Fall 2021 World Online Piping & Drumming Championships Official Results

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Complete List of All Events

The World Online Piping & Drumming Championships is the world's first and only piping and drumming competition in the world to publish a complete a record of the entire competition, including every performance, every result and every judge's comment. We hope that these excellent musical performances and detailed comments from our world-class judges will be a lasting and valuable resource for education and entertainment.

Includes competitor info, tunes played, placings, judge's comments, and video links. Click Watch Video to view the video on YouTube. Click Download Comments for the Official Judge's Comment Sheet PDF.

Events listed by event number.
Solo Piping Events: 1-50
Side Drumming Events: 101-212
Tenor Drumming Events: 201-213
Bass Drumming Events: 301-304
Band Events: 401-403

Event 01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: William Hannah 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: Going Home      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one William — thanks for this. Nice Blue chanter!! Nice full tune here. Tempo is well sustained and controlled throughout the performance. Musically a pleasing tune with good rhythm. Taorluaths on B coming nicely, clean note changes and grace note placement. Ready for pipes. Thanks! -Shaunna
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Event 01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Grace Pettaras 🇦🇺      Place: 2      Tunes: Lament for Rory Mor      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one Grace from Sydney. A noise complete tune here today. Nice musical flow and tempo sustainment. Nice job cutting B to C. Try to match the other similar moments like E to F and E to LowA. for full effect. Nice grips and technique. Watch your D finger as it is quite bent round the chanter. Aim to keep it flat for best finger placement. Lots of potential! Thanks! Shaunna.
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Event 01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Sam Cordingley 🇦🇺      Place: 3      Tunes: Going Home      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one Sam! Thank you. A nice musical effort here today — quite steady flow — just watch for a couple of wee pauses and breaths that stop the flow. Try to take a quick inhale and keep the tune flowing forward. Some of the grips and taorluaths are slower than the space given for it. Aim to tighten them up a wee bit and make them fit into musical flow. C doublings are coming though quite open. Aim to tighten these up to make a rhythmic doubling, Lots of Potential! Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Megan Carlson 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Going Home      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one Megan. Going Home is a lovely tune. Nice C doublings, F and E doublings as well. Watch your E taps for being a bit too early. The tap itself is meant to be directly on the beat. Also a bit early to the B and Low A after the C doublings. Good top hand note changes. Try using a metronome to identify the pulse. 1* 2 3 1* 2 3 Lots of potential here. Thanks, Shaunna.
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Event 01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Imogen Schmitz 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: Cap'n No More      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one Imogen! Thanks for this. Nice Elf on the Shelf. A nice tune here with good tempo sustainment and understanding from a musical standpoint. G Gracenotes are not quite on the note changes - aim to have them land right on the note change itself for improved technical clarity. Aim for 2 clear grace notes within each doubling. Lots of potential. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Faith Kats 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Mist Covered Mountains      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thanks Faith for this! A nice full mist covered mountain tune. Tempo is fairly steady throughout. Aim to to have beat be the full length for full musical effect, all are just a shade short in length. Watch you fingering for open C's - aim to put the pinky down anytime you play C. G grace ntes are not keeping up to your note changes . . . aim to get the G grace note directly on the note itself . . . currently you are onto the next note before your G grace note is played. Keep up the good work. Thanks, Shaunna.
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Event 01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Amanda Goeke 🇺🇸           Tunes: Scots Wha Hae      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi Amanda - thanks for this. A nice kilt and good feel for this tune. Tempo well sustained. Watch birls . . . B finger is moving along with the birl finger. Aim to keep it stable. Next time you can repeat the parts for more enjoyment. Lots of potential! Thauns Shaunna.
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Event 01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Elijah Gesling 🇦🇺           Tunes: Going Home      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: NIce one Elijah. Nice green practice chanter! NIce C Doublings. Watch your finger placement . . . it's a bit bent and that will be hard to fix later. Best to lengthen past the bend . . . really reach. A good effort on keeping the tune steady — a couple small pauses. Try a metronome using a triple beat 1* 2 3 1* 2 3 to help identify the pulse. Lots of potential! Thanks, Shaunna.
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Event 01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Emory Arndt 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Flower of Scotland      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: HI Emory — Thanks for this!! Good efforts on your tune. Aim to have your fingers covering all the holes — maybe resting your chanter on a table top next time might help. The biggest thing I would work on is your finger placement. It's hard with small hands and I can see you are giving an excellent effort. A few wrong notes, but corrected afterwards. Keep working, you have lots of potential! Thanks- Shaunna
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Event 01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Lilah Johnson 🇨🇦           Tunes: Angel's Share      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: HI Lilah... thanks for this! A good effort... musically The biggest area to focus on is your hand placement — it's so essential to get this corrected to allow for successful embellishments. Top hand is on the *tips and bottom hand is *beyond 2nd bend . . . both are too extreme in opposite directions. You are reaching over too far on the bottom hand - pull if back so your C finger is between bend #1 and 2, and place the back thumb directly behind the C finger. Top hand — aim to flatten and reach further with the F finger landing behind the first bend, then the others will fall into place. Lots of potential !! Thanks, Shaunna.
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Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Competitor: Isla McLean      Place: 1      Tunes: Castle Dangerous      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Great job of the b grace note in the grip from D to Low A every time, Isla! Very careful and precise fingering throughout, with nicely separated doublings. Good work on landing the low G at the beginning of all your D throws. You also have a good sense of the timing for this tune. Very nice job — good focus, good music. Thanks!
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Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Competitor: Sam Cordingley 🇦🇺      Place: 2      Tunes: Wae's Me For Prince Charlie      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Great job of a challenging piece for this level! Nice dot/cut work timing throughout, and good job of keeping the embellishments clean and accurate. Just a few spots where you didn't quite lift your G grace note high enough off the chanter, particularly noticeable on a few double Bs. Lots of musicality — an enjoyable performance. Thanks!
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Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Competitor: Elijah Gesling 🇦🇺      Place: 3      Tunes: Scots Wha Hae      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Great job of the dot/cut work in this piece, Elijah! Everything was very clean and accurate and well-timed. Very nicely done. My only suggestion would be to select a more challenging piece — you certainly have the ability to play something that shows off your talent just a little bit more. A very enjoyable performance — thank you!
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Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Competitor: Yin Hong Yi 🇸🇬      Place: 4      Tunes: Wings      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: You started off with a great Taorluath on low A, but then made a crossing noise from C to E. Make sure you don't put your bottom hand fingers down before the top hand fingers have been lifted. Aside from this crossing noise occurring a number of times, your embellishments are all very good. Watch the half doubling on E though — when making this movement, you should be playing the second half of the doubling, which is the F grace note, and instead you're playing a G grace note. Excellent tempo and phrasing throughout, giving the tune lots of musicality and lift. An enjoyable performance, with only minor technical issues here and there. Thanks!
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Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Competitor: Daem Fahimi 🇳🇿      Place: 5      Tunes: Castle Dangerous      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Nice march tempo — good job of making it sound nice and musical! Good clean fingering throughout, especially good work getting the B grace note in the grips from D to low A each time. Be careful with the Grace note/strike on the D at the end of each part — sometimes it seemed as though this was just an afterthought, and you were often already starting to take your breath before this movement was finished. Finish it up, then take your breath. Very good job otherwise — great potential. Thanks!
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Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Competitor: William Hannah 🇦🇺      Place: 6      Tunes: The Bluebells Of Scotland      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Nice job of this classic piece. Be sure to complete all of the E doublings — some of yours didn't quite have both gracenotes sounding. The E doublings and the birls were the only challenging embellishments so it's important to play them correctly! Your birls were strong throughout. The tune was played just a bit quickly — having said that, you maintained the tempo and musicality throughout. My only suggestion is that you might want to choose a more challenging piece so that you can show off your talent just a bit more. An enjoyable performance — thanks!
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Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Competitor: Amanda Goeke 🇺🇸           Tunes: Rowan Tree      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: You started off just a little bit on the fast side, and I think some of your fingerwork suffered just a tiny bit because of it. For example, the first move on Beat 1 is a grip from B to C, but it was a little muddy and the D grace note, with the low G before and after, wasn't as clean as it should have been, and the D grace note wasn't really separated from the melody notes by the low Gs as it should have been. Take your time with it — even this fairly straightforward tune has some embellishments in it that deserve very careful treatment. Still, very musical — a good performance overall. Thanks!
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Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Competitor: Hansell Yap 🇸🇬           Tunes: Wings      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Watch the first taorluath on low A — you misplaced the D grace note. It should be made while you're still on the low G, with the E grace note being made as you change from low G up to Low A. Perhaps slow everything down just a tiny bit — you did get off to a fairly rollicking start! Good musicality, just be a little more cautious about some of the more complex embellishments, in particular the ones which involve low Gs before and after D grace notes. Otherwise an enjoyable performance — thanks!
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Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Competitor: Imogen Schmitz 🇺🇸           Tunes: Teribus      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Your tempo was just a bit quick for this tune, and as a result a lot of the embellishments didn't come out accurately. You have lots of musicality, and kept the beat very well, but it's very important in piping to make sure you don't only focus on the melody notes — rather, you also have to focus on the accuracy of the embellishments in order for everything to come out with nice rhythm. For example, the D throws (2 in a row at the beginning of the tune) need to start with a nice solid low G sound — your low G wasn't quite there before you moved on to the next portion of the embellishment. Great musicality — just slow down a little and focus on cleaning up the embellishments. Thanks!
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Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Competitor: Leah Bullis 🇨🇦           Tunes: When the Battle is Over      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Good sense of timing in this tune, Leah. Be careful to sound the low G both before and after your D grace note in the grip from B to C each time. There were a few crossing noises creeping in here and there when switching from bottom to top hand, where the bottom fingers closed on the chanter before the top fingers were quite off the holes. Overall a very musical performance — just be a touch more careful to make the grips clean and consistent throughout, and try to avoid the crossing noises by making sure that the bottom hand fingers don't go down ahead of the top hand fingers lifting up. Still enjoyable — thanks!
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Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts)
Competitor: Lilah Johnson 🇨🇦           Tunes: Rowan Tree      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Watch the first grip from B to C — it wasn't always as clean as it could be — make sure you get a low G sound both before and after the D grace note. Try not to slow down when you come to a particularly difficult embellishment. It's difficult to choose a tempo when parts of the tune are very simple and others aren't, but it's important to keep the beat steady. I find that playing a little slowly is always best - that way you can fit in the tricky bits — and then being careful not to speed up the easy bits. A great effort — lots of potential! Thanks
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Event 03. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Jakob Ilyanov 🇷🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: The High Road To Gairloch, Highland Laddie      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Great tempo and maintained throughout both tunes. High Road to Gareloch — Great playing! Highland Laddie — Make the B before the D throws a little more audible as you are heading into the Low G of the D throw a tad early. Overall you are doing everything correctly in terms of your technique and timing however when you are competing try not to stop the tune in order to take a breath although I realize why you are doing it and it will not be a problem on the pipes. My comments are to prevent you from getting into a bad habit and although it will not be a factor here, you have the talent to continue to develop at a rapid pace from what I have heard and don't want this to get in the way. Well done!
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Event 03. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Faith Kats 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: Captain Norman Orr Ewing      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Solid tempo to start the tune. -You could use a little less low G in your D throws although if this is something you have been working on you have done it! Love the amount of Low G in your Grips and the precision you consistently delivered. My thoughts are that you could use a little less grip on your bottom hand which will provide you more freedom to move about the chanter and quite possibly take care of the longer Low Gs in your D throws. This will also take care of the slight crossing noises coming from your hand to hand movements that occasionally pop up. You have excellent timing and are doing everything correctly just keep at it! Well done!
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Event 03. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Leah Bullis 🇨🇦      Place: 3      Tunes: Mairi's Wedding, A Wee Bird Came to Our Door      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: -Solid tempo to start appropriate for the level. Mari's Wedding: Excellent timing throughout, just try and begin to make your grace notes a little smaller in order to really bring out the precision in your technique as you have great hands giving you the ability to bring down the size. Wee Bird: Again great timing throughout here and again the big grace notes preventing the proper articulation of Taorluaths in this tune. Very enjoyable presentation, you show great potential.
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Event 03. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Jonathan Jiang Huai Xuan 🇸🇬      Place: 4      Tunes: The Drunken Piper, Greenwood Side      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo to start the performance. GDEs not correct as you are playing GDG throughout both tunes and you need to break this habit right away. In terms of technique you have all the tools and really thought your D throws were pretty solid along with your timing. Your hands appear to have a nice light touch which is important for your continued development. Keep up the good work and remember GDE!!!
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Event 03. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Joel Lim Kai-En 🇸🇬      Place: 5      Tunes: The Drunken Piper, Greenwood Side      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Aggressive tempo but I like it! Pretty good timing throughout both tunes and would like to see you pull your bottom hand back a bit if you can just to allow for optimal freedom of movement about the chanter as currently, you have big grace notes which prevent proper articulation of GDE's, doublings, tacchums and other technique and there were times in Greenwood Side where you were coming off the chanter a bit. Keep at it and you can see the importance of continuing your practice chanter rehearsal to really build up your lips which sounded as if they were losing a bit of strength by the end.
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Event 03. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Imogen Schmitz 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Captain Norman Orr Ewing      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: An aggressive tempo to start. You are missing the C before the D throws pretty consistently throughout and you are moving your Low A finger to Low G when you are playing E strikes. Your D throws are pretty good and some false fingering popping out here and there. Some wrong notes appearing in the 3rd part and some pushing in the 4th part and you could use a little more Low G in your grips on E. Please slow down a bit and ensure you are playing by the music with accurate technique as you have good hands and don't want you to get into any bad habits that will inhibit your development. Keep it going!
