Stormont Foundation Certificate Presentation

18 June 2015

Parliament Buildings, Stormont was the venue for the annual presentation of the Foundation Certificate in Piping and Drumming on 18th June 2015.

The event, organised this year by the Ulster Scots Agency, attracted hundreds of pupils and parents from throughout Northern Ireland and Donegal at this year’s event, hosted by Fermanagh / S Tyrone MP and MLA, Tom Elliott.

The first year such an event was held saw 24 pupils graduate and receive their certificates and that figure has annually increased. This year however broke all previous records as over 230 children qualified for their certificate.

The Foundation Certificate in Piping and Drumming was designed by the Ulster Scots Agency in partnership with the RSPBA NI and it is gained at the end of rigorous tuition whereby pupils are expected to demonstrate knowledge of scale and chanter tunes theoretically and practically, and drummers are tested similarly.

The event this year was attended by key RSPBA personnel including Ian Embelton (CEO, Scotland), Gordon Hamill, George Usher, Ray Hall and Ian Burrows with Ian Crozier (CEO) and Trina Somerville representing the Ulster Scots Agency. The certificates were presented by Michelle McIlveen MLA to pupils from controlled, maintained and integrated primary and post primary schools from across the country as well as some community led classes.

The Agency would like to thank the host for the evening, Michelle McIlveen, the RSPBA in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the tutors and everyone involved in making the event such a success and offer our heartfelt congratulations to all recipients of the prestigious certificate.