Ian Lyons
Bagpipes Advice and Expertise
Photo taken with The Scottish Lion 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band at the 2005 World Pipe Band Championship in Glasgow, Scotland
Ian Lyons is a reputable name in piping and pipe band circles, not only in Australia, but all over the World.
Ian has been involved in pipe bands and solo piping for nearly 30 years. He has played with and currently plays with some of the World's top pipe bands such as The Pipes & Drums of the Royal Ulster Constabulary from Northern Ireland; The Victoria Police Pipe Band from Melbourne, Australia and currently with The 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band from Toronto, Canada. He is also Pipe Major of the Clayton RSL Pipe Band who been very successful, winning 4 Australian Championships in Grade 2.
Ian was taught to play the bagpipes from the age of 7 by his father P/M William Lyons B.E.M., formerly Pipe Major of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, and grew up in Northern Ireland playing with his local pipe band in Banbridge. After spending several years with the Banbridge Pipe Band, Ian, at 17 years of age, moved on to play with The Pipes & Drums of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and played in his first Grade 1 season and World Championship in 1989.
In late 1989, Ian imigrated to Australia to take up a full time position as a musician with the Victoria Police Force. Ian still plays with the Victoria Police Pipe Band where his full time role involves playing at police, high profile and community related events. He traveled to Scotland each year from 1991 when the Victoria Police Pipe Band played in its first Grade 1 World Championship right up to the bands' famous World Championship win in 1998.
In 2000, Ian decided to continue on in the competition arena when he was asked to guest play with The Scottish Lion 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band from Toronto, Canada. Before long, Ian became involved with the tuning team of the band and is now an integral part of that team. He continues to guest play with the 78th's each year at contests in Canada, the North American Championships at Maxville and the World Championships. Ian will be at the Maxville Highland Games and also at the World Championships on Glasgow Green where you will be able to see him in action again in 2008.
In the local scene in Victoria, Australia, Ian has been involved quite extensively in workshops, recitals and teaching. In 1994 he took on a tutors position with a Grade 3 & Juvenile Pipe Band called Moorabbin City Pipe Band. At the time the band was a very enthusiastic group of young kids from in and around the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Ian quickly established a solid basis for teaching and bringing on this group of young players and within a few years they had managed to win the Grade 3 Australian Championship. After the completion of competition for the Victoria Police Pipe Band in 1998, Ian took on the Pipe Majors role at the Moorabbin City Pipe Band. Since then, the now Clayton RSL Pipe Band, has managed to win four Grade 2 Australian Championships and a New Zealand Championship. One of the unique attributes of this band was that almost every young player in the juvenile band when Ian arrived in 1994 was part of the 2004 Grade 2 Australian Championship win.
Apart from a distinguished career in pipe banding, Ian has also won and placed in many solo piping contests in Northern Ireland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. He has won the Open Aggregate Solo Piping Trophy in Victoria and is also the 2003, 2004 & 2005 Victorian Pipers Association Piper of the Year and Quaich Winner. Ian picked up a 3rd place in the 2005 Gold Medal MSR in Maxville, Canada amongst a very strong field and has also won the VPA Piobaireachd Gold Medal in Piobaireachd.
2007 brought some good fortune for Ian, gaining the runner-up spot in the Comunn na Piobaireachd Gold Medal of New Zealand at Easter and also picking up a 2nd in the Strathspey & Reel event amongst a very strong field. He also picked up a 3rd place in the Gold Medal of Canada at Maxville in August and a 4th Place in the A Grade Piobaireachd at the Silver Chanter Contest in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Ian will be competing at all of these solo contests again in 2008.
Ian has performed in numerous solo recitals and played in many high profile pipe band concerts all over the World including the famous Victoria Police and 78th's concerts.
Ian's teaching extends throughout Victoria and in New Zealand. He is currently involved with the tuition and guidance of the New Zealand Police Pipe Band (current NZ Grade 1 Champions), The City of Melbourne Pipe Band (Grade 2) and also the University of Ballarat Pipe Band, (2005 Grade 3 New Zealand Champions) and also many other pipe bands.
Ian plays a set of 1996 Full Silver Acanthus Engraved Naill Bagpipes with a ‘Lyons’ McCallum Blackwood Pipe Chanter and a Ross Bates Reed. He uses a Moose Valve, a Moose Bag with Ross Canister Bag System and Hylands In-Line Drone Valves. Ian plays Crozier Drone Reeds. Crozier Cane Tenors and a Crozier Omega Bass.
With his many years of experience in piping, Ian has been able to establish Lyons Bagpipes & Highland Supplies and turn it into a reputable World-wide enterprise.
In 2002, Ian decided it was time for Lyons Bagpipes & Highland Supplies to move into product design and development. Since then Lyons Bagpipes & Highland Supplies has been able to steadily release exclusive products and will continue to do this for the coming years.
Although Ian's wife Rebecca now successfully runs the Lyons Bagpipes & Highland Supplies full time, Ian still plays a role in advising customers on the best and most suited products for their particular needs. He is always happy to take a hands on approach to helping out any customer who require assistance. Ian's keen interest in development means that Lyons Bagpipes & Highland Supplies will be able to continually provide new and innovative products to the piping World now and in the future.
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