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Event 03. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Kathryn Arndt 🇺🇸           Tunes: The High Road to Gairloch, The Brown Haired Maiden      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Good tempo appropriate for the grade. High Road to Gareloch - Played Low A instead of Low Gs both times through the 1st part at end of the first line. Brown Haired Maiden - Nice C doubling articulation. Some wrong notes in the 1st part and some slight crossing noises going from hand to hand (ie., D to E). Nice solid D throws and you are on the right track just keep practicing! Well done!
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Event 04. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Leah Bullis 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: Steamboat      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Excellent timing and demonstration of compound time playing. My suggestion for clarity of technique, and preparing to increase the speed of your playing, is to work on making your gracenotes smaller, especially the high G grace note. I focus on snapping my finger back down to the chanter, rather than lifting it. If the gracenotes are a bit smaller, you'll get better clarity on your doublings — you are timing them very well already. Well done!
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Event 05. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Sam Cordingley 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: Piobaireachd      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Hi Sam, Please state which piobaireachd you are playing before your performance. Great start here. Musically sound, don't get too caught up in "safe playing", feel free to bring the tempo up a little. Great grasp of pulsing in the tune as well. Technically, try to embed the grips and other movements into the melody a little more. I know they should be a little more 'open,’ however it can get in the way of the musical flow of the tune. Also, make sure you play the gracenote before the introduction E. These are minor critiques which when added up and fixed could make for a great performance. Lots of promise here, keep up the good work.
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Event 05. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Elijah Gesling 🇦🇺      Place: 2      Tunes: Glengarrys Lament      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Hi Elijah, Good stab at this. I feel like this was a good starting point to the tune. The technical side of things are sound and you have a decent grasp of the rhythmical pulsing for the most part. My advice would be to listen to a recording of someone playing the tune. Although the musical notation indicates crotchets in certain places, certain notes are "passing notes" and need a little less weight to them. This will allow for more flow of the melody. Similarly there is a little bit of rushing going from E-F-C in the opening bar after the grip to C. The E is a theme note and needs a little more weight. Also, there were a few minor interruptions in the performance. Great start, well done, try and access a recording of a performance of this tune.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Sean Stewart 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 1      Tunes: Hector the Hero      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: A very nice rendition of this tune played musically on a nice pipe. Nice relaxed musical flow here. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Ann Snow 🇨🇦      Place: 2      Tunes: Loch Rannoch      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for your submission and thank you for your service. This tune is quite well played on a decent pipe. Good forward musical flow overall. Can work towards more depth in phrasing the music to get a full effect. Pipes quite good, F is overall quite sharp here and a wee tape down would help. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Andrey Shtykovsky 🇷🇺      Place: 3      Tunes: Flowers of the forest      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for a great tune. Played on a well set and blown pipe. There are a few small moments that you "ease off" on pressure on low A or a long note, work to eliminate this. Great short notes and contrast coming through here. A good overall tune. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Joshua Gregory 🇨🇦      Place: 4      Tunes: The Mist Covered Mountains      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Great pipe! This was an enjoyable, musical tune played well on a nice pipe. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Brian Creel 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: Cronin      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice overall tune played on a well set and blown chanter — especially high G in the 2nd. Good overall musical approach — could bring tempo up just a wee touch, however it was consistent. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Charles Taylor 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Skye Boat Song      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for this, very nice musical flow and feel here. Great pacing and phrasing. Pipes ok and have a nice reverb in the church. Make sure you try and close up the low G on your D throw. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Aaron Bryson 🇵🇱           Tunes: Skye Boat Song      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for your submission. Chanter is fairly well set here, however drones are quite out of tune. Work towards a wee bit of improvement in the tuning each day. The tune is delivered quite well overall. Work on cleaning up the note transitions to keep a clean, musical presentation. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Alec Calderwood 🇳🇿           Tunes: Loch Duich      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice musical feel here, delivered on a relatively well set pipe. Watch for overblowing on high A and the odd surge. Nice tune. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Ally Cavanagh 🇦🇺           Tunes: Loch Maree      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for your submission here. I want to congratulate you on a good bag strike. The initial impression is so important. A good overall chanter sound, drones are quite far out here however. Work towards keeping the forward, musical flow of the tune going. This will deliver a more musical package. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Amanda M Fedewa 🇺🇸           Tunes: Amazing Grace      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for this submission and welcome to piping on pipes !! Great tempo and feel here on Amazing grace — nicely done. Work towards getting the drones in tune with the chanter a wee bit more and more each day. Chanter well set and blown. Thank you, David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: David Hasbrouck 🇺🇸           Tunes: Sine Bhan (Fair Jean)      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice overall tune, played on a pipe that is not quite in tune. Chanter ok, drones not in. Work towards getting them a wee bit closer each day. Work also on cleaner transitions from note to note and hand to hand to clean up the odd catch note. Thank you . David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Frank Bantle 🇩🇪           Tunes: Lament for Jef Ar Penven      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice overall feel here. Tune is flowing well. Chanter set and blown well. Strong hands coming through where the execution is present. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Graeme Hall 🇦🇺           Tunes: The Dark Isle      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice background, looks like a lovely, inspiring place to play. Chanter well set and blown, work towards getting the drones closer and closer each day. Work on cleaning up some transitions from hand to hand eliminating the crossing notes. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: jeremy suggett 🇦🇺           Tunes: Carles Wi the Breeks      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for your submission. A good effort here on a decent pipe. Work towards a good musical flow from start to finish to add some depth to the tune. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: John Bonner 🇺🇸           Tunes: I Will Go Home To Kintail      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: A good overall tune here. Nice pipe and quite a good tempo. There are some short notes that are a wee bit long and a few theme notes that are a wee bit short. Work on the contrast to get the full musical effect here. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Jonathan B Morrison 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Dark Island      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for your submission and thank you for your service. Pipe is relatively well set and blown. I would tape the B down a wee bit as it comes through sharp. Tempo and music good here. Work on clean transitions from note to note and hand to hand to enhance the playing. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Kate Gordon 🇨🇦           Tunes: Sands of Kuwait      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for this submission. What a great kit ! Pipes are quite well set and blown, always work towards getting the drones just a wee bit closer each day. A nice overall tune played with conviction and music in mind. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Keith Dickinson 🇺🇸           Tunes: Loch Broom Bay      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: What a great sounding pipe here. Both well tuned and a very nice mic set up to ensure chanter and drone balance — well done. Tune is quite musical, just work towards a wee bit more fluidity to ensure the music is flowing. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Korbin Brown 🇺🇸           Tunes: Mist Covered Mountains      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for your submission. The tune has moments of flow and music, however there are several moments that have an extended pause, this causes an interruption in the musical flow. Work towards having the musical flow continue from start to finish. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Lynn Christiansen 🇺🇸           Tunes: Flowers of the Forest      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for your submission. Work towards adding some shape to the phrases in this tune. There are some notes that are short notes that are needed to add some shape. Work towards this a little at a time. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Maria Grazia McFadden 🇺🇸           Tunes: Leaving Lochboisdale      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for your submission. There are moments of good musical flow here, however there are a few moments that interrupt the forward flow in your phrasing. Work towards having a good musical flow from start to finish. Thank you again, David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Matthew McArthur 🇦🇺           Tunes: Going Home      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: That background is epic! It must be so inspiring to play by the sea. Chanter is set ok, just work towards getting the drones in tune a wee bit more each day. Good overall tune, watch the cross notes and try and clean those up. Thank you. David
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Rhonda Impey 🇦🇺           Tunes: The Highland Cathedral      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice overall tune — thank you. A great venue that must be an inspiring place to play. Chanter quite well set and blown, drones could work towards being a wee bit closer. Tune is musical and had good flow. Work on some of your note transitions to ensure a clean note to note change. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Robert Real 🇺🇸           Tunes: Bells of Dunblane      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Pipe is very nicely set and blown here. Bass is boomin ! Tempo ok and held. Watch your fingering and try to work on "clean" transitions from note to note and hand to hand. Thank you for the tune, lovely backdrop. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Steve Gengo 🇺🇸           Tunes: Suo Gan      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thank you for your submission and thank you for your service. A nicely played tune on a pleasing pipe. Watch for the catch notes on the transitions from note to note and hand to hand. Work towards cleaning this up a wee bit. Thank you. David.
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Event 06. Grade 5 Piping - Slow Air (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Steven McGillicuddy 🇬🇧           Tunes: By Loch Etive Side      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Number ones are a nice touch here. Tune is played ok on a relatively well set pipe. Watch for consistent musical delivery here. Thank you David.
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Joshua Gregory 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: Captain Norman Orr-Ewing      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Joshua. This was a very fine performance, especially for grade 5! In my opinion, you could easily be playing in grade 4. Your technique is generally very clean. A couple missed doublings here and there, but overall excellent execution. Timing also is very good. You have a good feel for the 2/4 idiom which is typically not seen in this grade. Tempo was steady from start to finish. A really nice bagpipe sound! Drones were well tuned and steady throughout. Nice bright chanter sound. A couple minor chirps on low G. This can be due to a reed being too easy and/or inaccurate finger placement. Well done!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Kane Gordon 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Siege of Delhi      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Kane. Really good performance! You have really good technique overall. There were just a few missed embellishments in a few spots. Keep all movements open. This will help with your consistency. Careful not to rush the taorluaths in 3rd part. Hold the note before the taorluath a bit longer otherwise these phrases come out rushed. You held your tempo steady throughout the tune. Pipes were very well tuned. Drones were steady and chanter well balanced and bright. You have all the tools to be an excellent player. Just continue to work on improving the consistency of your embellishments. In my opinion, you could be playing in grade 4. Best of luck!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Lisa Martin 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: The Taking of Beaumont Hamel      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Lisa. Some really good playing! Your fingering technique is very crisp. Embellishments are very clean for the most part. Make sure the last E gracenote in your taorluaths is heard. I think you’re trying to play it, but it’s not always coming out clearly. Be aware of the odd crossing noise in places; especially C to E. Very good control of your tempo and phrasing! You have a good dot/cut feel to your 2/4 march that is rare in this grade. Your pipes were steady throughout. Drones were well tuned to each other, but not quite locked into to chanter. Overall, this was a very good performance. Well done!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Brian Creel 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Walter Douglas, MBE      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Brian. Nicely played 2/4! Your execution is clean and crisp. Watch the D throws coming from the short top hand notes (e.g. 1st part, 3rd bar). Make sure there’s a clear low G sound at the start of the D throw. Good tempo; steady throughout tune. Nice control of phrasing with a good dot/cut approach. Perhaps could use a bit more dot/cut for a more “swingy” approach, but only if you can keep the execution clean. One small choke in first part, but otherwise pipes were steady. Drones were out of tune from start. You might want to get some help with drone tuning as this really detracts from the overall performance. Otherwise; this was a very enjoyable performance. Well done!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: David Hasbrouck 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: Captain Norman Orr Ewing      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi David. Good playing! Most of your execution is quite clean and crisp. Be careful when playing D throws from top hand notes that you’re closing to low G cleanly at the start of the throw movement. Your tempo and timing is a bit erratic. Practicing with a metronome can help with this. For 2/4 marches, set your metronome to double time to really lock in the down and up beats. Your drones were well tuned. Some slight overblowing at times, but otherwise, pipes were steady. Nice chanter sound, other than the previously mentioned occasional overblowing. Well done!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Mikhail Baev (Polsky) 🇷🇺      Place: 6      Tunes: The high road to Gairloch & The earl of Mansfield      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Makhail. Some really good playing! I like that you’re keeping your tempos slow and focusing on clean and crisp fingering. Oftentimes people rush tempos and end up with really sloppy technique. You might want to consider a different birl technique. The “double tap” technique you’re using won’t work once you start playing closer to full speed. There are several acceptable techniques that can work. Check with an instructor or some online sources. Your pipes sound very nice. Watch the excess movement when playing as this can affect the steadiness of your sound. Overall, this was a very good performance!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Alec Calderwood 🇳🇿           Tunes: Walter Douglas MBE      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Alec. Thanks for sharing your performance. You have some strong areas of execution, but others that will need some work. I was really impressed with your taorluath movements. They are clean and crisp. You need to take the same approach with your other embellishments. Doublings, D throws, birls are not coming out cleanly. Listen to the clarity of your taorluath movements and try to take the same approach with your other embellishments. Timing is also a bit erratic. I’d suggest spending some time with your practice chanter and metronome. Set the metronome to double time and focus on placing the up and down beat notes directly on the metronome. Hope these suggestions help. Best of luck!