DONALD SLOAN
Died March 2010
Donald Sloan was first introduced to the basic method of playing a six keyed flute when he joined a small 'part band' near his home in Craigavad near Bangor, Co. Down where he lived as a boy in 1920, called the 'Duke Memorial'. He was taught by a member of Dr. Keighler's Orchestra in Belfast.
In 1922-23 young Donald was asked to join the Holywood Royal Standard Flute Band, then one of the top junior part bands in Ireland where he learned all about contest work and entered his first contest in the Ulster Hall in 1924. Still with Holywood in 1928, Donald had changed over to playing piccolo and what sticks and in his mind most was that year, 1928, the Holywood Royal Standard Flute Band won the Grade 2 Junior Championship of All-Ireland.
Holywood Royal Standard Flute Band
Winners of the Junior 2nd Grade & Side Drum Medal
at the N.I.B.A. Championship Contest in the UIster Hall, Belfast 1928.
Conducted by Thomas Peden. Test Piece March "Glory Woods".
(Donald Sloan far right)
During the year 1930 Donald Sloan then moved and joined Bloomfield Amateur Flute Band, which won many first prizes in the intermediate class. He was with them up until the band decided to change to brass instrumentation and he then applied to join the famous world champion Ulster Amateur Flute Band. He remained with the Amateurs for over forty years and held every office in the band, being mainly responsible as his natural talent dictated, as librarian. Donald retained the gift for the beauty and quality of his writing of musical scores, the man was a genius. As with other men of his calibre, Donald didn't go in for boasting and all he would say about his 40 or more years with the 'Ulster Amateurs' was that they were a wonderful band, made up of about 40 members - many were brilliant soloists, and successes in band and small ensemble competitions were too numerous to mention.
Donald gave full credit to the conductor of the band, the late William B. Blythe, for really teaching him the art of playing and giving him the great amount of knowledge he knew about music. He named other now famous conductors who had been taught by the late old gentleman conductor, Harry Gillespie, Bob Meharg, Billy Flavelle, Davy Grant, Samuel Stewart and William Blythe Junior, all members of the old 'Ulster Amateurs'.
Over the years Donald Sloan has taken part in some 200 championship, entertainment and marching contests and some 500 parades. He has also played with the Scottish champions, Motherwell Old Comrades, and Larkhall in Scotland, and during his time living in the North West of the Province, assisted the Hamilton and Boveva bands and for the last number of years he had been a playing member of the Ravenhill Temperance Flute Band.
Donald Sloan still playing the flute in his 90's
Donald was on the executive of the North of Ireland Bands Association, a founder member of the Flute Band League of Northern Ireland and its' first secretary in 1946 and years later he was bestowed the honour of President of the movement. Outside of banding, Donald dedicated his spare time to teaching youngsters and many handicapped people in the area to play the flute.