International Folklore Festival - Veliko Tarnovo

With the decline of the mining industry the band has had to become self-supporting. The original name has been retained because of the link with the Clackmannanshire mining history.
We try as far as possible to uphold the original concept of the Miners who formed the Pipe Band by offering our services to the local community. We can be seen at children’s gala days, charity events, community ceilidhs, nursing homes, Armistice Parades, Burns suppers, playing for the local dance group of course, no wedding is complete without the services of a Scottish Piper!Another part of the tradition that we uphold is the provision of free musical tuition on the pipes and drums, free band membership, free uniforms and free instruments.
The band today is in great demand for tourist and corporate events. On a regular basis we can be seen playing at Stirling Castle, Airth Castle and Callendar house. We also perform a “Beating The Retreat” for foreign visitors which the organisers feel provides, in an individual Scottish way, a lasting memory of the hospitality they have received during their visit to our country. We have recently performed this ceremony at Scone Palace, Edinburgh Castle, The Edinburgh International Conference Centre and Hopetoun House. Alloa Colliery Pipe Band has also been delighted to play at the following events: European Championship League football final at Hampden Park Glasgow. Opening of the new Ferry Terminal at Rosyth. Ceremony and Church Parade to mark the closing of Lennox Castle Hospital.


Foreign Ensembles have taken part in the Festival:
SCOTLAND ALLOA COLLIERY PIPE BAND		ALBANIA, ARMENIAN FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE, BELGIUM, BULGARIA, BURYATIYA, CANADA, CHINESE TAIPEI, CROATIA, COLUMBIA, COSTA RICA, DENMARK, EGYPT, GEORGIA, GREECE, HUNGARY, INDIA, INDONEZIA, IRAN, ISRAEL, ITALY, JAPAN, JORDAN, LATVIA, MACEDONIA, MEXICO, MORDOVIA, NIGERIA, PERU, POLAND, PORTUGAL, PUERTO RICO, ROMANIA, RUSSIA, SCOTLAND, SERBIAand MONTENEGRO, SPAIN, SWITZERLAND, TAIWAN, THAILAND, TURKEY, UKRAINE, USA
	Alloa Colliery Pipe Band was formed in the mid 1950’s under auspices of the National Union of Mineworkers. The Union provided the funding of one (old) penny week from each member. This also provided the funding for a brass band that is now disbanded. The exact date of the band inception is unknown, but we believe we must be approaching our half-century and we are presently looking at ways of celebrating the occasion. At one time band was supported by the workforce of six coalmines, which at one time were fully operational in the Clackmannanshire area, today there are no coalmines in the area.
With the decline of the mining industry the band has had to become self-supporting. The original name has been retained because of the link with the Clackmannanshire mining history. We try as far as possible to uphold the original concept of the Miners who formed the Pipe Band by offering our services to the local community. We can be seen at children’s gala days, charity events, community ceilidhs, nursing homes, Armistice Parades, Burns suppers, playing for the local dance group of course, no wedding is complete without the services of a Scottish Piper!Another part of the tradition that we uphold is the provision of free musical tuition on the pipes and drums, free band membership, free uniforms and free instruments. The band today is in great demand for tourist and corporate events. On a regular basis we can be seen playing at Stirling Castle, Airth Castle and Callendar house. We also perform a “Beating The Retreat” for foreign visitors which the organisers feel provides, in an individual Scottish way, a lasting memory of the hospitality they have received during their visit to our country. We have recently performed this ceremony at Scone Palace, Edinburgh Castle, The Edinburgh International Conference Centre and Hopetoun House. Alloa Colliery Pipe Band has also been delighted to play at the following events: European Championship League football final at Hampden Park Glasgow. Opening of the new Ferry Terminal at Rosyth. Ceremony and Church Parade to mark the closing of Lennox Castle Hospital.