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Amanda M Fedewa 🇺🇸           Tunes: Wearing of the Green and Minstrel Boy      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Amanda. Thanks for the tunes! While these tunes are great for St. Paddy’s day, they’re not really appropriate for competition purposes. Talk to your instructor for something more appropriate. You seem to have a good idea of the basic fingering techniques. I’d encourage you to spend some time going over some embellishment exercises to improve your accuracy and consistency. Your biggest issue is regarding timing. It would be nearly impossible to march to these tunes the way you’re playing them. Try practicing with a metronome first. Then, try tapping your foot to the tune while playing. Finally, try marching to the tune. After all, these are supposed to be “marches.” Hope that helps and best of luck!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Ann Snow 🇨🇦           Tunes: Muir of Ord      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Ann. Looks like a great place to practice pipes! Let’s start with your bagpipe set up. It looks to me like your blowstick is a bit too long. You might be more comfortable playing with a shorter one. Usually, the top section screws off. These come in different lengths, so you could order a shorter one. Another option is to buy an adjustable one. Talk to your instructor for ideas. Playing-wise, I’d suggest a slightly slower tempo. This would help you to make sure your movements are clean and would reduce some of your crossing noises. Your embellishments are basically correct, they just need to be a bit more open and relaxed. Timing-wise, some of your cut notes are a bit too short, to the point where they’re not even being heard. Open things up a bit for a cleaner and more relaxed approach. Best of luck!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Charles Taylor 🇺🇸           Tunes: Prince Charles's Welcome to Lochaber      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Charles. Nicely done! You have a good feel for the 2/4 idiom with a nice dot/cut approach. Your tempo was consistent throughout the tune. Your biggest issue is some sloppy technique. For example; at times, you’re reversing the grace notes within your doublings. You also need to make sure there’s a distinct low G sound at the start of your D throws. Embellishment exercises are a good way to help address some of these technique issues. You have a nice pipe sound, but be careful to keep the blowing steady. You have a tendency to overblow at times. Keep at it!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Graeme Hall 🇦🇺           Tunes: The Liberton Pipe Band      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Graeme. What a great spot to play your pipes! A nicely expressed tune with a good dot/cut approach. There are some execution issues that need addressing. Watch the crossing noises when transitioning between top/bottom hand notes. You need a little more low G sound at the start of your D throw movement. Doubling movements need a bit more clarity. All of these issues could be improved with some time spent on embellishment exercises. While not a priority in grade 5, your performance would be much improved with better tuned drones. An instructor can help you with that or there are also lots of online sources for learning how to better tune your pipes. Thanks for sharing your performance. Well done!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Jed Thompson 🇳🇿           Tunes: Miss Delicia Chisholm      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Jed. Some good playing here! I really like your careful and precise approach to your execution. This will pay off big time as your playing progresses. Your tempo is slow which is good for keeping your execution clean. However, at some point you’ll need to bring it up a bit to march tempo. As you bring the tempo up, make sure the execution stays clean and you retain a dot/cut feel to your timing. I’d encourage you to use a metronome set to double time to ensure your timing is accurate. Pipes sound really good! Drones are well tuned and pipes are steady throughout. Great potential! Keep it up!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: jeremy suggett 🇦🇺           Tunes: Donald Macleans Farewell to Oban      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Jeremy. Nicely played tune! I think your execution would improve if you slowed down the tempo a bit. You have crisp fingering technique, but accuracy and consistency are not quite there yet. A couple specific things you could work on are your grace note placement and birls. Grace notes need to occur at the exact moment you arrive at the note. Yours are sometimes early or late. The “double tap” birl technique you’re using is inefficient and won’t work as your tempos increase. Talk to an instructor or look online to see more acceptable techniques. I liked your chanter sound, but the drones were very out of tune which distracted from your performance. Again, an instructor or online sources can show you how to get the drones better tuned. All the best!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: John Bonner 🇺🇸           Tunes: We Will Take The Good Ol'e Way      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi John. Thanks for the tune! Very nice sounding bagpipe. Drones were well set and steady throughout your performance. I enjoyed your lively approach to the tunes. You’ve got a pretty good sense of the dot/cut approach needed to properly express 2/4 marches; however, there are times when you’re not holding the ending notes of your phrases sufficiently. Often when this happens, it’s due to concerns about upcoming execution. In an effort to get an embellishment in correctly, sometimes it’s tempting to leave a phrase early in order to get a “head start.” To avoid this, you need to develop more accuracy and confidence in your embellishments. Exercises can really help with this. Check with an instructor or online sources for some good embellishment exercises. Best of luck!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Kate Gordon 🇨🇦           Tunes: Skye Gathering      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Kate. Thanks for the tune! This is a good tempo for you at this stage. Obviously, it will need to eventually speed up, but for now this is a good speed for you. Your biggest area of improvement is with your embellishments. You will need to develop more clarity within your movements. For example; you need to hear 2 distinct grace notes within your doublings. D throws should always begin with a distinct low G sound. I’d encourage you to spend some time with embellishment exercises. There are several great instructional books or online sources for these. Or check with your instructor. Best of luck!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Katrina Skerritt 🇺🇸           Tunes: Hard Times and Minstrel Boy      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Katrina. Very nice performance! Good pipe sound. Drones were well tuned. Nice chanter sound, but a bit flat on F and high A. Tempo was consistent from start to finish. Timing is quite good with only occasional rushed phrasing. Overall execution is quite good, but some sloppy bottom hand technique at times. Gracenotes and embellishments need a bit more clarity. Finally; when entering competitions, it’s important to make sure you’re playing the correct music requirements. This event called for 2/4 marches. Your tunes were in 4/4.
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Robert Real 🇺🇸           Tunes: High Road to Gairloch & Brown Haired Maiden      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Robert. A very nice job with High Road to Gairloch. Your technique was mostly clean and timing and tempo were quite good. Some rushing in the closing phrases, but overall quite good. You struggled a bit more with Brown Haired Maiden. Your timing became a bit erratic and execution suffered as well. Perhaps this is a newer tune for you, or possibly you were becoming fatigued since I noticed you began underblowing as the tune progressed. I’d suggest spending some time on the practice chanter with a metronome to work on the timing issues. Set the metronome to double time as this can really help you to ensure proper note values and beat placement. Pipes were well tuned and steady at the start. The underblowing affected your sound later in the performance. Best of luck!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Steve Gengo 🇺🇸           Tunes: High Road to Gairloch and Mari's Wedding      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Steve. Nice performance! Your pipes sound really nice. Well tuned drones and well balanced chanter. Blowing was steady throughout your performance. Your tempo is steady and your timing is quite good. You do have some execution issues that need addressing. Crossing noises are quite prevalent. Make sure that the first grace note of your doubling falls directly on the note. You have a tendency to be late with the initial grace note of your doubling. I’d recommend considering a different birl technique. The double tap method you’re using is not efficient. There are several other techniques that work better. Talk to an instructor or check out some online sources for some other options. Thanks for sharing your performance. Well done!
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Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts OR 2 different 2 parted tunes)
Competitor: Thomas Gear 🇳🇿           Tunes: Castle Dangerous / Shoals of Herring      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Thomas. What a cool place to play your pipes! Well done on not getting blown away! You’ve got a great handle on your basic execution. Your technique is mostly clean and crisp. At times, you’re struggling to get the bottom hand notes covered, but that will get easier as your hands grow. Make sure you’re getting the bag pushed up under your arm a bit more so you’re not squeezing the bag with your wrist. Your timing and expression will need some work. I’d suggest practicing your tunes on your practice chanter with a metronome. Set it to double time and make sure the downbeat and upbeat notes are falling right on the metronome beat. Finally; when entering competitions, it’s important to make sure you’re playing the correct music requirements. This event called for 2/4 marches. Your tunes were in ¾. Great potential! Keep it up!
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Event 08. Grade 5 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Joshua Gregory 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: Bonnie Dundee      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Joshua and good to see you in this contest. Yes here we go! Tone: A very nice pipe sound. Well set and nicely done! Execution: Good fingers are obvious early. Watch C - E changes (lift E finger faster). Music: A strong 6/8 feel. Perhaps overheld slightly but steady and consistent. Just comes across as slightly careful and lacking flow. Summary: A really good tune thanks. A lot of good fundamentals are being shown here and in Grade 5 this is exactly what it is all about. Let the tune "go" a tiny bit now and you will really have something. Thank you.
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Event 08. Grade 5 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Kane Gordon 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: A Hundred Pipers      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Kane and welcome to the online contest. A nice backdrop you have there! Tone: A nice pipe sound Kane. Good balance and a very pleasant chanter pitch. Execution: Good fingering is evident early on.You also look comfortable with your instrument in stance and posture. Very nice. Very strong taorluaths. Nicely done. Grace noting is not correct in bar 7 of 2nd part. Should be a B-G tachumm (ie.G and D grace notes on these notes). This would improve clarity at part ending. Music: An excellent 6/8 feel and rhythm to start. in part 2, try to hold the first phrase beat (E) longer like you do in part 1. Summary: A musical player on a very nice instrument. Well done and thanks.
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Event 08. Grade 5 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Brian Creel 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: Piobaireachd of Donald Dhu      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Brian and thank you for being a part of this. Tone: A pleasant bagpipe sound. Solid and together with only the chanter being a bit flat in pitch. Quite noticeable on the F. Execution: Clarity of fingers is obvious right away. Well done. Doublings and strikes are quite clear. Watch E doubling does not become a bit "loose." Strengthen grace noting here. Music: A nice musical feel to this great tune and to a 6/8 rhythm generally. Summary: I would play (or learn ) all four great parts to this tune and play it all as a next step. Well done and thanks.
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Event 08. Grade 5 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Ann Snow 🇨🇦      Place: 4      Tunes: John D Burgess      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Anne and thanks for doing this. What a great background and uniform! As I listen to you it is snowing like crazy where I am! Tone: A pretty good bagpipe sound. Bright chanter and drones just somewhat out of tune. Work on this. A very famous tune by the wey and a great piper (wunderkind) - John D. Burgess! Won the famous Gold Medal at 16 years! Execution: Hands seem good early. Grace noting is very clear - well done. Watch hand changes (to top hand)...opening top hand fingers faster is the fix. D throws and HA doublings are both good. There should be a short LA between HA and HG in bar 7 of ending. Also a wrong note in part 3 (connecting note to end phrase) should be B and not C. Music: Good on you for playing a 4-part tune. Really as it should be and not many did today. A very good 6/8 feel to your playing. Excellent. Spirited and lively as well. Summary: A really pleasant and musical tune. Strong hands are a highlight. Watch to read the music closely as a few notes here and they are not quite correct. Thanks!
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Event 08. Grade 5 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Kate Gordon 🇨🇦      Place: 5      Tunes: Leaving Rhu Vaternish      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Kate and great to see you here today. As Billy Crystal once said "you look marvelous"! Nothing can beat black and red together. Tone: A nice bagpipe at at sweet pitch. Well done. I think your bag pressure is pretty good but you could squeeze even a little more for steadiness (small choke..this kind of thing). Execution: Fingers seem pretty good. Work on D throws (close to Low G). Good overall and try to open birls as best you can (i would aim for the "tip" of the pinky if it were me . . . sometimes the pad of the pinky can get in the way). Music: The flow to your music is excellent and this is hard to achieve. Summary: A very pleasant and musical tune. Thank you!
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Event 08. Grade 5 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: David Hasbrouck 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Pipe Major Donald MacLean Of Lewis      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi David and welcome online here today. Tone: A pretty good sound (maybe work on addressing the bag for more pleasant opening . . . minor). The bass sound to your setup is very good. However, your squeezing/pressure on the bag is not as it could be. You are pumping somewhat and losing pressure (this has the sound going up and down, or in and out of tune). It is somewhat subtle but not to me. This is a fix that would really help your cause. Here it is "pressure on the bag 100% of the time" and no relaxing (let your blowing force the arm to release that little bit). Look in the mirror and you really should hardly see your left arm moving on the bag in and out. Tone will get so much better on a continual basis. Execution: Good fundamentals. NIce E doublijngs for example. Your grace noting is quite "loose" meaning it could be tightened up (slightly quicker/smaller). However do not get too small - you are on the right path. Music: A nice, comfortable tempo is chosen and this is well done. 6/8 feel is quite nice. Summary: I see lots of potential here and think you have done well to play in this contest. My big point for fixing is at the top . . . pressure baby! Your left arm "should be tired after playing" *TLee 2021.
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Event 08. Grade 5 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Alec Calderwood 🇳🇿           Tunes: Borve To Uig      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Alec and welcome here today. Great backdrop! Tone: Pipes are pretty good with drones being a fair bit out of tune. Nice steady blowing. Execution: Doublings are quite "loose". Evident on B for example. Watch the grace noting clarity right away at the start of your tune. It needs a well-timed, strong G gracenote to E and this move repeats a number of times in this tune - whether a plain E or a doubling on E. Music: You have chosen a very pleasant and manageable tempo. Well done. Could hold the first bar beats longer for an even better 6/8 rhythm. Summary: A pleasant tune and just concentrate on fundamentals of technique plus drone quality. Thank you.
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Event 08. Grade 5 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Steve Gengo 🇺🇸           Tunes: Garryowen      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Steve and thank you for taking part here. The background noise is great! Tone: A big, strong bagpipe sound. Bass drone is out somewhat. Execution: Pretty good hands,.Lacking some content for technique and I would add in some work for solos. For example, adding a thumb grace note to the very first note of bar 1 would be good for a solo contest. There were a couple of small hesitations in the tune. Music: A little fast (for solos I would pull back somewhat from a band tempo). Steady thought throughout. Summary: A very pleasant and musical tune. Lots of drive which this tune deserves. Thank you.
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Event 08. Grade 5 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Steven McGillicuddy 🇬🇧           Tunes: Cock of the North, Traditional      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Steven and welcome here today. The Christmas spirit is most evident! Tone: Pipe chanter is at good pitch and well done. Drones on the other hand are quite out of tune. Work on tuning these closer to A. Execution: An interesting setting you have for this classic tune. However, a large wrong note starting bar 2 at the beginning. Should be C and not B. Not bad hands overall, but watch the short notes that they are not clipped to short. This will give the tune a little more flow. Music: A nice, steady tempo. The overall effect is somewhat jerky due the short notes mentioned above. Work on these and your music will flow from beginning to end more smoothly. Summary: A well delivered tune. I would pull back the tempo that little bit to bring in more clarity of fingers and music. Thank you.
