Gourock, Scotland – May 13, 2012 – The Scottish season’s first outdoor west coast competition of 2012 was the traditional Sunday event at Gourock, which was the victim of horrendous weather. Several bands pulled out of the competition when they saw the forecast. Ultimately Glasgow Skye Association was the big winner, taking the Grade 2 contest. There was no Grade 1 competition despite it being offered.

 

Grade 2

1st Glasgow Skye Association

2nd Mackenzie Caledonian

3rd Williamwood

Judges Peter Hunt, John Wilson (piping); R. Dungeon (drumming); J. MacInnes (ensemble)

 

Grade 3

1st Stamperland

2nd First Scottish Milngavie

3rd Johnstone

Judges: Gordon Lawrie, John Nevans (piping); Joe Noble (drumming); Malcolm MacKenzie (ensemble)

 

Juvenile

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The annual Adjudicators’ Seminar of the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario attracted 34 from the organization’s panel to the all-day workshop, despite it being the first very warm and sunny day after Canada’s long winter.

 

The 2012 seminar – one of which PPBSO judges are expected to attend at least every two years – took a “hands-on” approach to most of the sessions, often working with actual performances, recorded and live. The event is coordinated by the organization’s Music Committee, with committee-member Bill Livingstone leading the overall project.

 

“This year the emphasis is a hands-on approach to the judging issues we all face in both solo and band competitions,” Livingstone said. “It is intended to be practical, and to offer each of us new ways to come at problems, and to borrow from the experience of our colleagues.”

 

The seminar started with a session where the group listened to recordings from the four-band Grade 1 Medley event at the 2012 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships, a competition that saw disparate placings from the eight judges, who included Livingstone.

 

Using actual “report” sheets from the New Zeand Pipe Band Association, the group considered the performances and assessed each from piping, drumming and ensemble perspectives, depending on one’s specialty on the PPBSO panel. A lively debate followed, judges trading notes, citing observations and considering whether a consultative process would have helped or hindered the New Zealand competition. The PPBSO is one of the few pipe band associations that requires judges to discuss an event as a group before submitting final results.

 

The next session focused on solo piping and snare drumming, with actual active competitors delivering performances to each group. Professional-grade pipers Jon Bellia, Daniel Carr and MacGregor Ven Den Ven performed an MSR and a piobaireachd, and, much like the previous session, the performances were discussed and debated, exemplifying the constructively subjective nature of adjudication. Following that, Ed Neigh and Steven Hill ran a “master class” with the pipers and drummers, respectively, taking each “contestant” through a lesson-like analysis and critique of their performances.

 

The day concluded with a session run by Glenna Mackay-Johnstone, where adjudicators had to list two difficult situations that they have been or may be faced with while judging, broke into groups of two or three to discuss potential solutions, and came back to the group as a whole to trade notes and experiences.

 

Attending the event were:

 

Peter Aumonier

Scott Bell

Andrew Berthoff

Tom Bowen

Ross Brown

Hugh Cameron

Terry Cleland

Barry Conway (MWPBA)

Ken Eller

John Elliott

Hugh Goldie

Michael Grey

Steve Hill

Mike Hunter

Patricia Kirkwood

Iain Lang

Bill Livingstone

Bob MacCrimmon

Charlie MacDonald

John MacDonald

Calum MacDonald

Bruce MacDonald

Glenna Mackay-Johnstone

Reay Mackay

Doug MacRae

Ellen Mole

Ed Neigh

Geoff Neigh

Scott Nicholson

Jim Scott

Peter Sinclair

Iain Symington

Brian Williamson

Larry Willis

Bob Worrall

 

The PPBSO expects its judges to attend a seminar every two years, while other associations such as the EUSPBA and RSPBA require minimum bi-annual attendance to remain active on their panels. Rather than putting them off its panel, the PPBSO removes judges who have not maintained their professional development expectation from its “published list,” so as to help inform other associations in their invitations to guest judges.

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The Grade 1 Dysart & Dundonald Pipe Band of Fife, Scotland, has secured a new three-year sponsorship agreement with the Kilts & More Highland wear and bagpipes retailer that will enable the band to travel to all five RSPBA major championships that Pipe-Major Greig Canning described as “a huge boost to the band coming just in time for the 2012 competitive season.”

 

Along with the deal, the band will change its name to “Kilts & More-Dysart & Dundonald.”

