Archive January 2015 Edition
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the Pipemagazine Band Pipe Band Magazine is the Well Done official publication of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Brother! January 2015 what do these great champions have in common?… P/M Richard P/M Douglas Parkes MBE of Murray of Fife 2014 World Constabulary, Champions, the 2014 Field Marshal Double Gold Montgomery Medallist …they both play chanters by RT Shepherd! If you want to be the best, you have to play the best www.shepherd-bagpipes.com 4 Shepherd ad.A5.indd 1 18/10/2014 14:05 No.360 2015 No.1 CONTENTS Pipe Band magazine 2 By the Right! Official Publication of the — Worlds: the real deal Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association — Award for Forres chief 6 Opinion PATRONS The Earl of Elgin & Kincardine — A possible way forward for The Earl of Mansfield Ensemble adjudication President - George Ussher 10 World Drumming → Chairman - Gordon Hamill Vice-Chairman - John Hughes — Standards rising Honorary Presidents — Winners in Pictures Alex Mosson Ian McLellan 13 Letters — Worlds generosity Hon. Vice-Presidents George Purves Scottie MacLean 19 All Our Yesterdays Matthew Connell Alistair MacDonald — Edinburgh’s Police Band 2 Kevin Reilly Chief Executive: Ian Embelton 24 Tribute → HQ Office Manager: Aliki Papageorgiou — Drummer Ronnie Annan 45 Washington St.,Glasgow G3 8AZ t: 0141 221 5414; f: 0141 221 1561 www.rspba.org 26 Branch News Branches and Directors — Dundee, Perth & Angus Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway ... M McCrindle ← — North of Scotland Dundee, Perth & Angus..................P McAndrew Fife ...............................................................I Finlay — Glasgow & West Glasgow & West ..............I MacAskill, N Greeves — Fife Lothian & Borders ..............W McCafferty, S Orr London & South of England ........W MacGregor Midlands ..................................................... D Frith 30 Diary NE England ............................................... K Reilly NW England ............................................ P Brown — All the dates for 2015 North of Scotland ........................R Niven, J Gibb Northern Ireland .............M Herron, K Crothers 34 Review Stirling ........................................................A Grant — Derek Boyce’s new book RSPBA Affiliated Associations Alberta Society of Pipers and Drummers Australian PBA Bagpipe Association of Germany British Columbia PBA Front cover: These brothers from Cullybackey Pipe Band, Northern Eastern United States PBA Ireland, had reason for a joint celebration at the World Solo Drumming Irish PBA - they both won their sections of the championship. Turn to page 11 Midwest US PBA for more. Netherlands PBA PBA of Scandinavia PBA of South Africa PBA of Switzerland Pipe Band Magazine is produced and published by PP Publishing for the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association. Pipers and Pipe Band Association of Ontario Pipe Band Magazine, c/o 36 Mt. Harriet. Dr., Glasgow G33 DN, Scotland, UK Royal New Zealand PBA For Editorial and Advertising call 07957818672 or email [email protected] Southern US PBA VAT No. 703 7056 54 Western US PBA Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Association. 1 RT Shepherd & Son the ht! By R ig Shepherd HEADQUARTERS NEWS Orchestral HQ Secure Glasgow Chanter Six-Year Worlds Deal Pitched in B flat (Bb) lasgow has won the right to host the World Pipe GBand Championships until 2021. Ian Embelton, Chief Executive of the RSPBA said: ‘We were delighted to have received an outstanding bid from Glasgow. There was also an outstanding bid from Belfast but in the end the directors of the Association were unanimous in their Endorsed by the decision. ‘Our partnership with Glasgow stretches back decades world-renowned and the event has grown and developed as a result of that Shotts & Dykehead relationship. There is nothing quite like the sights and sounds on Glasgow Green during the Worlds and we Caledonia Pipe look forward to welcoming bands there for several Years.’ The local authority agency responsible for the Worlds, Band when they Glasgow Life, said: ‘The championships attract more than 200 bands and thousands of spectators each year to performed with the Glasgow Green, generating millions of pounds for the economy. The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s Phil Cunningham and board awarded the right to host The Worlds to Glasgow for a further six years at a meeting on Saturday Aly Bain band at a November 15.’ And Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow BBC live Hogmanay City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, added: ‘We are delighted to have won the show.... coveted World Pipe Band Championships for a further six years. Glasgow is Scotland’s cultural powerhouse and Need we say any this uniquely Scottish event is one of the cornerstones of the city’s events calendar. We are looking forward more! to welcoming pipers, drummers, drum majors, band supporters and spectators from across the world, every bit as much as they are looking forward to coming here, and to showing them everything Glasgow has to offer.’ RT Shepherd & Son RSPBA Chief Executive Ian Embelton added: ‘Glasgow (Scotland) Ltd invest almost a million pounds in bringing the Worlds www.shepherd-bagpipes.com to the city. This deal has secured the Association’s future at least until 2021. I know Belfast were disappointed, but in some ways Glasgow Green is seen almost as our spiritual home and the decision to stay there has been 2 the R By ight! 2015 GRADING CHANGES Novice to Juv.: George Heriot’s, Preston Lodge, West Lothian Schools, Dollar Academy, George Watson’s G4B to 4A: Derryclavin, Gorey, Methil, Irvine, Whitewater; G4B to 3B: Burntisland; G4A to 3B: 2622 RAF, Lochmaben, Closkelt, Coalburn, Vale of Clyde, Tralee; G3B to 3A: 6th/8th Dundee BB, Craigmount, Annan; G3B to 2: Thiepval; G3A to 2: Johnstone, Stirling,101 Northumbrian Rgt., RAF Halton; G1 to 2: Ballycoan; G2 to 3A: Arklow, St Finbar; G2 to 3B: Scots Guards; Juv. to Novice: 1st Troon BB (by request) widely applauded.’ Bids for other major championships from 2016 onwards will be considered by the Association’s directors next month. Bids close on February 6th, 2015. t is with regret that we record the passing of RSPBA ISenior Adjudicator Denver Cardwell of Portadown, Northern Ireland. Denver (74) was a member of the RUC pipe band in the 1970s and 80s and later joined the RSPBA’s Adjudicator Panel. In his police career he was heavily involved throughout the Troubles, but characteristically never lost his optimistic, and humorous outlook on life. Denver had been unwell after suffering a stroke. The Northern Ireland Branch of the RSPBA said: ‘We express our deepest sympathy to the family of Piping Adjudicator Denver Cardwell.’ A popular figure among his adjudicator colleagues, Denver judged regularly at all the major championships over many years and will be sorely missed. There was a very large turnout of mourners at the funeral in Portadown Methodist Church. Obituary to follow. COMPETITION FORMAT ALTERATIONS for 2015 By Jim Campbell, Music Board hilst the criteria for Grade 4A retains the principle of four parts march in a 2/4 time signature, the Wrequirements have been altered. Bands in G4A can now play either one four-parted march or two, two-parted marches. This change will also be applied to minor Grade 4 MSR contests. Grade 4 requirements of quick march tempo for RT Shepherd & Son minor contests remain unchanged. (Scotland) Ltd At major championships Grade 4B and Novice Juvenile will play four two-parted marches from the RSPBA’s www.shepherd-bagpipes.com prescribed tune list. (Bands may choose parts one and two of any of the four-parted tunes offered on the list.) At 3 ! the ht By R i g COMPETITION FORMAT cont. major championships Grade 4A will play an MSR - four parts march tempo (this can be one x four- parted march or two x two-parted marches where bands may choose parts one and two of any of the four-parted tunes offered on the list), two two-parted strathspeys and two two-parted reels. All tunes played must come from the RSPBA prescribed tune list. At minor contests G4 and Novice Juvenile remains as stipulated, currently being two and a half minutes to four and a half minutes quick march tempo. Grade 4A major championship requirement change will also be applied to minor Grade 4 MSR contests. Please note some tunes are still in the verification process and will be added to the tune lists as they become available. In the meantime bands can of course use any resource they wish to obtain the music. For the complete tune listing please check our dedicated page for Prescribed Tunes at: www.rspba.org. NEW Piper Flight Case The Piper Flight Case provides excellent protection for your bagpipes with a specially designed foam insert. Transform your bagpipe case into a weekend case by removing the foam insert! TRAVEL IN STYLE WITH THE ULTIMATE CABIN BAGPIPE CASE! External Dimensions 55cm x 40cm x 20cm (meets IATA guidelines for cabin baggage) Find out more. Visit us online. rghardie.com t: +44 (0)141 333 5696 | e: [email protected] 4 the ht! By R ig Diary date for the 2015 Europeans: Award for Forres Chief David Saturday 27 June eadquarters would like to send its award. To congratulations to David Urquhart, Marketing have the and Sponsorship Director of Forres Events Ltd, event known Hthe company behind the event known in 2013 and 2014 as ‘Piping Hot as ‘Piping Hot Forres’. David has been awarded the title of Forres’ such Tourism Ambassador 2014 in the Highlands and Islands a success is a Tourism Awards to honour his contribution in bringing huge Reward, the European Pipe Band Championships to Forres. but to be David’s role is to bring in sponsorship and to promote recognised David (centre) receives his award the event, which he does using the years of experience across the John Paul Photography he gained whilst in his previous role as Joint Managing Highlands with this Ambassador Award is a truly great Director of the family owned Benromach Distillery.