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Event 09. Grade 5 Piping - Jig (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Joshua Gregory 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: Marjorie Lowe      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Great tempo! In the first part I felt you were a little rushed to the E doublings but other than that well in control. 2nd part again just a little early to the E doublings as above. You displayed excellent timing (other than rushing to the E doublings) and lots of poise and control played on a nice instrument. You are progressing well and show lots of potential. Well done!
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Event 09. Grade 5 Piping - Jig (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Brian Creel 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: Cork Hill      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Good tempo! Nice timing in the 1st part and nicely played. 2nd part Slight crossing noises coming down from top to bottom hand (ie. the High, E to the C there was a slight catch). This could be the result of gripping the chanter a tad preventing the necessary free movement of fingers about the chanter so relax a tad. Your pipe sounded pretty good and was controlled from start to finish! Well done and keep up the great work!
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Event 09. Grade 5 Piping - Jig (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Robert Real 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: Cork Hill      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Good tempo selected. Rushing to the C doublings at ends of the line and part. 2nd part you are playing some wrong notes and some chokes — check your music and re-listen to recording. 3rd part slight issue at start and again some little chokes. 4th part some crossing noises going from hand to hand (ie., after the C strike up to the E). Good Pipe but presentation had numerous chokes detracting from the overall presentation. Keep at it, you have talent here!
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Event 09. Grade 5 Piping - Jig (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: David Hasbrouck 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Troy's Wedding      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Good tempo but there are some passages where you are slightly pushing, putting you out of rhythm and control. In the part endings make sure you close your C down (put Low A finger down) prior to the D throw as you have lots of time and this will keep you in "the pocket." This can be caused by gripping the chanter a little tight which causes the hands to come across as "sticky" and again will contribute to the pushing and pulling coming off the beat and rhythm that make Jig playing hypnotic. I suggest getting the metronome out to locate the passages of concern and just work them out by starting slow and working the tempo back up. Keep up the practice, you have the talent!
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Event 09. Grade 5 Piping - Jig (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Lynn Christiansen 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: Corkhill      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Good Tempo. You are playing GDGs instead of GDEs in the first part — Try to break this habit right away! False fingering in the 2nd part (ie., High A, E to C combination you are going to the C too early). Nice control throughout however I feel you need to loosen up your hands a bit more to allow them to move more freely about the chanter. Your pipe was pretty good however the recording is producing a slight "tinny" chanter sound which also may be the result of overblowing. Nice presentation, keep at it!
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Event 09. Grade 5 Piping - Jig (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Korbin Brown 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Cork Hill      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo! Your pipe was pretty good with nice chanter projection. You played the 1st part three times? 2nd part you are not putting your E finger down when you play your High As. 3rd part there were some wrong notes at the start but you were consistent and played them again on the repeat. There is also some false fingering here. 4th part was okay and you began to play the tune over again? When competing you only need to play the appropriate amount of parts ( in this case at least 2 parts of jig, however in this instance playing 4 parts was okay but only need to do this once). You show excellent promise, keep up the good work and be accurate!!!
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Joshua Gregory 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: Duncan MacRae of Kintail's Lament      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Very well chosen pacing/tempo for this piece, and lovely strong and accurate embellishments throughout. Be careful to be consistent with the length of the C at the end of each bar where it's played at the end of a grip movement — sometimes you're cutting it shorter than other times. For example, I found it too short at the end of Bar 3 in line 2. The F throws in line 3 could be just a touch cleaner, but good effort! A bit more open, separating the grace notes just a bit more . . . overall, however, a really strong performance. I would suggest that you should perhaps be playing in a higher grade — it would be good to hear you playing more than just a ground. Enjoyable — thanks.
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Lisa Martin 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Sir James MacDonald of the Isles Lament      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Very nice start — good phrasing and embellishments on a well-tuned pipe. Good work on the tricky dre movements. You could shorten the B between the low A and C at the beginning of each line just a bit - the one preceding the grip. I would suggest that your playing is above a grade 5 level — it would be nice to see you play more of the tune than just the ground. Good performance — thank you!
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Brian Creel 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: Struan Robertson's Salute      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Very good pacing, with nice dot v. cut distinction. D throws could be a touch more consistent — keep them as a "light" style movement, with the D grace note falling on the C rather than on the low G — this isn't a hard and fast rule, just my suggestion. You seemed to have a few that were more of a combination of light and heavy as opposed to one or the other — but when you hit the light one accurately, it sounded great - for example, the very last one was excellent. Very well-tuned high G! An enjoyable performance — thank you.
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Ann Snow 🇨🇦      Place: 4      Tunes: Duncan MacRae of Kintail's Lament      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Your "tempo" was just a bit too regular in this tune — some long notes held longer than they needed to be, it seemed because you were tapping your foot to a steady rhythm - this was somewhat detrimental to the overall performance, turning the tune into more of a slow air than a ground. Having said that, your playing was quite strong throughout, with the exception of a few technical misses in some of your embellishments and a small gurgle on low G right at the end. Part of the beauty of piobaireachd is the ability of the player to make the piece a bit more elastic — not always holding each long note the exact same length — and your performance was missing that elasticity, which you traded somewhat for the sake of regularity. Good string playing nonetheless — thanks!
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Charles Taylor 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: The Desperate Battle      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Overall pacing of this tune is quite good. In every 2nd bar, I would like to hear a bit more length on the "middle"note — e.g. in bar 2 of line one, it's an E, in bar 2 of line 2 it's a high A. The timing just seemed a little erratic because you were off these notes very quickly. Small squeal 1st time through ending of line 2. All embellishments very clean and accurate; some slight overblowing on the high A at times - be careful to keep it steady although that's not easy to do on those top hand notes! The overblowing on high A made the note go a little on the sharp side. An enjoyable performance overall — thanks.
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: John Bonner 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: The Glen is Mine      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Nice strong throws to E and good dot/cut contrast — however, I'm finding some of your long notes far too long, interrupting the flow of the tune. For example, some of the Cs in Bar 1 of various lines are far too long. Still, you were consistent and played the tune well from a technical perspective on a well-tuned pipe. Overall an enjoyable performance — just be careful not to make too much of the long notes. Thanks!
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Aaron Bryson 🇵🇱           Tunes: Sobieski's Salute      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Your drones weren't quite in tune off the start, which was a little distracting. Pacing steady/consistent throughout — although just a touch on the fast side. Watch the throws to E — make sure you hear the two distinct grace notes (E and F), with low A between each one. From an embellishment standpoint, the only other recurring issue was the length of the two Bs around each grip — I would suggest that you should hold the B at the end of the grip just a tiny bit longer than the B at the beginning of the grip movement — you had a tendency to do the opposite. Musically a strong performance — just a few minor technical imprecisions, and some drones that weren't quite where they should have been. Thanks!
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Alec Calderwood 🇳🇿           Tunes: Corienessans Salute      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Good pacing off the start — you've missed a few important gracenotes in the 2nd bar though — make sure you include those G grace notes on the short B and E after the grip. You're speeding up a little in line 2 - perhaps a bit more emphasis on the long notes, and shortening some of the short notes would make the piece flow just a bit better - for example, the C in between the 2 Es in bar 1 each line. The throw to F in Bar 3 line 3 — watch the execution of that — it's a tricky one for sure, but it can be broken down into pieces, and in the end it's basically an F grace note on E, and a G grace note on E, without any bottom hand sounds coming through. Very consistently played overall — just some concern over a few of the embellishments and a bit of rushing off some long notes. Enjoyable performance nonetheless — thanks!
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Graeme Hall 🇦🇺           Tunes: The Company's Lament      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Your drones were tuned quite flat relative to your chanter, in particular the low A. Very nice phrasing and tempo for this tune! Embellishments quite good - just watch the grip C to A with the B gracenote - make sure you get a good solid low G sound on each side of that B grace note. From both a musical and technical standpoint, this was really well played; however, your pipes really let you down — flat on the top hand, most notably the high A, but sharp on the bottom hand, most notably the low A. Overall it made the drones sound like they were never quite in tune with the chanter, even though the drones were in tune with each other. Other than the sound issues, it was a very strong performance. Thanks!
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: jeremy suggett 🇦🇺           Tunes: Glengarrys Lament      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Good steady pacing, if just a touch on the slow side — some of long Cs don't need to be quite so long. The music would flow better with just a little less holding on some of the long notes. Still, good dot/cut correlation. Drones aren't quite in tune with your low A — they sound as if they're tuned a bit flat, although the drones are tuned well to themselves. A solid performance of this tune - musically good, and strong embellishments throughout. Thanks!
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Kane Gordon 🇳🇿           Tunes: Black Donald's March      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Really good phrasing/pacing right from the start. Good flow with your tempo. Tiny slip end of line 1. Watch you don't cut the note at the end of the C grips each time — you're often rushing to get off that short C a bit too much. Nice job of the tricky throws to F Another unfortunate slip in line 3. You have the potential to play this piece very well — good timing, good embellishments — but having small slips isn't a good thing at all in a video-recorded presentation. If it weren't for those, you would have placed up much higher. Still, and enjoyable performance overall. Thanks!
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Robert Real 🇺🇸           Tunes: Company’s Lament      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: While you started off strongly, with the exception of playing a G grace note on the first C of the tune rather than a D gracenote, your tempo dropped measurably in Bar 3 of line 1. The F and C in this tune were simply held far too long. In other sections, more often than not the 1st half of a line, the timing flowed much better, but that third bar really seemed to drag out. Double echoes very well executed throughout, all other embellishments clean and accurate. (Just watch that 1st C in line 1, and play the proper grace note!) An enjoyable performance, but the overall temp of the 2nd half of each line needs to pick up considerably. Thanks!
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Event 10. Grade 5 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground Only)
Competitor: Steven McGillicuddy 🇬🇧           Tunes: The Boat Tune      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Be very careful of the "hiharin" movement that this tune begins with. The D isn't meant to have nearly as much weight as you're giving it — the accented parts of this movement are the E at the beginning (with the G Gracenote) and then the low A at the end of the birl. Try to keep everything in between these two bookends much smaller. It affects the rhythm of the entire piece because it's played so many times. Good job of the grips from D to low A with the B gracenote! Those are tricky movements. Also, the double echoes on E were very well executed. Your overall tempo — flow — was very good; the only major flaw in the performance is the execution of that first birl embellishment, which ended up being accented incorrectly. Keep up the good work! Thanks.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Zygmunt (Zyggy) Gray 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: Allan Dodd's Farewell to Scotland      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Excellent pipe, well set and well blown. I'm impressed with your patience and ability to make the most out of the dotted melodic notes. Strong 2/4 phrasing. Technically strong. Part four is tricky but so well handled! I enjoyed this very much — thank you!
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ethan Carmichael 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Muir of Ord      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Excellent quality of sound. Drones not completely together but really close. Very lively tempo. Watch minor changes in pressure when you go to the top hand. Some thumb grace notes missing. Technique strong for doublings and throws. A very complete performance that sounded just a bit hurried at the start, and settled down very well. I enjoyed this!
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Lewis Stewart 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 3      Tunes: Craig-n-darroch      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Chanter a bit low pitched, but fairly well balanced. C flat. Drones set well together. Watch for some fluctuations in pressure. A tricky march handled very well technically with strong bottom hand work. Take care not to rush toward tachums or other cut notes on beats or off-beats. Careful phrasing and very steady. Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Adi Moss-Sheth 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: King George V's Army      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set and well blown. Steady tempo to start. Don't overcut that first tachum — it is clear but a bit tight. Bottom hand doublings are sometimes a bit crushed but usually quite clear. A very consistent and complete performance. Well done!
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Scott Phillips 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: The White Sands of Mersa Matruh      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set — drones not spot on with chanter but very close. Very swingy, and I'm very impressed with your phrasing! Steady tempo. Quality of technique is very good even if there are some minor misses. Excellent bottom hand work part three. I was very impressed by this tune. Well done indeed!
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Gonzalo Quezada 🇨🇱      Place: 6      Tunes: Siege of Delih      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Excellent bagpipe. Well set and well blown. Lively tempo, well maintained. You have quick hands - be careful not to take that for granted and to miss more technique than you maybe should . . . A few too many doublings missed, which I found to be a shame - this was really good! Musically strong, pipe very good, and much of your technique is clear — but on the tight side. Points awarded for musicality and instrument, but if you add more deliberation to your technique — woah! Next level for sure!!!