 

“We felt right from the outset that the benefits to both parties will be there for all to see,” Canning said. “The band currently has a small crop of overseas players, travelling in from continental Europe to practice with the band in Fife and to attend major and minor contests and we feel that this deal further compounds the international feel that we have in the current setup at Dysart & Dundonald.”

 

With the sponsorship the band will secure a new set of drums and several “enhancements” to its uniforms.

 

The sponsorship is the latest Grade 1 deal to involve a dealer of Highland wear. The 78th Fraser Highlanders were sponsored for several years by the Scottish Lion, and Shotts & Dykehead continue to be sponsored by the House of Edgar.

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With three second-prizes at the World Championships and a raft of firsts at other majors, many people agree that Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia holds the unofficial title of “Best Band Not Yet to Win a World’s,” and the Bathgate, Scotland-based organization launched its 40th anniversary year in high style at a gala black-tie dinner that attracted more than 150 past and present members and Scotland’s Culture & External Affairs Minister Fiona Hyslop.

 

At the May 4th event, Hyslop made a keynote speech highlighting her positive impression of the pipe band movement, and, in particular, Boghall’s four decades of working with West Lothian youth to sustain one of the world’s most successful and admirable pipe band organizations.

 

 

The Boghall & Bathgate organization currently comprises three competing bands in Grade 1, Juvenile and Novice Juvenile, and has sustained a top-tier top-grade band since 1979, only six years after the concept was started in Bathgate by the late Pipe-Major Robert Martin and Leading-Drummer Tom Brown, whose positive impact Hyslop cited in particular.

 

 

“It was a great opportunity for those present to hear some of the pieces we are preparing for the Forte concert in August, [and] we are really excited and looking forward to this,” said Pipe-Major Ross Walker. “It was great fun to play Pipe-Sergeant Ross Harvey’s version of ‘The Australian Ladies’ and ‘The 93rd at Modder River,’ and we also played our new competition medley finishing with Donald MacLeod’s ‘Glasgow Police Pipers.’ Wonderful tunes to cap a wonderful evening.”

 

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“The final of the Scots Guards Knockout Piping Competition was held on 06 May at the Scots Guards Club and was won by Keith Bowes in a close contest with Craig Muirhead. We would like to thank our audience for their support throughout this year, we will be starting again in October with another excellent line up of pipers.” Jimmy Banks

Recitals – Pipe Major Gordon Walker will give a recital at the Scots Guards Club 10 June commencing 4pm tickets £10.00 and curry will be served. Club number 0131 337 1084

A Solo Piping Competition is to be held as part of the Finmere Festival 2012 in the church of St Michaels and All Angels
Finmere, Buckingham MK18 4AT on Saturday 1st September 2012 at 2pm

Competitions will be held for:
Junior (12-14), Junior (15-18)
Amateur March, Strathspey and Reel
Open March
Open March, Strathspey and Reel
Open Jig and Hornpipe

Entries to Pipe Major Steve Duffy by e-mail:steveduffy@yahoo.com  or Tel:01295 252375

The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland has announced that they will be performing once again at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow to launch their new concert Legacy. Following on from the success of Illumination in 2011 the band is again looking forward to performing at one of Scotland’s top live venues.

Legacy will see the band include four themed sets revolving around historical periods in Scotland’s history as well as performing many other brand new sets and suites which have been arranged specifically for this event. The concert will once again feature the wonderful vocal talents of Catriona Watt and a special performance by the Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers who will be performing together with the NYPBoS Drum Corps.

Please purchase your tickets early to avoid the disappointment of missing out as last year’s Illumination concert was a sell out. Tickets for this fantastic event are £12/£8 concession and go on sale on Tuesday 8th May. Tickets can be purchased by calling 0141 353 8000 or online by following this link.

The Piobaireachd Society recommends the following lists of tunes for competitions in 2013:

Senior Competitions

• The Blue Ribbon – PS 5, K
• Lachlan MacNeill Campbell of Kintarbert’s Fancy – PS 8, K
• The Old Men of the Shells – PS 7, K
• Ronald MacDonald of Morar’s Lament – PS 8, K
• In Praise of Morag – PS 1, K
• The Prince’s Salute – PS 1, K
• Isabel Mackay – PS 6, K
• Lady MacDonald’s Lament – PS 8, K

Competitors will submit four of the above tunes, one of which they will be required to play.

