The piping at Mull Games in Tobermory attracted an entry of 12 in the senior light music and 11 in the Piobaireachd. Conditions were grey but dry. The old ash tree at the Piobaireachd board heard some good playing – just as it has done over the last 50 plus years.
First on was Ursa Beckford from Maine, USA. He offered three biggies, Laments for the Children, Anapool Laird and Donald Ban. I picked the latter. The pipe was adequate, no more, the finger good, the timing excellent. One wrong note at the end of bar six line two Var.2 doub. (D for B – a common trip up) and a few squeaks cast this thoughtful piper down the order.
By The Editor
David Maitland-Gardner travelled all the way from Hong Kong just to be there (though he was at Inveraray too right enough) and he didn’t disappoint. Lachlan MacNeil’s Fancy was going like a bomb until an error in the crunluath. Never having heard this piper before, I was pleasantly surprised by his pipe, technique and command of melody.
The Earl of Antrim was given to Peter McCalister and he carefully paced his way through the piece on a rather thin but steady pipe. He was a tad square with Variation 2 and played the T&Cs closer to 6/8 losing some of the required focus on the theme. A solid performance nevertheless.
With the Bells of Perth urlar you must decide whether you are holding the Es at the start or cutting down to the low G. Angus MacColl chose a middle path and it didn’t really work for him. Also on the debit side, there was an over-dwelling on the note before the taorluath in the pendulum variation (a flaw given the way he times the couplets – short medium, short, long) and he played G grace notes instead of the required Ds in Var 2. This was one occasion when Angus’s unparalleled musicianship could not prevail.
Nick McLean from Lochgilphead gave me a spirited Piper’s Warning but unfortunately went into composition mode late on in the tune. High G was flat to start with but came in – D remained flattish. Nick and his brother Scott were both taught by Stuart Liddell and it showed in the quality of their technique and expression.
Scott McLean‘s tune was Tulloch Ard. Apart from a a few missed crunluaths, he was a contender for first prize. He showed considerable maturity in his presentation of a piece which in less talented hands can sound mundane. The pipe shaded off towards the end but did not compromise the favourable impression Scott left. I reflected later that this was one of the benefits of the Highland Games – the opportunity to hear really good pipers who don’t make it to the major events but turn out every year for their local games and do themselves and their locality credit.
Scott Wallace from Ulster was rushing back for the ferry to the mainland so that he could make last night’s Inveraray practice. He caught the ferry but not the essence of the King’s Taxes.
This small dent in Province’s honour was repaired by John McElmurry. The Rout of Glenfruin was good listen despite the over-shortening of the connecting notes in the ground and a rushing of the Thumb doubling. Overall a well played tune showing good progression and understanding of phrase structure.
Jamie Forrester was given Lament for Airds, one of this year’s set tunes for the Gold Medal. The pipe was solid and didn’t move – best of the day. The finger was solid too. The B echoes were well controlled and evinced true pathos. Variation 1 could have had more purpose and thereafter there was a growing sense of lassitude, a lack of momentum. That aside, this was a performance of quiet professionalism which couldn’t be ignored.
Corrienessans’s Salute was handled very well by Calum Maclean – until a suspect crunluath brought his downfall. I wasn’t alone in enjoying his ground and early variations.
Last on, Liz Cherry from Florida’s panhandle showed that neither her practice nor her journey over had been wasted. She gave a solid rendition of Lady MacDonald’s Lament on a good pipe. Downsides were a rushing of the crunluath doubling and errors therein, and a tendency to jump off the first high G in the embari, chedari phrases in the ground.
Excellent stewarding by Alastair MacGregor ensured an efficient event and he announced the piobaireachd prizes as follows:
Piob: 1 Jamie Forrester 2 Peter McCalister 3 Scott McLean 4 John McElmurry 5 Ursa Beckford
Local Piob: 1 Jamie Forrester (his family is from Mull) 2 Scott McLean 3 Angus MacColl 4 Nick McLean
Other results:
March: 1 Angus MacColl 2 David Bruce 3 John McElmurry 4 David Maitland-Gardner 5 Stuart Liddell
S&R: 1 David Bruce 2 Ursa Beckford 3 David Maitland-Gardner 4 Angus MacColl 5 Scott McLean
Local March: 1 Angus MacColl 2 Stuart Liddell 3 Scott McLean 4 Euan Dewar
Local S&R: 1 Angus MacColl 2 Scott McLean 3 Euan Dewar 4 Jamie Forrester
Junior Piob.: 1 Morla Bruce 2 Alastair Bullock 3 Euan MacCracken 4 Robbie Dewar 5 Alexander Cruickshank
Junior March: 1 Alastair Bullock 2 Euan MacCracken 3 Morla Bruce 4 Alexander Cruickshank 5 Alasdair Campbell
Junior S&R: 1 Euan MacCracken 2 Alastair Bullock 3 Morla Bruce 4 Alexander Cruickshank 5 Alasdair Campbell
Judges: R Barnes, I Hurst, R Wallace.