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Anthony Song 🇳🇿           Tunes: John McColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe very well set and very well blown. Steady tempo with lots of control. Your technique is very good and it sounds to me like you are ready to take the next step in technique, which is taking the risk of speeding it up and tightening it a bit - you've got so much clarity and openness — you're ready. Birls are a bit ahead of the beat at the end of parts. Very solid, start to finish.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Aubre Scott 🇨🇦           Tunes: Willie McCallum Senior's March      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set and well blown. Steady tempo to start. Good swing to this tune. Be careful not to start your F doublings from F ahead of the beat. Excellent clarity of technique. Impressive birls! Pipe well handled all through. Bass off right at the end — oh no! No need to go for a pipe band cutoff!!! This was very well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Benjamin Haworth 🇳🇿           Tunes: Siege of Delhi      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe very well set and well blown. Lively but controlled tempo. Technique coming out quite well - quality is quite high even though a few dropped grace notes. Very swingy fourth part, making the most of the dotted notes. A solid, complete performance.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Bill Stuart 🇦🇺           Tunes: Cpt Norman Orr Ewing      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set and well blown. Steady tempo, maintained well. Some minor inconsistencies in technique — fingering generally good, but the odd place where it isn't quite as clear. Excellent bottom hand work part three. Be sure not to place the half F doublings ahead of the beat esp in part 4 — the grace note should be after the beat. Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Cadell Merritt 🇳🇿           Tunes: Siege of Delhi      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Chanter well set. Drones not settled together though. Quite quick — maybe pull the tempo back a bit and focus on the swing of the tune more than tempo? Some technique suffering a bit due to speed. Lots of potential here — strong hands, steady tempo. A few chokes. Well done overall.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Cameron Sharpe 🇳🇿           Tunes: John MacColl's March to Kilbowie Cottage      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set and well blown. Careful tempo, well maintained. Technique coming across very clearly. Take care not to play the C doubling ahead of the beat in part one(beat two). Little hole-coverage issue part three. Very strong understanding of the 2/4 flow. Don't press into the chanter too hard for birls — just slows them down. Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Charlie A Gregg 🇳🇿           Tunes: John Mcoll's march to Kilbowie cottage      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Excellent pipe. Well set, and well blown. Steady tempo and you show a solid understanding of the 2/4 march flow. You have very steady and good hands — I think it is time for you to take a few risks and tighten some of the movements up. You're very accurate and clear, and this will be the next step in advancing your playing. A few little catches in the fourth part. Steady and impressive!
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Dylan McMaster 🇺🇸           Tunes: Captain Norman Orr Ewing      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Drones not quite settled with the chanter, but not far off. Be careful not to apply different pressure to the top hand notes vs. bottom hand . . . Steady tempo. Careful and clear technique. Good recovery right at the end! Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Graeme Hall 🇦🇺           Tunes: The Liberton Pipe Band      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Drones set fairly well together, but flat to the chanter. Chanter a bit sharp, though, and except high A a bit high on the top hand. Steady tempo, and a swingy rendition. Some doublings a bit tight, particularly bottom hand ones. Take care not to let the grace notes overlap. Top hand execution quite clear. Good recovery in part four! Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ian Durkin 🇺🇸           Tunes: Liberton Pipe Band      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Chanter well balanced. Drones not quite settled together but close. Lively tempo, handled quite well. Take care not to let some of your gracenotes get a bit too big (resulting in overlap in C doublings) or at times too small . . . I suppose I mean work on consistency of grace noting! Steady blowing throughout. Temps consistent all through. Well done!
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ivan Agarkov 🇧🇾           Tunes: 79th Farewell To Gibraltar      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Drones well set together, but a bit flat to the chanter pitch. Good balance to the chanter. Steady blowing/squeezing. Be careful not to rush toward the B strikes in the second part. Birls a bit early and open at the end of parts. Good job on the tricky second line of the fourth part. Technique fairly clear for the most part. Steady tempo all through except for the rushing in part two. Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Kathleen Elwood 🇺🇸           Tunes: Detroit Highlanders      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe fairly well set. A very tricky tune, but a lovely one! Some unsteadiness in pressure particularly on the top hand — try to keep the bag feeling very firm. Some of your G gracenotes are bigger than others which can cause some lack of clarity on bottom hand doublings. Some of the dotted notes, particularly in the fourth part, should be held longer, which will also make it feel easier to manage and will keep your tempo in check. Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Keith Richards 🇺🇸           Tunes: Pipe Major John D Burgress      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Chanter fairly well set — drones quite flat though. Lively tempo, well maintained. Technique quite good — a few misses but nothing too big. These little chokes are the main thing to address... Maybe too gentle with your arm? Or perhaps starting too late after blowing? Too bad about the stopping drones . . . Musically and technically really good. Keep working on your control of the instrument!
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Kim Meek 🇺🇸           Tunes: Walter Douglas      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Eek a drone off right at the start! Pipe well set though. Tempo fairly steady, but a bit jumpy into doublings. Make sure that the G grace note of the doubling is on the beat, not the second grace note. That will help to make the tune feel a bit more settled down. Good hands — just hold back on those doublings! Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Maureen Moore 🇺🇸           Tunes: Duncan McInnes      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe fairly well set to start. Your G grace note is quite big, which causes a lack of clarity especially in doublings. Try to focus on snapping the finger back down to the chanter, rather than focusing on lifting it. You'll be much more clarity and will not have the overlap in gracenotes and fewer squeaks. Steady tempo. Well blown pipe. If you're able to shrink that G grace note you'll notice a significant improvement in your technique! Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: MeLinda Wright 🇺🇸           Tunes: The 79th's Farewell to Gibraltar      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Chanter a bit flat - maybe push the reed in a little bit? Drones not quite settled down together. Steady tempo and good control of the 2/4 feel. A few crossing noises (esp to high A) and some missed gracenotes in some doublings. Pipe well blown all through. Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Nathan Downey 🇺🇸           Tunes: Highland Laddie (Four Part)      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Chanter fairly well set, but drones not quite settled together. High G flat. Be careful not to play doublings ahead of the beat — especially B doublings in the ending phrase. The G grace note should be on the beat, not the D grace note. Steady tempo. Keep the bag pressure up right to the last note! Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Robbie Barrett 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿           Tunes: King George v army      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Drones set well to chanter. Chanter fairly well set, though F and High G a bit sharp. D throws sometimes really good, but sometimes missing the low G. A bit inconsistent with some bottom hand doublings — sometimes the G grace note is missing. D getting very flat by the end . . . Tape slipping perhaps? Steady tempo all through, maintained well. Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ruaridh Martynoga 🇳🇿           Tunes: Millbank Cottage      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe fairly well set though drones a bit flat to chanter. Great patience here and lots of attention to the dotted notes. Be careful not to jump into tachums or cut notes on beats or off beats. Good control of the instrument. Technique quite good. Some doublings are a bit tight, like the C doubling in bar 8 of each part, but usually that is from overcutting the note in front of it. Relax on the B before that doubling and it'll be easier to play it clearly. Steady all through. Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Rylan Cliff 🇳🇿           Tunes: Glenfinnan Highland Gathering      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set and well blown. Watch groups of three notes starting with an eighth note and a cut/tachum on the offbeat — hold the eighth for a full half beat. Steady tempo. Careful and clear technique. At times when you go from a cut C to E, your E finger lifts before your bottom hand closes. So very consistent, though, and well played.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Sam Foote 🇳🇿           Tunes: John McColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set and well blown. Be very careful not to start your C doublings ahead of the beat — the G grace note must be on the beat, not the D grace note. Steady tempo. Clear fingering for the most part — just a few spots of slight untidiness. Be careful not to press into the chanter on birls — makes them more likely to be sticky. Solid start to finish.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Tim Riddle 🇺🇸           Tunes: Father John MacMillan of Barra      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set and well blown. Steady tempo and good understanding of the 2/4 flow. Technique fairly good but you could achieve more clarity with a bit more control of your G grace note. It is sometimes too big, creating a bit of fuzziness in technique. I also think this tune requires a pile of patience any time you get a grouping of three notes with the first one being an eighth note then a cut — hold that beat note like crazy!!! Don't push through to the third note. Well done.
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Event 11. Grade 4 Piping - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Vickie Gray 🇨🇦           Tunes: Lady Lever Park      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Drones well set to chanter. Top hand a bit sharp — I'd suggest lifting the reed a bit in the reed seat to balance top and bottom. Steady tempo. Careful and clear technique. In part two be careful on clarity going to D throws from High A. Steady blowing/squeezing. Good recovery in part 4! Nice job in the tricky second ending. Well done.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Sam Foote 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Maggie Cameron; The Brown Haired Maid      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Confident start. Good strathspey rhythm and control. Technically E doubs from F could be a little cleaner. You’re running the two grace notes together. Missed E doub in repeat. Birls in third a little loose. Mistimed last run 4th part in strathspey. Nice positive start into reel. Missed F strike in 4th part. Good finish. Bagpipe well tuned. Enjoyed the listen.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Benjamin Haworth 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Maggie Cameron and A High Road to Linton      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Well set up bagpipe. Good start into Strathspey. Rhythm is good however I feel you are quite heavy on all the beat notes playing it quite square. Would get a little bit more expression and lift out of this is you tried strong, weak, medium, weak pulsing. Excellent break into Reel. Watch catches to D in second part. Couple wee technical imperfections in fourth part, otherwise a very nice performance. Well done.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Anthony Song 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: Mac N Irish ,The Brown Haired Maid      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Excellent presentation of your tunes, Anthony. Lovey accurate bagpipe, technique, and music. Strathspey timing and control are very good. Nice break into your reel. Couple of slippery notes but very minor. Watch timing of gracenotes last part of reel. You have loads of talent. Keep up the good work and I look forward to hearing you in the future.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Zygmunt (Zyggy) Gray 🇦🇺      Place: 4      Tunes: Susan MacLeod, John Morrison of Assynt House      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Excellent start. Good control. If anything, pulsing is quite square. Would like to hear more lift and expression. SWMW per bar. Watch your FEC runs (end of second) too clipped and hint of false fingering. Great birl in 3rd. Great break into reel. Small squeals on Low A. Difficult tune. Little choppy as you went on – too pointed. Solo reels can be played a bit rounder than this. Finish a little untidy. Enjoyed your tunes. Loads of potential. Great bagpipe. Well done.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Ethan Carmichael 🇳🇿      Place: 5      Tunes: Dorrator Bridge, The Blackberry Bush      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Nice strathspey rhythm. C doub a little crushed first time. Small catch in second part. Make sure you land your E strikes in third part. Break into Blackberry bush good but almost a bit too sudden. Some technique missing in second part. Some setting differences in fourth part. Otherwise decent effort. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Cameron Sharpe 🇳🇿      Place: 6      Tunes: Mac an Irish, Bessie McIntyre      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Nice steady introduction on a well-tuned pipe. Good strathspey rhythm and control. Birls a little soft. D throw in last part not quite executed. Nice break into reel. Tiny choke on HA second part and F doubs not all clear. Good timing in third part, nice and accurate and showing good control.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Amanda Brennan 🇮🇪           Tunes: Dorrothor Bridge &Captain Lochlain McPheil of Tiree      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Nice strathspey rhythm. C doubs to Low A a little inaccurate. Watch catches to HG from D in second part. Third part – B doubs a bit crushed. Nice break into reel. Steady tempo. Small choke in first. Some inaccuracy around the beat notes with the short C’s. Pipes ok but quite locked on Low A. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Charlie A Gregg 🇳🇿           Tunes: Mac and Irish, Brown haired maid      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Nice control and rhythm in strathspey. Some small technical deficiencies in 3rd & 4th parts. Small choke last line. Good break into reel. Just a hint of false fingering in places. Timing of Low A to C doubling and E to C doubling a bit untidy. Some false notes towards the end. Lovely bagpipe. Steady performance. Keep up the good work.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Ivan Agarkov 🇧🇾           Tunes: The Marquis of Huntley’s Highland Fling / Lexy MacAskill      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Steady start, tempo safe. Watch small catches from D to HG doubling. Wee squeals on Low As in second part. Small catches in third. Reel – good break. Intro HA not necessary when playing the S&R. E doublings from F inaccurate second part. 4th part untidy, few chokes and mistakes. Plenty of potential here, just keep working on that technique. Pipes close but some small surges in blowing. B intonation quite sharp. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Lewis Stewart 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿           Tunes: Maggie Cameron & The Sound of Sleat      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Good Strathspey rhythm and tempo. A little bit of rushing to third beats. Runs a little indistinct. Third part rushing into the birls. Nice break into reel. Little trip on the first F. Third part a little untidy and getting a bit choppy. D throws could be more accurate. Loads of potential here, keep up the good work.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Lisa Martin 🇳🇿           Tunes: The Caledonian Canal, Lexie McAskill      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Nice Strathspey rhythm and timing. Tempo perhaps a little slow for this idiom. Good technique for most part. Small catches in third part C to HA. Good break into reel, very steady. Some small catches throughout. Bagpipe pretty good just not quite locked on Low A. Intonation on B quite sharp. Loads of potential here, keep up the good work.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Maureen Moore 🇺🇸           Tunes: Sporting Jamie & The Sound of Sleat      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Just jumping around the beat a little here. Need to show some more structure to the tune. Your HG grace note is noticeably big and I think it’s just affecting some of the accuracy and timing. Keep it neat. Timing in Reel better. Same comments as above re: HG grace note is interfering with all your embellishment especially B and E doublings. All coming out mistimed. Plenty of potential/Thanks for the listen.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Peter Allen 🇹🇭           Tunes: Captain Colin Campbell, Lexy McAskill      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Taorluath movement is inaccurate on both LA & B. Need to hear the second LG grace note in the movement. A hit of false fingering on the short C’s (little finger not going down) and in the run FEC. Small squeals in 4th part. Intro note to reel is not required when playing S&R. Reel very steady, some good work in here. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Robbie Barrett 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿           Tunes: Marquis of Huntley highland fling & sound of sleat      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Good tempo and timing. Some big catches up to the HG doublings from D. Second part some technical imperfections throughout. Break into reel ok. Birls a little untidy. Bottom hand technique indistinct third part. Last B doubling missed. You have natural rhythm, just need to work on technical side of things. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Ruaridh Martynoga 🇳🇿           Tunes: The Caledonian Canal & Major Manson      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Good intro. Strathspey just a tad square (or heavy on the weak pulses). Could get a bit more scotch snap out of this. Mistime of gracing’s on repeat of part 1. Start of second part major rushing to second pulse – C doublings (both times) Interrupting the flow of the tune. Runs from HG F and E end of the lines are far too clipped. Better in 3rd – settled down. Rushing in last line part 4. Start of reel a bit untidy with lots of catches. Shakes in last part too clipped. Plenty of potential here Ruaridh but need to eliminate all the catches. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Rylan Cliff 🇳🇿           Tunes: Mac an Irish, The Brown Haired Maid      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Nice bagpipe. Great presentation. You showed great control of the Strathspey idiom. Reel – missing HG grace note on LA B to C Doub? Some catches and some bits of technique a little untidy throughout the reel. Keep up the good work.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Scott Phillips 🇺🇸           Tunes: Highland Harry, Bessie MacIntyre      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Taorluath movement is inaccurate. Need to hear the second LG gracenote in the movement. Your flicking little finger up too early. Watch catches to to HG doubling. You are playing an E before the HG doubling – this should be a B. GDE gracing’s in 3rd part little clipped. Error last bar of 3rd. Great transition into reel. Watch catches in second part. Error end of line 2. Some note errors in third part also. Little untidy in 4th part. Plenty of potential here, just eliminate the note errors.