Gold Medal Competitions

• The Battle of Bealach nam Brog – PS 9
• Clanranald’s Salute – PS 7, K
• MacDonald of Kinlochmoidart’s Lament (No. 2) – PS 6, K
• The MacDonalds are Simple – PS 9
• Nameless (Hiharin odin, hiharin dro) (Angus Mackay’s MS) – PS 5, K
• The Rout of Glenfruin – PS 8, K
• The Vaunting – PS 7, K
• The Young Laird of Dungallon’s Salute – PS 10

Competitors will submit four of the above tunes, one of which they will be required to play.

Silver Medal Competitions

• Duntroon’s March (*) – PS 14
• Fair Honey (*) – PS 9
• Grain in Hides and Corn in Sacks(*) – PS 5, K
• Lady Anapool’s Lament(*) – PS 9
• Melbank’s Salute – PS 14
• Lord MacDonald’s Lament (*) – PS 13
• All the Old Men paid rent but Rory – PS 11
• The Parading of the MacDonalds (*) – PS 7, K

Competitors will submit four of the above tunes, one of which they will be required to play.

PS = Piobaireachd Society Collection
K = Kilberry Book of Ceol Mor

For the purposes of these competitions, tunes marked with an asterisk (*) require crunluaths a mach.

Competitors are not restricted to the settings or styles in the books mentioned above, and may play any other setting or style, provided that the judges may take into consideration the authenticity and merits of the setting or style submitted.

Competitors are advised to give advance notice to the judges should they intend to play settings or styles different from sources stated above.

Altogether different tunes known by the same or similar names will not be accepted as alternatives.

This announcement is made by the Piobaireachd Society to ensure earliest publication.
It is without prejudice to any arrangements made by either the Argyllshire Gathering or the Northern Meeting.

For the Music Committee

Alan Forbes, Honorary Secretary

Read original post on www.piobaireachd.co.uk

The weekend of the 28th and 29th of April saw members of the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland drum corps have a 2 day collaborative workshop with the Mugenkyo Taiko Drumming Group who are the only professional group of this kind in the UK. The purpose of the weekend was to expose our very talented young drummers to a different style of drumming and to put together a new collaborative piece that would be performed at the bands major concert in November which has been titled “LEGACY”.

It was a fantastic weekend for everyone involved and definitely worthwhile as our drummers learnt new skills and were able to create a new section for our fanfare. The members of the NYPBoS drum corps would like to thank Mugenkyo members Miyuki and Fiona for their professionalism and enthusiasm with this new concept and look forward to performing with them and the rest of the team in November.

A recent news story on Scotsman.com may have created a stir with pipers who read it, but the article got important points wrong, especially when it insinuated that makers of sheepskin pipe bags would be hard-pressed to find quality skins and that China would even start producing cheap pipe bags of inferior quality.

The demise of British fellmongers – the craftsmen who de-fleece, de-grease and “pickle” sheepskins before they go to the final tanning process – has resulted in the last business closing down, with Chinese-based operations taking over.

Bowes said that Chinese fellmongers deal in up to a quarter-million pelts every day, and the pipe bag market requires only a few hundred skins each month.

Bowes said that the company that ran the last UK-based fellmonger has outsourced the work to a China-based company and will continue to supply the market for Highland pipe bags. He added that the cost of shipping may impact traditional pipe bag makers, and Bowes is looking at various alternatives, including goatskin, which would not come from the UK but from the country of the goat’s origin.

“I am currently using my last batch of sheepskin, but actively looking for an alternative supply of pickled pelts, including getting pelts shipped back from China to be tanned,” he said. “A few bag makers have [discussed] and we might share shipping costs but still work independently.”

He added that he is currently also testing a different type of sheepskin, which is “working well.”

A sheepskin pipe bag from Bowes is priced at £180 and lasts about two years when played regularly.

With fellmongers producing cheaper pre-tanned skins, the question of whether cost-savings will be passed along to pipers. “The extra shipping will be a bit more expensive, but hopefully not very much,” Bowes responded. “A lot will depend on the numbers ordered – we talk in dozens and the fellmongers talk in tens-of-thousands.”

In the last decade, sheepskin pipe bags have enjoyed resurgence in popularity after many years of synthetic pipe bags taking over the market. Recent surveys of Grade 1 pipe bands and top-tier solo pipers show a trend towards natural skins, with more than half of the world’s Grade 1 pipe sections and about 27 per cent of soloists using sheepskin bags.

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