Turlach Ur (pronounced TUR-lock ur) is Scots Gaelic, and means fresh or new fire.

Turlach Ur's Grade 5 band meets Sunday afternoons from 1:30-3:00pm at the First Presbyterian Church, in Grinnell, Iowa.

 

The Grade 3 band meets Sunday afternoons from 3:00-5:00pm, also at the First Presbyterian Church.

 

Band practices are for performing band members, but beginners and others are always very welcome to visit. If you aren't a regular and are thinking about dropping by, please call Rob Clower first at 641-990-6820 to be sure there hasn't been a change.

With a roster of more than 30 pipers and drummers, Turlach Ur is the largest pipe band in Iowa, and it’s growing fast. More than half of the band members are junior players, ranging in age from 10 to 17. Numerous students, both young and less young, are in training to step into the ranks soon.

Founded in 2007, Turlach Ur did not enter the competition arena in earnest until 2015, but immediately established itself as the top competitive band in Iowa. The band won the Grade 5 Midwest Championships in Chicago that year, as well as the aggregate season championship, MWPBA Champion Supreme.

For one year in 2016, Turlach Ur joined forces with the Cameron Highlanders of San Diego, competing very successfully in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago, as well as the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, where the Grade 3A band finished fifth.

Upgraded to Grade 4 for the 2017 competition season, Turlach Ur won in Milwaukee as well as at the Grade 4 Midwest Championships at Chicago (1,1,1,1).

In 2018, the Turlach Ur Grade 4 band was undefeated in competition for the second consecutive year, including a repeat win at the Midwest Championships, and was named MWPBA Champion Supreme in Grade 4, earning an upgrade to Grade 3 for 2019.

2018 also saw the debut of the Turlach Ur Grade 5 band at the Wisconsin Highland Games at Waukesha. Of the band's 11 members, nine were first-timers and eight of those were between the ages of 10 and 13. The future looks bright indeed!

Turlach Ur performs concerts regularly both in Grinnell and beyond, and is recognized widely for its unusually fun and innovative shows. The band’s junior players sometimes perform on their own as the Turlach Urchins. Since 2010, Turlach Ur has been affiliated with the Grinnell Area Arts Council.

Turlach Ur, 2015