PP Ed’s Blog: Schools Poll/ Gordon’s Recital/ SPA Pro/ Piob Soc Conf/ Barnaby

The result of our poll into the suitability or otherwise of the new venue for the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championship were as follows: 

Some heart for the organisers if we amalgamate the two bottom stats: 41% think it okay or are prepared to give it another go. The majority however were clearly not happy. Read about the 2017 contest here. The picture up top shows the main winners, George Watson’s College.

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Piper Callum Moffat has taken over as the main organiser of the ‘Hole in the Wa’ piping recitals in Dumfries. First piper of the new season is Gordon McCready, Renfrew. Gordon, formerly of Glasgow Police and Field Marshal Montgomery pipe bands, played at the venue a couple of years ago to wide acclaim. His gig is on March 26 at 7.30pm.

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SPA President Tom Johnstone: ‘Just a reminder that entries close for our professional contest tomorrow, Friday, 24th March. Entry forms here. The SPA committee also want announce that all the events in this contest will now have five places (still three cash prizes). Judges this year are : Ian McLellan, Andrew Wright, Andrew Frater and Roddy Livingstone. McCallum Bagpipes have kindly agreed to sponsor the contest once again. Look forward to seeing you all there. www.scottishpipersassociation.co.uk.’

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All arrangements are in place for the Piobaireachd Society Conference to be be held this weekend at the Birnam Hotel, Perthshire. Day visitors are most welcome. In an interesting twist to the usual proceedings, there will be a fiddle pibroch session at the Conference (Saturday, 5pm) led by fiddler Pete Clark with Iain MacInnes (BBC) on smallpipes. Rumour has it that PS President and VP may be on the fiddle and smallpipes too. 

The Conference will see the launch of President Jack Taylor and Patrick Molard’s book from the Campbell Canntaireachd. The Piping Press Shop is offering the book with a pre-launch discount of 10%. Tomorrow is the last chance to order at this price:

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Still with the great music, Harry Campbell of Voicebeat has sent this: ‘At short notice we are delighted to announce a ‘WORKSHOP ON CANNTAIREACHD’ by Barnaby Brown at the  Scottish Dance Teachers’ Alliance, 101 Park Rd, Glasgow G4 9JE on  Monday 27 March 6.45 for 7pm; £9 on the door (£5 to existing VB members)  
Hosted by Voicebeat, Glasgow’s world music community choir
http://www.voicebeat.org

Brought up in Glasgow, Barnaby is dedicated to revealing the ancient artistic traditions of  Scotland’s music. He is currently writing a PhD on pibroch at Cambridge and teaches at the National Piping Centre. His workshops on canntaireachd, the traditional teaching chant of the classical bagpipe, allow anyone to develop an appreciation of what he calls the ‘single malts of Western music’, using not only syllables but gestures, and even colour!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRvlrOicM5g
http://www.altpibroch.com/learning/using-colour-for-pitches-3/

Come and learn something of this unique and fascinating vocal tradition, and please help spread the word about this exciting workshop. Best wishes Harry Campbell Voicebeat.org‘

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Don’t miss this opportunity for world-class piping and drumming tuition

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