Ian Lyons
Bagpipes Advice and Expertise
Photo taken at Hastings, New Zealand after being presented with the 2009 Comumn na Piobaireachd New Zealand Gold Medal.
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 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, The 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band from Toronto, Canada and in 2009 he will play with Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band from Northern Ireland. 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 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band from Toronto, Canada. Before long, Ian became involved with the tuning team of the band and was an integral part of that team. Ian played with the 78th's for 9 years, until 2008, at contests in Canada, the North American Championships at Maxville and the World Championships in Scotland.
In 2009 Ian is guest playing with the 6 times World Champions, Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, from his native Northern Ireland. On his most recent trip to Northern Ireland in June, the FMM won the County Down Championships and also the British Pipe Band Championships. Ian returned in July and August to play with FMM. This time they won the European Pipe Band Championships, the Ulster Pipe Band Championships and also come 2nd at the World Pipe Band Championships.
Ian will return once again in 2010 to play with the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band.
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. Clayton RSL Pipe Band continue to do well in Grade 2 competition in Australia.
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 started off with his first win in the Armagh Pipers Society Juvenile Piobaireachd Competition at aged 16. 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.
In 2007, Ian was the runner-up in the Comunn na Piobaireachd Gold Medal of New Zealand at Easter and also picked up a 2nd in the Strathspey & Reel. He also gained a 3rd place in the Gold Medal of Canada at Maxville in August. Then a 4th Place in the A Grade Piobaireachd, 4th Place in the Silver Chanter and 1st Place in the Hornpipe & Jig at the Silver Chanter Contest in Christchurch, New Zealand.
In 2008 Ian placed 4th in the Gold Medal of Canada at Maxville and won the VPA Piobaireachd Gold Medal. He won the prestigious 2008 Silver Chanter Contest in Christchurch, New Zealand also placing 3rd in the Former Winners of the Silver Chanter on the same weekend. He placed highly in all the other 'A Grade' events taking 2nd in the March, 2nd in the Strathspey & Reel, 3rd in the 6/8 March, 4th in the Hornpipe & Jig and 4th in the Open Piobaireachd.
2009, Ian recently won the coveted Comumn na Piobaireachd Gold Medal of New Zealand at Easter and also picked up a 2nd in the March, Strathspey & Reel, 3rd in the 6/8 March, 3rd in the 2 x 2/4 Marches and 4th in the Strathspey & Reel. He then finished off his solo season at the R.U. Brown Competition in Adelaide where he won the Open MSR and came 2nd in the Open Hornpipe & Jig against a strong field of 25 players.
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 (winners of multiple NZ Grade 1 Championships) 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 Wilson 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 Carbon Tenors and a Crozier 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.
Website Created and Managed by Lyons Bagpipes & Highland Supplies©