ALEN TULLY
Alen Tully, Pipe Major of the renowned St. Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band started out his piping career at the age of 7 years old. His first lesson was in a mobile home while on holiday in Scotland and his first tutor was his nana, Nan Tully. Alen continued his tuition with his father Terry, alongside his best friend Darren McCarthy also a piper in the band. He went on to become the youngest ever solo player to win the All Ireland Solo Championships back to back from Junior, Intermediate and Senior (twice) in a four year period.
During his solo career, Alen has had major success in Ireland, Scotland and also in the US where in his first attempt won the medley section of the Metro Cup, finished 5th in the piobaireachd and 2nd overall in 2006. His passion for solo competition dwindled as he progressed through his 20's with his main focus now turning firmly to the band.
At 12 years of age, Alen's first experience in pipe band competition came while on a loan spell with a local grade 3 band called St. Maurs of Rush. During his 2 years with St. Maurs, Alen won the all Ireland championships and worlds in grade 3, and helped the band to gain promotion to grade 2. In 1997 he returned to SLOT for his first season in grade 1. He has been a member of the St. Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band for 24 years now. He became pipe sergeant of the band in 2004 during the lead up to the bands preparations for their 2005 critically acclaimed concert "The Dawning of the Day" and held the position of pipe sergeant for 10 years. Alen's dad Terry stepped down as pipe major of the band at the end of the 2013 season having led the band for 31 years and Alen suitably took the reins and has led the band since 2014.
Since then the band have gone from strength to strength. In Alen's first season the band was an ever present in the top 3 at the majors and finished 3rd at the World Pipe Band Championships. They have gone on to win 6 Major Championships under Alen's leadership and have been in the top 3 at the worlds every year. The have also won 2 All Ireland Championship titles.
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Alen's unique style of compositions and arrangements have been an ever-present in the bands tune selection, and just like his Dad, has clearly put his own musical stamp of the bands repertoires. In 2020 Alen released his first book called Socrú - The Collection, which features many tunes from the bands medleys down through the years, along with a number of new compositions that have been written for bands thanks to his Write My Medley service. The book has 53 tunes mixed between his arrangements of some of the all time classics and his own compositions. He has also included the harmony lines of a number of the classic tunes that bands have played through the years which will be a real treat for the readers.
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Compositions - Crazy-Frazy, The Gymnast, Shelly's Jig,
Arrangements - The highland Wedding Hornpipe, The Cameronian Rant Hornpipe, The 98 Jig Hornpipe, The Clumsy Lover Waltz and many more!!
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