe major Alan Hope said: “Lochmaben have enjoyed a great deal of success, with bringing beginners through the teaching programme and into the band.
“In fact, there have been seven pipers who have started with Lochmaben and have progressed to such a standard that they have gone on to play with top Grade 1 bands.
“As the band has progressed up through the grades we realised that there was a greater jump for beginners coming up through to reach the standard required for competing in Grade 3A.”
A few years ago they handed over the teaching of beginners to Dumfries Pipe Band, with assistance from Lochmaben members Alan Hope, Norrie Thomson, Mark Jackson and Pam Johnstone.
They have been assisting Alan Maltman, the head tutor at Dumfries, who is also the pipe sergeant of Lochmaben Pipe Band.
There are also other connections between the two bands with parents, children and couples playing with both groups.
At the beginning of this year Lochmaben took the decision to take a break from competitions and it was at this point talks started between the two bands about merging.
Alan said: “It made perfect sense to take this opportunity to move everything under the one roof where there would be a good structure in place for the development of players through the ranks.
“This will also help in the development of the Dumfries band towards entering competitions in Grade 4B by having the Grade 3A band attending the same practices and passing on their experience. It will also make the process of players progressing up through the ranks a bit quicker with the extra tutors available.”
The structure within the new band will be made up of a section for beginners, a street band and Grade 4B and Grade 3A bands.
They will be based in Dumfries and plan to include a programme to give players the opportunity to gain formal education qualifications if wishing to progress further in piping and drumming.
Anyone interested in learning the pipes or drums should contact the band via their Facebook page.
