Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary Charity Pipe Band Concert for 2008 will take place in the Dumfries Academy Hall on Monday 11 August 2008 at 7.30pm. This year we have the fantastic Los Angeles Scottish Pipe Band all the way from California, USA. The band has rapidly shot up the Grade 1 World rankings and sits at number 10. Led by Pipe Major Colin Armstrong the band have a cd release, and thrive in the concert arena.

Veterans of the acclaimed Lorient Celtic festival in Brittany, they received a standing ovation for their French concert. They provide both traditional solo and band music to a high standard. The band also has accomplished folk and rock musicians in their ranks, and Colin Armstrong has a solo rock/pop cd release entitled Lost and Anonymous selling well in the American charts. Colin will perform on stage with other musicians to bring a new angle to this years concert.

The concert now in its third year, is designed to bring the best Pipe Bands in World to a Dumfries, both as a stimulus for younger people to take up the bagpipes, but also to raise much needed money for local charity.

Detective Inspector Grahame Young, the driving force behind the events, announced that the main concert sponsor for 2008 will be Stagecoach PLC, by kind permission of Mr Jim Thomson, Stranraer. Jim kindly provided the sponsorship last year and Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary are ever grateful to Stagecoach PLC for their kind generosity.

Dumfries and Galloway Respiratory Endowment Fund will receive funding from the proceeds of the 2008 concert. Administered by Dr Paul Rafferty, Consultant Pulmonologist at DGRI, the fund raises much needed money to purchase portable respiratory devices to increase quality of life for patients across Dumfries and Galloway. Detective Inspector Young was delighted at the nomination and with all his colleagues in Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, will work hard to raise as much money as possible for such an important cause.

Tickets for the event will go on sale in May and DC Carrie Caldow based in Loreburn Street Police Station is the ticket secretary. She can be contacted in person (08456005701) or by email on carrie.caldow@dg.pnn.police.uk . Please keep any eye on the Force web site and local press for further details.