The City of Winchester Pipes and Drums is a musical organization committed to three purposes: to preserve and perpetuate Winchester's Scottish heritage by representing that heritage in parades and civic functions; to preserve and promote the traditional music of the Scottish Highland pipes and drums; and to promote excellence of performance in piping and drumming, both as a band and in the playing of individual members.
The band was founded in 2002 by a small group of friends who had been playing together informally in the northern Shenandoah Valley. Originally called The Northern Shenandoah Valley Pipes and Drums, the band gave its first public performance in October 2002 at the dedication of Winchester's Timbrook Public Safety Building. City officials were so impressed that the Winchester City Council voted to officially recognize the band as the "City of Winchester Pipes and Drums," and we have carried that name ever since.
In our first year we set out to outfit the band, earn 501(c)(3) charitable status, and march in Winchester's Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival Grand Feature Parade, one of the largest parades in the country, drawing nearly 300,000 spectators. We accomplished all three goals, and over two decades later the Apple Blossom parade remains one of our signature annual appearances.
Today the band is approximately 30 members strong, with pipers and drummers ranging in age from teenagers to retirees, drawn from across the northern Shenandoah Valley and beyond. Some members commute more than 50 miles each way for weekly practice. As members of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA), we compete as a band in Grade 5 at Highland games and Scottish festivals, and many of our members also compete individually in solo piping and drumming competitions.
Each year the band performs at dozens of events including memorial services, veterans' ceremonies, Highland games, community parades and festivals, and our popular annual St. Patrick's Day Pub Tour through downtown Winchester. Individual pipers and drummers are also regularly hired for weddings, funerals, and private ceremonies.
The band sponsors two major annual events. Our Summer Piping & Drumming School, held at Shenandoah University, brings world-class instructors, including Gold Medal winners and international champions, to Winchester for a week of intensive instruction. Our annual Robert Burns Night Dinner is our black-tie fundraiser, featuring traditional Scottish music, poetry, auctions, food, and of course, haggis.
In 2026 we established the John Taylor Scholarship for Excellence in Piping and Drumming, honoring founding member and former Pipe Major John Taylor for his decades of service teaching countless beginners who have gone on to become core members of the band. The scholarship supports band members in continuing their piping and drumming education.
We are always looking for new members. Whether you are a complete beginner, a lapsed piper or drummer looking to get back into it, or an experienced musician seeking a band, we would love to hear from you. Learn more about joining the band.