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Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts OR a two parted tune played twice)
Competitor: Tim Riddle 🇺🇸           Tunes: Caledonian Canal & Lexy MacAskill      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Good start into the straths albeit a little bit of rushing to the 3rd beats in places. Second part error in the GH F E run. HA grace note on HG needs to be neater as it's currently coming out as a run of 4 notes. Rest of second part a little untidy. Better in third part. Fourth a bit round. Good break into Reel. Last of reel just missing some of the strikes. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Cameron Sharpe 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Leaving Port Askaig      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Nice well tuned balanced bagpipe. Nice tempo, watch high A grips, full movement needs to be heard. Tune flowing nicely. Very musical presentation and performance. Good overall technique.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Bill Stuart 🇦🇺      Place: 2      Tunes: 10th HLI Crossing The Rhine      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe quite well set. Good tempo tune played musically and well phrased. Good strong fingering it throughout.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Gonzalo Quezada 🇨🇱      Place: 3      Tunes: Farewell to the Creeks      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Lovely pipe well set. Good tempo and good technique throughout. Tune very musically played overall.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Adi Moss-Sheth 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Cock of the North      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe, quite well set. Good tempo, overall technique good. Tachums are coming across with crossing noises from C to low A. Overall tune played musically. Towards the end drones shaded off very slightly.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Zygmunt (Zyggy) Gray 🇦🇺      Place: 5      Tunes: Angus MacKinnon      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Lovely pipe well set. Good tempo tune overall well phrased if slightly square in places. Try to keep the overall effect smooth within the tune. Run all the phrases together to get a smooth effect. Overall good technique and tune musically played.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Sam Foote 🇳🇿      Place: 6      Tunes: Miss Lily Christie      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set nice tone. Good tempo, nice musical playing with overall good technique. Overall a musical presentation of the tune. Slight choke last part.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ivana Bradvica 🇺🇸           Tunes: Una Robertson      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipe quite well set. Pipe sounds slightly on the hard side to blow. Good tempo for this tune. Slight chokes during the performance. Tune musically played overall technique ok. Slight slips near the end.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Kathleen Elwood 🇺🇸           Tunes: Farewell to the Creeks      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe well set. Tune played at a good tempo. Overall technique was ok. Some D throws first part , slightly on the light side. Need to hear the full movement. C to E first bar, try to make it cleaner, on occasions crossing noises coming through. Overall the tune was played musically.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Keith Richards 🇺🇸           Tunes: Fairview Cottage      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe. Well balanced. Tune played at a good steady tempo. Slight choke 1st part. Overall technique is ok. Tune played well, however it came across stilted in places. Try to smooth out the phrases so that the tune flows better. Some C strikes slightly light.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Kim Meek 🇺🇸           Tunes: Jean Mauchline      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipe quite well set. Good tempo. Technique overall is good. Slight slip 2 nd part second time through. High G doublings on light side. Slight chokes in third part pipes could be on the strong side.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Nathan Downey 🇺🇸           Tunes: General Montgomery      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipe quite well set, sounds slightly on the hard side. Overall technique ok. Phrasing slightly stilted in places. Tachums need to hear full movement with the two grace notes. Some crossing noises coming through.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Robbie Barrett 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿           Tunes: Farewell to the creeks      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipe quite well set, chanter slightly high pitched. Some grips on the light side, taurlauths on C also. Need to hear the full movements. Tune overall well phrased and played musically. Tempo steady overall.
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Event 13. Grade 4 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Tim Riddle 🇺🇸           Tunes: Jean Mauchline      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipe's quite well set. Tune played at a cautious tempo. However the tune was well phrased and played. Overall phrasing ok. Watch F doublings, some were played slightly too open. Overall technique ok.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Zygmunt (Zyggy) Gray 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: The Lament for Alasdair Dearg MacDonell of Glengarry (Alasdair Dearg)      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - very nice into this, on a solid pipe. Well presented ground with proper phrasing and strong technique. //Var1 - nice transition into this. Very nice pace, and well phrased. Strong presentation with a good handle on the music. Well done.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Scott Phillips 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: Struan Robertson's Salute      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - drones nice, chanter a bit bright on top hand. nicely played with subtle phrasing. //var 1 - nice into this. good pace. Nicely played.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Bill Stuart 🇦🇺      Place: 3      Tunes: The Little Spree      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - good shape and pace to this. Hard to tell if drones are not quite 100%. You could add a subtle pause after the 2 bar phrases and line ends to give it a bit of separation. //Var1 - nicely into this, with good pace to start. Tempo dropped a bit, and I feel this could also benefit from subtle pauses between the phrases. Well done.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Cameron Sharpe 🇳🇿      Place: 4      Tunes: MacIntosh's Banner      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - nice pipe, and nicely presented ground, with good phrasing and shape. The pace could come up just a touch. //Var1 - nicely into this. Again nice shape and phrasing, and it could use a slight bump in pace. Missed G grace note in bar 1 of line 3. Good job on this.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Ethan Carmichael 🇳🇿      Place: 5      Tunes: The Field of Gold      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - nice pace. This could use some subtle phrase definition with pause after 2 bars/line ends. Line 2 better. Be sure to hold the last F in each line. //Var1 - nice into this. Line 2 was a bit too aggressive and straight - it could use a drop in tempo, and subtle pauses for phrase definition. well done.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Kim Meek 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Struan Robertson’s Salute      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - Nice pipe to start. Nice playing, you could use a subtle pause between phrases and line ends to give them a bit more definition. //Var 1 - drones slightly drifting. Could use some subtle phrasing here as well. Watch the low A/D note combinations of bar 2 in each line. Make sure that they are consistent in their treatment/weight. Well done.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Colby Forbush 🇺🇸           Tunes: Andrew MacNeill of Colonsay      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - nice pipe. Nice pace and shape to this, though you could get a bit more out of this by adding subtle pauses between phrases, and line ends (first line end was good - the rest were a bit rushed. Hold that last D a bit longer). Same for the end of the ground, finish by holding that last D a bit longer before going into the next var. //Var 1 - good pace here, but the same comments about phrasing apply. Also, watch the E-D-Low A combination, and make sure they're consistent in their treatment. Well done.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Graeme Hall 🇦🇺           Tunes: Cabar Feidh Gu Brath      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - nice into this. Good pace. Drones not 100%. Missed g grace note end of lines on cadence. //Var 1 - nice into this. End of line 2 is rushed.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Ivan Agarkov 🇧🇾           Tunes: Queen Elizabeth II's Salute      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - good start and good pace. Be careful not to push the tempo in the last bar of each line, and hold the Fs. D hits need to be full to low G. Add subtle pauses between phrases for some definition. //Var1 - good pace. same comment about phrasing and holding the Fs longer in the last bars. Well done.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Ivana Bradvica 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Battle of the Strome      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - nice shape to this. Drones not quite 100%. Could use some subtle pauses at end of phrases and end of lines for more phrase definition. //Var 1 - slight choke at start. Wrong note bar 2. Nice shape to this.Line 2 bar 4 is incorrect, it looks like you may have mixed a few bars up. Double check the music to be sure you're getting it correct.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Joseph Gallagher 🇺🇸           Tunes: MacIntosh's Banner      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - be careful not to jump off C at line ends too quickly. This will add some definition to the line/phrases. Var1 - off tune. Be careful with inconsistent tempo through the phrases here with using subtle pauses between the phrases and line ends for some more definition.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Keith Dickinson 🇺🇸           Tunes: Lament for the Rowan Tree      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - Nice shape to the ground, could use a bit more pace, and technique could be a bit more articulate. //Var 1 - a bit of a stumble into this. Nice pace and phrasing, some crossover noises throughout and a squeal. Drones not quite with the chanter.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Maureen Moore 🇺🇸           Tunes: The MacGregor's Salute      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - nice into this. Try softening the E before the last bar in each line, and add a subtly pause at the line ends for phrase definition, and a nice transition into the next variation //Var1 - this could use a boost in tempo for contrast, and subtle pauses at line ends. Well done.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Peter Allen 🇹🇭           Tunes: Lament for the Children.      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Peter, I am not familiar with this setting, and I did not see any manuscript included, which are required for alternate settings here. Of the settings I am familiar with, there are differences in grace note placement throughout, particularly on the E-D combinations where the g grace note should be on the E and not the D. GROUND - nice start to this, and good pace. Line 1 - E to D bar 3 rushed, same for the cadence on B in bar 4, and E in bar 6. Catch bar 8 line 3. Drones not 100%, and some use of subtle pauses at the end of the 2 bar phrases would elevate this a bit. //VAR 1 - Nice shape and pace to this, though the F to E in bar one could be softened a touch, as it is coming across as a bit aggressive. The same goes for similar note combinations throughout this variation.Bar 3, you could hold the D a touch longer here, and in similar places through the variation. Some subtle pauses on the last note of each 2-bar phrase would add a nice touch to this as well. Choke in line 2. OVerall good pace, and shape for the most part. Subtle pauses would add some phrase definition and softening some of the notes and combinations mentioned would elevate this tune a bit more.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Ray Morrison 🇺🇸           Tunes: MacIntosh's Banner      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - Nice pace to this. The C at the end of each line could use more weight, to give this some more definition.Catch in line 3. You could slow the last bar, and hold the last C for a smooth transition into Var 1. //Var 1 - this is coming across a bit square. Try bouncing off the low A notes a bit quicker, and spring up to the theme notes, giving them a bit more weight. Try adding some subtle phrase definition between the phrases and line ends. Well done.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Ruaridh Martynoga 🇳🇿           Tunes: Too Long in this Condition      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - resonant pipe. nice articulate taorluaths. Good shape to this, slight catch bar 1, and choke. The ground could be a touch quicker. Hold the last note of the ground a bit longer before going into the doubling. //Doub - bring the pace of this up, to be a bit quicker than the ground to show contrast, and maintain rhythm here. Good taorluaths.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: timothy ray 🇨🇦           Tunes: Lament for the Old Sword      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - nice drones. Good phrase definition. technique could be articulated a bit more clearly. Chanter not fully balanced, with some double tone sounds on low G. //var 1 - nice pace and phrasing. squeals on low A. Tempo increase and loss of phrase definition in line 2.
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Event 14. Grade 4 Piping - Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation)
Competitor: Vickie Gray 🇨🇦           Tunes: Lament for the Old Sword      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: Ground - nice drones, nice flow to ground. adding a bit of definition, or slight pause after the 2 bar phrases and line ends could add a bit of texture to this. //Var 1 - could use a bump in pace but steady and consistent. same idea with the phrase definition. slight stumble on D, line 1 repeat bar2. Technique could use a bit more definition otherwise, well done.
