The decision by the RSPBA to separate Juvenile and Novice contests from the main Saturday event at Glasgow Green was announced on Piping Press on Monday. It has aroused considerable feeling in the pipe band community. Here is a selection of readers’ views to add to the comments already made.
Jonathon Simpson: I have experienced the Worlds as a competitor, a pipe major in the juvenile grades, as an adult competitor, and more recently as a spectator. I am hugely supportive of the efforts to reshape the Worlds. The Saturday is simply not fit for purpose. If there was ever an image that shows we have been failing our juvenile pipe bands, it’s the one at the head of this article. It shows one of the most successful pipe bands of all time playing to a crowd of a dozen or so people in a near empty stand. What sort of advert is that? I think this might be the 2016 World Champions which makes it even more galling.
Our best u18 bands arriving at 0700, competing in the cold at 0844 in the morning to empty stands and waiting another 12 hours for their results is suboptimal in my view. It is natural that some will be resistant to change or not fully agree with each step of the evolution. I am sure that we would all agree we need to maintain a spectacular and fair competition that allows us to showcase the best in pipe bands, including the under 18s. I would encourage anyone with a strong view to share it with your RSPBA representatives and get involved in the future of our Worlds.
CW Muirhead: Could the Friday not have been heats? There were 47 G4B bands at last year’s Worlds, requiring three heats playing 4×2-parted marches. There were 30 G4A bands, and 26 G3A bands requiring heats. All this could be taken care of on the Friday along with usual G1 performances. This would make the Friday a more worthwhile day, and would make the Saturday easier to run and leave a smaller number in the March Past with only those bands who made the Final required to participate. Almost anything would be better than segregating the kids.
Eric McGaw: I understand both points of view. I would say that the Worlds has become such a large event that there is obviously organisational difficulty around it. If this goes some way to stop the mistakes that have occurred over the past three or four years then I am all for it. I would also say that as chairman of the only Novice Juvenile B band in Ireland we were not consulted on this. I will leave everyone to draw their own conclusions regarding that point. It is disappointing that particularly the juvenile bands will not be in the big arena on Saturday morning. This grade is fantastic and has always been my first port of call at any major.
Gordon Rennie: My parents were very strict when it came to school attendance and although supportive of pipe bands, it was only considered a hobby and as I didn’t study the instrument at standard grade/higher, I feel I would have had a battle with them getting a day off school to attend the highlight of the year. People shouldn’t be put in this position. As others have said, it’s taking away the grandeur of the event for the youngsters to be shunted to the day before the main event.
Former Drummer: I agree with Alastair Dunn’s comment that the Friday always lacked atmosphere, but I also believe that the Worlds now probably needs to be a two-day event. I actually think there’s quite an easy solution to all this and have been saying so for a long time. Make the Friday qualifying day and Saturday finals day. Any grade that needs a heat will be run on the Friday.
Friday evening there is a finale of sorts (but no march past) where the qualifiers are announced. Then Saturday is finals only, so no more 9am draws etc. Will mean Saturday will be easier for the RSPBA. Any bands who don’t qualify for Saturday get a free pass for every member to attend and can still come in uniform and take part in march past if they wish. Should have added benefit of making march past shorter too and make for an earlier finish. Grade 1 can continue to be split between Friday and Saturday.
