Author: Alistair Aitken

Why There Can Be Anomalies in Pipe Band Competition Results

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We continue our build up to the the 2022 pipe band season, the first in three years. This article was first published in Pipe Band Magazine ‘Judge’s Journal’ in November 2010 but is no less relevant twelve years on……. I feel I must respond on behalf of the RSPBA Adjudicators’ Panel to the email letter regarding the wide differences in the results of piping adjudicators in which the question was…

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Why There Can Be Anomalies in Pipe Band Competition Results – Part 2

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The circle formation for pipe band competitions has remained constant since the early days of the original SPBA.  The concept was based on the principle of the arena allowing bands space to enter and leave whilst also allowing spectators maximum opportunity to see and hear the performances, in effect from three sides of a roughly square arena.  The other principle was to allow bands to march into a circle to…

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Pipe Band Workshop: What Makes a Good Performance in the Eyes and Ears of Judges?

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As bands prepare for their first season in three years Piping Press will do everything it can help them refresh their knowledge and re-kindle their enthusiasm. This article, by former senior pipe band adjudicator and educator Alistair Aitken, first appeared in Pipe Band Magazine. Accepting that the primary focus of pipe band competition is on musical performance, it is reasonable to expect adjudicators to assess bands against the three main…

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Pipe Band Workshop Part 1: The Pressure on Judges and What They are Looking For

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As bands prepare for their first season in three years Piping Press will do everything it can help them refresh their knowledge and re-kindle their enthusiasm. This article, by former senior pipe band adjudicator and educator Alistair Aitken, first appeared in Pipe Band Magazine. it is likely that few people really understand the complexity of pipe band adjudication until they have experienced the demanding training all aspirants need to undertake. …

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Pipe Band Progress: ‘Plain Daft’ Not to Have an Ensemble Judge – AD Hamilton, 1950s

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Pipe band ensemble, and the need for a single category of adjudicator, has been raised on a number of occasions over the years since the 1950s.  Firstly, it is interesting that while AD Hamilton said in his mid-1950s article that it was ‘plain daft’ that no-one was appointed to adjudicate the band as a musical ensemble, it took another 15 years before the concept of an Ensemble adjudicator was introduced…

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