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Sam Foote 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Archie Beag      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Sam. I really enjoyed your jig! Your execution is mostly good. Some issues with birls, but otherwise very clean. A comfortable yet lively tempo that you maintained throughout the tune. Very good expression with nice, consistent control of triplets. An excellent bagpipe! Bright and balanced chanter and drones well set and steady throughout. Overall, this was an excellent performance and would stand up well in grade 3. Well done!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Keith Richards 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: The Curlew      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Keith. This was a very nicely played jig! Very strong technique with clean and crisp execution. B taps in 3rd part not quite coming out. Slight choke in 4th part, but otherwise very well played. Tempo was controlled and steady throughout. You’re playing the tune very round which is okay, but can get a bit boring. You might try injecting some very subtle dot/cut in places to make the tune a bit more interesting. Pipes were steady. Drones well tuned, but chanter a bit sharp to drones. Overall, great performance!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Lewis Stewart 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 3      Tunes: Kenny Ghilles of Portnalong      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Lewis. Great tune! You have some really strong technique. Little sloppy in 3rd part, but otherwise clean and crisp fingering. This was a good tempo for you and you were consistent from start to finish. Some inconsistency in the timing of your triplets in the first two parts, but this improved as the tune progressed. Pipes were steady from start to finish. Drones well tuned to each other, but set too sharp to chanter. Overall, this was a really well played jig. Nicely done!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Gonzalo Quezada 🇨🇱      Place: 4      Tunes: Cork Hill      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Gonzalo. This was a very lively and musical jig performance! You have really good control of your phrasing, particularly with your triplet timing. This creates some really nice drive and energy. There were a few moments when you’re a bit early to phrases, but overall very good control. Your execution is quite good with clean and crisp technique. You do have some unorthodox grace note combinations. Typically, we use a G/D/E gracenote combination for triplets and that’s how you’ll see it written in the original music. You seem to use a G/D/G combination. It’s unusual only in that we’re not used to hearing it that way. It doesn’t really affect the musical approach to the tune. Pipes were very well tuned and steady from start to finish. Overall, a very solid performance. Well done!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Craig Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 5      Tunes: The Seagull      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Craig. I really enjoyed your approach to this tune. Mostly, we hear jigs played super round these days so it was nice to hear a more dot/cut approach. Much more interesting to my ear! Careful not to hold the Fs too long in the third part. This interferes with the timing and flow of the tune. Your execution is very clean and precise. Only issue was with some of the C and B strikes in the second part. You’re not always getting a good low G sound. Pipes were super steady throughout. A really nice drone sound. Chanter was bright, but a bit sharp to the drones. Overall, a very solid performance. Well done!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Zygmunt (Zyggy) Gray 🇦🇺      Place: 6      Tunes: Paddy Be Easy      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Zyggy. Really solid playing! While the setting you’re playing has limited embellishments, your execution was very clean. Nice controlled tempo. Dragging just a bit in the third part. Good control of phrasing overall. This tune lends itself to being played round and you demonstrated really good control of the triplets throughout. A very good bagpipe sound! Pipes were steady and well tuned. I’d encourage you to challenge yourself with a more demanding tune as you’re clearly ready for it. Well done!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Anthony Song 🇳🇿           Tunes: Glasgow City Police Pipers      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Anthony. Very nicely played jig! While there’s not a lot of complicated technique in this tune, you played it cleanly other than a small slip in the 2nd part. You showed good control of your triplets allowing you to maintain consistency in your timing. A little more tempo would add a bit more life to the tune, but only if you can maintain your clean execution. You have a really good bagpipe sound. Drones were solid throughout and your blowing steady. Nice, bright chanter that was also well tuned. Great potential! Keep at it!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Benjamin Haworth 🇳🇿           Tunes: Atholl Highlanders      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Benjamin. Some very lively jig playing. I’m not a fan of this tune setting as most of the embellishments have been removed. I suspect this may be a band setting. You might consider a different version of this tune or another tune altogether for solo purposes. Your tempo was a bit too fast which contributed to some sloppiness in places. A more relaxed tempo would allow you to clean up your technique and maintain consistent timing. Pipes were steady, but drones not quite in tune. Chanter a bit sharp as well. Some really great potential. I think a better tune choice and more relaxed approach would make a big difference. Best of luck!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Bill Stuart 🇦🇺           Tunes: Cork Hill      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Bill. Nicely played tune! You started out very strong but began to struggle a bit as you moved into the 3rd and 4th parts. Your technique is quite good overall but some movements are a bit labored. Gracenotes need a bit more snap! Your tempo dragged a bit as you got into the more technically demanding 3rd and 4th parts. Try to start the tune more slowly so that you don’t have to change tempos later. Your timing is a bit pushed at times. By this I mean you’re often beginning your phrases ahead of the beat. Practicing with a metronome will help you to clearly identify where this is happening. You had a very nice pipe sound, although I think your bass drone cut off in the second part? Chanter was well balanced. Overall, some really good playing. Nice job!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Cadell Merritt 🇳🇿           Tunes: Atholl Highlanders      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Cadell. I enjoyed listening to your performance! While Atholl Highlanders is a great jig, the version you’re playing is pretty stripped down. Perhaps this is a band setting? You might consider a different setting or another tune for solo competition purposes. You have some good crispness to your fingering technique; however, there is still a lot of sloppiness that needs to be cleaned up. Crossing noises would be the biggest thing to work on. Slowing down the tempo would help you to clean up some of these execution issues. Once you can play without crossing noises and consistency in your embellishments, you can then start to speed up. Your pipes are quite steady, but drones were really out of tune which can be very distracting for you and the listener. Maybe look for some help from your instructor to get your drones closer. You’ve got some great potential. Just keep things a bit slower and focus on cleaning up the execution. Good luck!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Cameron Sharpe 🇳🇿           Tunes: Corkhill      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Cameron. Nicely played tune! Some really good execution with crisp fingering. Watch the taps in third part. Not getting full hole coverage to low G at times. Good tempo, but some inconsistencies in your timing. Some of your triplets are rushed which interferes with the flow of the tune. Your pipes are steady and very well tuned. Nice sound! Overall, this was a very strong performance. Keep it up!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Charlie A Gregg 🇳🇿           Tunes: Glasgow city police pipers      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Charlie. Nicely played jig! Your execution is mostly good. Watch the transition between bottom and top hand notes. If your fingers are out of sync, you end up with crossing noises. There’s not a lot of complicated execution in this tune, so you really have to keep everything super clean to be an effective competition tune. I think your tempo was good. You want to keep it slow until you can play it clean and confident. You’ll get there! I really liked your bagpipe sound. Your blowing was steady, drones were locked in, and you had a nice, bright chanter sound. Overall, this was a very nice performance. Well done!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Dylan McMaster 🇺🇸           Tunes: Paddy's Leather Breeches      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Dylan. Some good jig playing! Execution is mostly clean with a couple exceptions. Watch the B taps. You’re not quite closing to low G. High A grips in 4th part need some work also. Again, not always getting the chanter fully closed to low G during the grip. Tempo was good. Maybe slightly dragging at times during the third part. Timing needs to be a bit smoother. Try to keep the triplets more consistent throughout tune. You’ve a tendency to rush some of these which can interfere with the flow of the tune. Pipes were steady throughout. Drones well tuned, but chanter set a bit flat. Overall, some nice playing that needs just a bit more polish. Well done!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ethan Carmichael 🇳🇿           Tunes: Atholl Highlanders      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Ethan. You’re playing this tune quite well; however, most of the embellishments have been removed in the setting you’re playing. This is often done in band settings but generally not for solo purposes. You might consider a different version of this tune or another tune altogether. Having said that, you played it quite well. Some untidiness in the 3rd and 4th parts. A nice lively tempo, but dragging in the 4th part as you were struggling a bit with the C tacums. Pipes were well tuned and steady throughout. Overall, nice job!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Maureen Moore 🇺🇸           Tunes: Donald MacLennan's Tuning Phrase      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Maureen. This is one of my favorite jigs! You’ve taken a very careful approach to this tune which is great. Many folks dive into jigs too quickly and end up with really sloppy playing. This tempo allowed you to play very cleanly. My biggest suggestion would be to work on tightening up your grace notes a bit. While your technique is correct, you just need to develop a bit more snap to each grace note. You don’t need to play the tune any faster; just the individual grace notes. Then, when you are ready to speed up the tempo, you’ll still be able to get all your grace notes and embellishments in cleanly and with proper phrasing. While tuning is not a priority in the lower grades, I would encourage you to work on getting your drones better tuned. An instructor can show you how to go through the tuning process or there are lots of online resources that can help with this also. You’d be amazed at how your playing improves when your pipes are really locked in! All the best!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Nathan Downey 🇺🇸           Tunes: Glasgow City Police Pipers      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Nathan. Nice performance! This is a good beginner jig in that there isn’t a lot technically going on. However, there are a lot of transitions between top and bottom hand notes which means ample opportunities for crossing noises. You’ll need to work on cleaning these up as they are quite prevalent throughout your tune. The other issue to address are the low A and B triplets. The grace notes on these triplets should be G/D/E. You’re playing G/D/G. Keep the tempo where it is until you’re able to fix these issues. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to inject a bit more tempo to make the tune more “jig-like.” Best of luck!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Robbie Barrett 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿           Tunes: Glasgow city police pipers      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Robbie. Thanks for sharing your performance. My main suggestion would be to slow down! It’s easy to get going too fast with jigs especially in a competition situation. A slower tempo would allow you to focus on keeping your execution cleaner. There are a few areas I would suggest focusing on execution-wise. First, try to eliminate the crossing noises. This tune includes a lot of transitions between top and bottom hand notes which means ample opportunities for crossing noises. Slowing down should allow you to reduce and eventually eliminate these crossing noises. Only speed up when you’re able to play slowly with no crossing noises. The other area you can work on is to tighten up your grace notes; the low G, D, and E grace notes in particular. Without a bit more snap in these movements, it’s difficult to play the timing of the triplet movements correctly. I think you’ll find improvements in these two areas will greatly improve your playing in all idioms. Best of luck!
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Event 15. Grade 4 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ruaridh Martynoga 🇳🇿           Tunes: Atholl Highlanders      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Ruaridh. Some good playing here! I’m not a fan of this tune setting of Atholl Highlanders as most of the embellishments have been removed. I suspect this may be a band setting. You might consider a different version of this tune or another tune altogether for solo purposes. Having said that, you did a nice job of executing the tune. Some sloppiness in the second and third parts, but overall pretty clean. Your tempo was appropriate, but there were some moments of slowing down and speeding up. Practicing with a metronome can help you identify these spots. Pipes were steady throughout. Drones well tuned. Chanter may be a bit sharp on top hand. Overall, a good performance. Well done!
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ken Maclean 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: Athol & Breadalbane Gathering, Highland Harry & Colonel MacLeod      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Lovely chanter sound however the drones could be a little closer to the low A. Make sure to blow out the top hand, it's a little raspy at times. March - Lovely and swingy, great technique as well. Most enjoyable. Strathspey - Nicely played, perhaps on the safe side. Great technique overall, a few misses in the third part. Reel - Again, very nice and flowy but just a tad on the safe side. Low A to C doublings, try to lift the G gracenote finger a little high to get maximum clarity. Overall a cracking performance, well done!
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Philip Duthie 🇬🇧      Place: 2      Tunes: Hugh Kennedy, Dorrator Bridge, Fiona Macleod      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice drone sound, top hand is a little sharp. Drones drifting in the strathspey March - Nice intro into the tune. This has some nice expression at times. A tad safe however. Technically pretty good however the tachums in the 4th bar of each part could be a little tidier. Overall, very enjoyable. Great birls! Strathspey - Lovely transition here. Technically very good! Musically great and well expressed but again a little on the safe side. Reel - Lovely transition. Nice tempo, don't be afraid to bring it up slightly though. The groups of 4 quavers (albeit dot/cut) come across a tad square at times. Musical playing nonetheless. Great performance here, huge potential, lovely playing, most enjoyable — keep up the good work.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Abby Long 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: Dr. E. G. MacKinnon, Monymusk, Malcolm Johnston      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice, well-balanced. March - great musicality and swing, try not to be early with the Birl in the first part. Also, the final 2-bar phrase is rushed a little from time to time. Technically spot on for the most the part, great darados! Strathspey - Try and ease into the tune a little more. Musically very well played with great expression and technique throughout. Reel - Again, the transition could have been a little smoother. Very musically played here, a wee blip in the 3rd part perhaps? Nevertheless cracking playing and a great choice of tune. Loads of potential here, great performance - keep up the good work!
