Following a Drum Major Cadre at The Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming, Lead Drummer Leo M (S3) has been selected as the Senior Drum Major for the national CCF Beating Retreat at Edinburgh Castle Esplanade on 25th May and Holyrood Palace on 24th May.

Leo will proudly hold the mace as he leads The Massed Pipes and Drums of Scotland with 10 CCF School Pipe Bands and over 100 pipers and drummers from all over Scotland. 

A member of the school Pipe Band since Primary 4, Leo (S3) said: "I am incredibly proud to have been appointed as Senior Drum Major and am looking forward to representing RGC at both Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. I would like to thank all of my school instructors but especially my teacher, Mr Black, who is a huge inspiration."

Senior Drumming Instructor, Mr Black added: "I am extremely proud of Leo achieving this highly regarded appointment as Senior Drum Major CCF Scotland. Leo is a credit to his family and to Robert Gordon’s College. I can’t wait to see Leo represent RGC and lead the CCF Massed Pipes and Drums at both Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle. Congratulations Leo."

Mr Sumner, CCF School Staff Instructor and Piping Instructor summarised: "Leo has worked hard over the first half of the Spring term under the watchful eye of Mr Black to ensure he was well prepared for the Drum Major Cadre and we are all incredibly proud of his achievement. We look forward to seeing Leo mentor our younger drummers as a positive role model within the Pipe Band. Leo will be encouraged to build on this, ensuring that he continues to demonstrate the positive behaviours throughout our Pipe Band, and help our drummers (and pipers) identify best practice or routes to improve their own musical and leadership skills."

History of the Mace

The Drum Major’s Mace has been in existence since the 17th century, with functional uses in British Army Regiments. Their main use is to define drill movements and signal commands to band members. Modern maces are commonly found to be made out of Malacca cane, or occasionally out of man-made hollow fibreglass. This flexibility, along with lightness in weight, helps to enhance the Drum Major’s ability to master the intricate movements and spins of modern-day competitive Drum Majoring. However, the mace still retains the characteristics which ensure it maintains the traditional function of defining movements and commands to band members.