In this excerpt we explore in more detail some of the terminology the RSPBA expect its adjudicators to use in critique sheets which provide the feedback to pipe bands on competition performances.  The aim is to help pipe band personnel to better understand adjudicator comments and learn from the experience. Please be aware that these comments are from my time working on adjudicator training for the RSPBA and details and…

Pipe band expert Alistair Aitken OBE continues his detailed analysis of the judging of pipe bands. Read his first instalment here. The effective pipe band adjudicator should, sub-consciously, be taking the following aspects into account whilst listening, analysing and ranking different performances. Rhythm: This is defined as ‘the regular recurrence of strong and weak accents arising from the division of music into regular metrical portions‘.  In making a rhythmical assessment,…

Several weeks ago someone, in responding to Piping Press, asked if the magazine had any information about pipe band adjudication. For many years I was involved in adjudicator training for the RSPBA and at the time I recalled a couple of articles I had prepared for Pipe Band magazine. I have since amalgamated them into a single file and added a little too. It may be that what I write…

The adjudicator placings across the four Grade 1 competitions were in the main consistent, apart from some wide differences between drumming and ensemble in the Saturday MSR competition.  I would have expected these placings to have been closer as both adjudicator disciplines should be considering, among other aspects, the influence of the drumming on the piping.  The consistency of piping results has improved markedly since the start of the 2019…

The Grade 1 Medley competition as always produced a varied range of tune selections, ingenuity, innovative approaches, intricate piping and drumming, quality playing to a very high level, and varied musical impacts.  For me the best musical performances were those which included a blend of traditional and contemporary tunes (melodic ones), tunes which fitted well together and avoided too long and complicated transitions, avoided complex harmonies and counter melodies where…