Not one to take things lying down is our feisty correspondent MacStig. Here he is responding to two comments on his article earlier this week on the Maxville fiasco and the Worlds tie-breaks….
In reply to Ian: ‘Thanks Ian. I agree that the possibility of a band dead heat not being broken with the current tie breakers is as remote as me buying the Editor a goldie. However, in the drum corps competition there is a higher chance of two bands tying.
‘We can probably dismiss a number who will not win drumming for sure – let’s say four might. As you’ll know, a one score category, taken four times does present a clear and present probability of 4x4x4 – or 64/1.
‘However slim that might seem, if we ended up with two drum corps winning an MSR and Medley each, there is a tie. I don’t know how such a tie is broken. Would it be fair to say it’s the Saturday MSR to decide it, when the Friday run is equally important?
‘I agree with you on the band tie probability being so far fetched that the bacon air squadron might will fly over the Green. I did the maths and it is about 1 in 3.8m. Then the Saturday decider comes into play.’
NB: RSPBA rule 4.69 states the following: ‘In the event of a tie in Drumming in a combined contest the preference shall be the Drumming total in the MSR contest.’ This does not seem to provide a tie break in the remote scenario as outlined by MacStig.
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In answer to Peter: ‘Yes I do know the distance [from Florida to Maxville]. It would be a 2/3 hour flight from Tampa to Ottawa or Montreal, or alternatively by Southwest or another airline to Syracuse or Rochester, and a drive over the border. As a guide the drive would be circa four hours from Rochester.
‘The cost of hotels in Montreal, Ottawa or even better the NAV in Cornwall, which is excellent, would be circa Can$100/150 a night, with band members rooming with a colleague. It also depends on whether the players arrive Thursday (a three night stay to Sunday) for the solos on the Friday or avoid those and arrive Friday for Saturday.
‘I’m reckoning the Dunedin band had circa $40 to $50k in costs, or around $1,000 – $1500 per person travelling. That would be the shoestring version without time off work and personal expenses, equipment moving and bus hire added. From memory it was always a great trip and the folks at Maxville are very friendly. I’m shaking my head as suggested.’
Glasgow based auctioneers McTear’s have sent this…
The first ever dedicated bagpipe auction takes place in Glasgow on 15th August. An auction featuring over 100 lots including full sets of bagpipes, pipe chanters, practice chanters, small and bellows pipes, all made in Scotland, and European pipes, history books, music and a host of associated items.
Highlights of the sale will include a set of pipes by RG Lawrie [pictured below], with the chanter stamped ‘Robert Reid’, estimated at £250-£300, and a set of Scottish smallpipes in ‘concert D’ by Jimmy Anderson of Falkirk, also estimated at £250-£300.
The collection has been amassed over a number of years by an anonymous piping enthusiast and supporter of Edinburgh’s Festival of Ireland (EFI). All proceeds from the sale will be donated to EFI.
The auction will include sets of pipes and chanters from some of the world’s best-known makers including Sinclair, Henderson, MacLeod, Grainger and Campbell, Lawrie, Kilberry, Warmac, Warnock and more.
Brian Clements from McTear’s said: ‘When we were approached about the collection, we knew this was the perfect opportunity to hold the first ever dedicated bagpipe auction. You can see from the condition of the lots that the collection has been put together by a true enthusiast, with the items covering every aspect of piping.
‘There are some fabulous individual sets of pipes scheduled to go under the hammer which I am sure will attract interest from piping enthusiasts and collectors from across the UK and beyond.’
The Bagpipes Auction will take place at McTear’s Auctioneers on Thursday 15th August at 2.30pm. Viewings for the auction will take place on Tuesday 13th August 9am-5pm, Wednesday 14th 9am-5pm and Thursday 15th 9am-2.30pm. For further information visit www.mctears.co.uk
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One further comment about tied results for band performances. Elsewhere it has been reported that with only 15 grade 1 bands, the probability of a tie has increased. This is not true. The probability of a tie is relates primarily to the number of judges and their voting pattern and the number of separate elements to the competition (i.e. 2 MSR and 2 Medley). P.S. If there remains a tie after 5 tie-breaks, I will buy all the aliens landing on Glasgow Green a drink, although from some of the sights on Sauchiehall Street yesterday, the aliens have already landed.