To the Worlds today for the first day of Grade 1. It must be the most open championship for years – four different bands have each won one of the foregoing majors. Who’s your money on?
I have my own picked out but will not be revealing it here. One thing is sure, whoever emerges on top after this two-day examination by 16 judges will have earned it. Results Saturday evening.
Some stats: 204 bands competing; the biggest contingent is from Scotland (119 bands), followed by Northern Ireland (25), USA (18), and Canada (10). Probably 7,000 pipers and drummers amassing on Glasgow Green based on the average number of band members.
One of the contenders will surely be the defending champions Boghall. I hear they gave a very enjoyable concert on Wednesday night. In a nice touch they invited rival Grade 1 pipe majors up on to the stage for a tune:
The Worlds is not only about Grade 1 of course, and it was heartening to read of the success of the Methil pipe band winning Grade 3b at the Euros on Sunday with two firsts for piping, a second for drumming and a first for ensemble. Their Pipe Major, Robert Barnes BEM, is currently indisposed and his son Cameron and worthies such as P/M Jimmy Banks MBE are stepping in to keep the band going.
Clearly they are doing a terrific job, and that will cheer Barney up no end. Here’s a picture of the band and some of its very young members with Cameron (in beard, left) celebrating their big win:
Silver Chanter
Recordings from this year’s gala event are now on the Piobaireachd Society website here. If you’re not a member you can join here for only £18 per annum.
Some super playing from the likes of Angus MacColl, the winner. The event was sponsored by the Piobaireachd Society and Torabhaig Malt Whisky. Read my review here.
Piper Appeal
Reader Stephen Beattie has written: ‘I refer to a letter from Melody Jane Pinkman dated 26/09/2016 in which she was seeking information about her late father, Pipe Major Robert Pinkman.
‘I have copies of some tunes written by her father and would like to make contact with her. If you could pass on my email address to her, I would be more than pleased to speak to her.’
Contact Stephen on stephen_beattie@yahoo.co.uk Melody.
Ivory Prosecution
I hear that a woman in Dundee was recently fined £1,400 for dealing in ornaments made of elephant ivory. This is believed to have been the first conviction of its kind in Scotland. Shows you how serious the courts are taking this sort of banned trade.
You can give your ivory pipes away, or gift them in your will before you shuffle off, but you can’t sell them – at least that’s my reading of the Sheriff’s judgement in this case. Not sure of the current situation in other countries.
CLASP Results
The CLASP’s ‘World Solo Amateur’ competitions were held this week in the Piping Centre, Glasgow. Thanks to Margaret Houlihan for the results:
G1 Piob.: 1 J Nevans 2 I Kirkwood 3 B Webb 4 CD Mitchell 5 G Blaney 6 K Walker
G1 MSR: 1 B Webb 2 CD Mitchell 3 G Blaney 4 J Hughes 5 E Boland 6 D Small
G1 H&J: 1 B Webb 2 G Blaney 3 C McNamara 4 CD Mitchell 5 J Bertino 6 J Nevins
Judges: A Boyd, W Brown, W Morrison
G2 Piob.: 1 R Russell 2 A Beaton 3 A Kelly 4 L Ashton 5 A Aitchison 6 M Saxer
G2 March: 1 M Saxer 2 H McCarthy 3 A Beaton 4 L Ashton 5 D Morrison 6 A Aitchison
G2 S&R: 1 M Saxer 2 D Morrison 3 J Boyle 4 G Walker 5 A Aitchison 6 L Ashton
G2 Jig: 1 M Saxer 2 L McEwan 3 L Ashton 4 A Beaton 5 D Morrison 6 G Walker
Judges: R Livingstone, W Morrison
G3 Piob.: 1 S Vollberg 2 S Stringer 3 J Bain 4 A Langwiesner 5 A Wardrop 6 S McCusker
G3 March: 1 O MacPherson 2 A Robinson 3 S Vollberg 4 T Perry 5 R Whyte 6 A Longwise
G3 S&R: 1 A Robinson 2 O MacPherson 3 R Whyte 4 A MacLachlan 5 S Stewart 6 A Longwise
G3 Jig: 1 O MacPherson 2 A Robinson 3 M Brown 4 A Chan 5 S Vollberg 6 R Whyte
Judges: R Livingstone, G MacKay Johnstone
G4 Piob. Grnd. & Var.: 1 L Lanaro 2 S Langford 3 G Davis; G4 March: 1 C Tse 2 L Lanark 3 J Rutherford; G4 S&R: 1 J Rutherford 2 C Tse 3 L Lanaro; G4 Jig:1 J Rutherford 2 L Lanaro 3 C Tse
Judges: R Livingstone, G MacKay Johnstone
Games Round Up
Not everyone is hooked on the Worlds. There are piping competitions for juniors and seniors at the following Highland games tomorrow (Aug.17): Helmsdale, Kinloch Rannoch (no piobaireachd), Nairn, Glenfinnan and on Sunday 18th at Crieff. As ever, if you are attending, or are a piping secretary, please forward any results and pictures to the usual email address.
Is Robert Pinkman the gentleman who played at one time with Strathclyde Fire and Rescue? If so, I’m sorry to hear he has passed. I met him busking on Princes Street in Edinburgh one year I was on holiday. He was such a good player.
The headline’s a typo it’s not Bobby Pinkman (P/M Lothian & Borders Fire Brigade) but Rab Pinkman P/M of the KOSBs and composer of Itchy Fingers.