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jared Ong 🇸🇬      Place: 4      Tunes: March: David Ross of Rosehall, Strathspey: The Caledonian Society of London, Reel: Pretty Marion      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Lovely sound, the room is a little echoey but still sounds good, perhaps the drones could be a little closer to the low A. High G a little sharp. March - Try and ease into the tune a little more. Great tempo and expression throughout with some great technique on display. Try not to increase the tempo in the fourth part, rushing in places Strathspey - Transition could have been a little smoother. Great musicality and expression here until the final 2 bars of the 2nd part where there was some rushing. A few inaccuracies at times as well. Reel - lively and musical although perhaps this could have had a little more expression to it. It's a little on the pipe-bandy side. A few inaccuracies in the 5th part as well. Birls are good for the most part but a few wonky ones here and there as well. Well done Jared. This was a solid performance and you should be most proud of it. A few things to work on but on the whole well done, keep up the good work! N.B Please introduce your tunes before you play.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Noah Mittwer 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: Mrs. John MacColl, Caledonian Canal, Alick C. MacGregor      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice drone sound, chanter blending well too. March - Make sure the E doubling at the start is as solid as the rest of the E doublings in the tune. Technically sound, musically swinging, great tempo - well done. The D throws could be a little more embedded in the tune. A wee wrong note in the 3rd and 4th parts (C instead of a D). Try and point the C in the 8th bar of each part. Strathspey - Good transition and well expressed. Low g to B has a few crossing noises at times Reel - nicely played, cracking tempo. A few technical misses here and there however. Overall a very enjoyable, musical performance — well done.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Michael Custodia 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band, Susan MacLeod, Traditional.      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes- Nice chanter sound here however the drones aren't quite locked in with the low A. Play a slow air and have a wee tune to settle the pipes. March - very nicely played here, great swing and music. Technically sound as well. Try to express the first beat of the bars (especially bars 7 and 8 of each part) a little more to deliver maximum expression. Strathspey - Try and ease into the tune a little more from the March. Very well played, again a little more expression wouldn't hurt. Try and get the 'Strong', part of the pulses a little expressed. Overall good though. Reel - Good transition however, again, ease into the tune a little more. This was well played, try and practice it with the double tap though to help any rushing off the 'off-beat.' On the whole, a solid performance, well done.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Carsten Christiansen 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Iron Division, The Lad that Wears the Plaid, The Blackberry Bush.      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice chanter sound however the drones aren't quite locked. March - nice tempo here, good expression. Technique is good, tachums could be a little clearer however. The C in bar 8 could be a little more expressed. Strathspey - Decent transition, but ease into the tune a little more. Good understanding of the idiom. Technique could be a little more accurate. 4th part runs are a little quick at times. Reel - Better transitions. Crossing noises are evident in this tune. A wee wrong note? Slightly on the safe side in tempo as well. Overall a great effort here.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Chris Tabram 🇦🇺           Tunes: Siege of Deli, Rose Among the Heather, Lachlan McPhail      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice drones however the chanter could be a little more refined, F is a little flat. March - Lovely expression throughout, try not to rush the bars 3-4 of the bars. 3rd part could be a little cleaner with the toarluaths. 4th part a few crossing noises. Very nice, bright tempo though with some lovely expression at times. Strathspey - Great transition. Playing on the safe side for me however. Technically much better however though. Reel - Good transition here. 4th bar in each part is slightly rushed. Nice tempo here though. An enjoyable performance, well done.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: David Smylie 🇳🇿           Tunes: John MacDonald of Glencoe, Maggie Cameron, Loch Carron      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice chanter sound, drones aren't bad but could be slightly closer. March - The tempo here is quite brisk which can lead to some inaccuracies in the technique. Try to slow the tempo down and bring out the technique and musical nuances in the phrases. Strathspey - This is a much better tempo, though try not to play it too fast. Although this was well played I felt you could have brought more expression out of the tune, try and express the first beat of the bar. Reel - Good transition here, again a few little inaccuracies here and there due to a brisk tempo. A few wee things to work on, still an enjoyable performance.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Edon Abbot 🇦🇺           Tunes: The Abercairney Highlanders, Susan Macleod, The Sheepwife      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Lovely chanter sound, drones could be slightly closer. March - Lovely playing, technically sound from the most part. There are little bits of rushing to the 'off-beat' from time to time in the march. A few crossing noises in the 4th part. Good march playing though with some nice expression. Strathspey - Musical playing here, doublings are generally very good, a few wee inaccuracies here and there though. This also could have had a little more expression, try and pull out the first beat of the bar a little more. Reel - Transition here good, a little on the brisk side but musically played. Some tachums are very good and others aren't as accurate, try and be a little more consistent. Again a little more expression to be had here. Overall a good stab at some tough tunes. A few chokes here and there in the strathspey. However, there is much potential here though, keep up the good work!
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Glen-mary Christopher 🇨🇦           Tunes: The Royal Scottish Pipers' Society, The Ewe Wi' the Crooked Horn, Thompson's Dirk      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Generally nice however overall it could be slightly more refined. March - The tempo here is quite brisk which can lead to some inaccuracies in the technique. Try to slow the tempo down and bring out the technique and musical nuances in the phrases. Strathspey - Good expression This is a much better tempo. Although this was well played I felt you could have brought more expression out of the tune, try and express the first beat of the bar. A few technical inaccuracies at times, try and make everything as good as your D throws. Reel - Good transition here, again a few little inaccuracies here and there. Well played but a wee slip in the middle. Technically very good but could be more musical overall. There is much potential here, keep up the good work.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jack Lang 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿           Tunes: Alan Dodd’s Farewell To Scotland, Susan McLeod, The Rejected Suitor      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice drone sound but it could be closer to the low A. March - Try and ease into the tune a little better. Technically sound (D doublings are excellent, try and make top hand doublings as good), musically sound but could have a little more expression on the longer notes. The 4th bar of each is quite round. Overall a good march. Strathspey - Technically superb in the first part. A few crossing noises in the second part. The Darado needs a little practice, try and embed it into the melody a little more. Reel - Good transition. A little on the safe side, try and make this as lively as the strathspey. First two were great technically but this dipped a little in the second two parts. All in all a cracking performance, Jack, with much potential. Well done.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Joseph Gallagher 🇺🇸           Tunes: Donald MacLean's Farewell to Oban, Captain Colin Campbell and Sound of Sleat.      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Lovely chanter sound however the drones could be slightly more refined. March- Lovely expression in the tune throughout. Cracking technique as well. Perhaps a little safe overall. Slightly rushing in the 3rd part and in the first phrase of the 4th part. Strathspey- Lovely playing here, again a little safe at times however you captured the strathspey idiom very nicely. A slight choke in the 4th part. Reel- This was nicely played. The opening motif could have been slightly cleaner. Technically sound thereafter but could be slightly brighter in tempo, on the safe side. Cracking performance here Joe, much potential!
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Kathryn McEwan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿           Tunes: Arthur Bignold of Lochrosque, Arniston Castle, The Blackberry Bush      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Generally ok but could be refined a tad. High G a little sharp. March - Good tempo with good expression. Technically sound but a few inaccuracies with the melody and a few doublings. Also, the last note before the final 2-bars in each part is a C not a D. Otherwise great playing. Strathspey - The transition was good but try to ease into the tune a little more. Generally again a nice bright tempo and some very musical moments. However, there are a few inaccuracies coming through technically. Reel - Much better transition here with great musical flow. Again, just a few inaccuracies cropping up here and there. Overall a good performance with lots of potential, keep up the good work.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Laura McEwan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿           Tunes: Lady Lever Park, Peter Hunt, Alan Minty      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Generally ok but could be a little more refined. High G a little sharp. March - Good tempo with good expression. Technically sound but a few inaccuracies with the melody and a few doublings. Try to express the first beat of the 2-bar phrase. A little bit of rushing in the 3rd part as well. Otherwise great playing. Strathspey - The transition was good but try to ease into the tune a little more and bring the tempo up a little. Some very musical moments however, there are a few inaccuracies coming through technically. Great choice of tune! Reel - Much better transition here with great musical flow. Again, just a few inaccuracies cropping up here and there. Movements that have G-D-Es are a little rushed at times. Another great choice of tune. Overall a good performance with lots of potential, keep up the good work.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Lee McLeod 🇺🇸           Tunes: Colin Thompson, Highland Harry, Sound of Sleat      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Lovely drone sound, chanter could blend a little more. Drones didn't quite hold to the end. March - A little on the safe side for me. Technically sound however. Good expression, if the tempo comes up then the musical aspect would be greatly improved. A few tachums are a little untidy also. A few wee inaccuracies from time to time Strathspey - Good transition. Great expression here as well. Again, a little safe for me. Technically very well played. Reel - Lovely transition. Best tune for tempo out of the lot. A wee hesitation in the 2nd part. Musical with decent technique throughout. Slight disruption of flow in reel. Well done.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Leon Lee 🇬🇧           Tunes: The 79th Farewell to Gibraltar, Caledonian Canal, Lexy McAskill      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice chanter sound here, drones could be slightly closer to the low A. March - Nice and clean technique here, a decent tempo to play as well. A wee slip in the 2nd part. Try not to rush the last line of the march. Gracenote strikes on B were a little inaccurate at times as well. Strathspey - Again, technically sound but the tempo is a little safe for my liking, try and bring the tempo up a little to liven the tune. A few crossing noises crept in as well. Reel - A much better tempo here for the reel. The transition was good but it doesn't have to be a pipe band transition for a solo contest. A few chokes here and there, otherwise a great performance, well done.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Marie Hollinger 🇺🇸           Tunes: Iron Division, Dornie Ferry, Lexi McAskill      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - The drones sound good from here, chanter blending nicely with a few notes on the top a tad sharp. March - A good tempo here with decent expression. The half doubling on F are a little too open and are getting in the way of the melodic flow. Technically ok but a few inaccuracies at times. Strathspey - Technically much better than the march which is great, A tad on the safe side, don't be scared to bring the tempo up. very well played, a wee mistake in the last line of the tune. Reel - Decent transition here, try and express this tune as well as the strathspey. Technically sound although the chanter starts to chirp a little towards the end. On the whole a good performance with much promise.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Max Busboom 🇺🇸           Tunes: Lady Lever Park, Susan MacLeod, The Smith of Chilliechassie      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Chanter is lovely however the drones could be slightly closer to the low A. March - A tad on the slow side. Try not to march on the half beat, there are only 2 beats per bar in the 2/4 march - this made the tune drag significantly. Technically very well executed. Strathspey - Good transition, again a little slow for and could be brighter in tempo. Technically very good however. Reel - as above. Technically this performance was very good. However, musically it was a little safe and on the slow side, especially the 2/4 march. Much potential in the playing so keep up the good work.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Neill Hannah 🇦🇺           Tunes: Donald MacLean's Farewell to Oban, The Caledonian Canal, The Sound of Sleat      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Great drone sound, the chanter could be a little more refined. March - lovely tempo here with some decent technique coming through. Try not to over express the 2nd part of the march. A few minor crossing noises coming through in the 3rd part. try and make this as accurate as your E doublings. A wee slip in the march? Strathspey - Good transition, a little clipped from time, mainly from E-C to A. Overall nicely presented. Reel - Decent transition. Musical and fairly tidy. A few minor inaccuracies throughout however. Generally when you play C with a D grace note the C gets lost which is a melody note, it needs to be heard. On the whole a lovely performance, well done.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Peter Duncan 🇳🇿           Tunes: Siege of Delhi, John Roy Stewart, High road to Linton      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Good chanter sound, I feel the drones could be a little closer to the low A. March - cracking start the tune, try not to over-clip the low As. Technically very good, 3rd part embellishments could be a little more open. Overall, very nicely presented. Try to express the C in bar 8 of each part. Strathspey - try and ease into the tune a little better. Nicely expressed. Technically sound as well, make sure the E grace note is audible however. Reel - Much better transition. Very musical playing, try and make the B doubling in the last bar very clear. A most enjoyable performance, well done.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Richard Christiansen 🇺🇸           Tunes: King George V’s Army, The Lad that Wears the Plaid, Captain Lachlan MacPhail of Tiree.      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice drone sound however the chanter could be a little more refined. March - Good tempo and good tempo at times. Try and embed the grace notes/doublings into the melody a little more, they are getting in the way of the melodic flow. Strikes are very well played in the 4th part. Strathspey - A good transition here. Musically a little square at times. Great effort with the technique in the 3rd part however there were a few inaccuracies overall in the tune. Reel - Great transition here. The playing on the top is nice and clean however the bottom hand playing isn't quite as accurate, try and balance this out a little. Lovely performance, keep up the good work.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Stu Budden 🇳🇿           Tunes: John MacDonald of Glencoe, Maggie Cameron, Loch Carron      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice stable drone sound here, the chanter could be a little more refined, the high G is a tad sharp. March - Very lively and musical, perhaps on the pipe-band-y side. There were a few wee technical parts that could be a little tidier, such as bottom hand doublings and tachum. Strathspey - Capturing the strathspey idiom very nicely. A very nice tempo here as well. Again, a few bottom hand doublings could be a little tider. Try to make them as good as the top hand ones. Reel - Transition could be a little smoother here also. Overall very nice, lively and musical. 3rd part could be a little cleaner however the 4th part technically is very well executed, try and make it a little more consistent. Overall an enjoyable performance, well done.
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Thomas Kunz 🇩🇪           Tunes: PM Willy Grace Farewell to the Glasgow City Police / Maggie Cameron / Colonel McLeod      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice drone sound, chanter although blending well could be slightly more refined — F slightly sharp, a drone reed is also taking too much air. March - Great start to the tune, lovely and swingy with nice expression. Good technique, a few inconsistencies here and there however, mainly tachums in the final phrase of each part. Strathspey - Decent transition. Lovely expression and great bottom technique throughout, watch the runs at times in the 4th part. Reel - Good tempo however try and ease into the tune a little more. Musical playing though not as technically accurate as the strathspey. A most enjoyable performance, well done!
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Event 16. Grade 3 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Vincent Guinnane 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Duke of Roxeburghe's Farewell to The Blackmount Forest, Lady Loudon, Bessie McIntyre      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice chanter sound sound however the drone could slightly closer to the chanter March - Try and ease into the tune a little more. Technically sound, try and express the first beat of the two-bar phrase and try not to play the tachums early. Slightly round 3rd part. 4th part sligh rushing off the beat. Nice tempo Strathspey - Nice transition and a nice bright tempo here. I felt there could be a little more dot-cut throughout. Reel - very nice transition here. Nicely played here, try not to rush the endings of phrases at the end of parts. A slight slip perhaps? Overall, most enjoyable, well done.
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Alex Taylor 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: Mrs. Lily Christie      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo and timing throughout tune! 2nd part a slight catch at end of 2nd timing on repeat. 3rd part Nice 4th part Nice Overall very well done with lots of 6/8 lilt and excellent timing. Drones not quite locked to Low A but a pleasing sound maintained from start to finish. With only a slight push in pressure toward the end resulting in a maxed pitch for High A! Well done!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Peter Duncan 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Meleana's wedding      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Aggressive tempo but playing consistently! 2nd part Nice 3rd part Nice 4th part Nice Overall lots of drive and playing with lots of confidence throughout. Drones not quite locked to Low A detracting from your overall chanter quality sound. Otherwise, an excellent display of 6/8 march playing! Well done!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ken Maclean 🇦🇺      Place: 3      Tunes: PM Donald Maclean of Lewis      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo 1st part well done 2nd part good 3rd part good 4th part good Overall very well done! Nice bagpipe and I felt you could add a bit more pressure overall to really bring out the true beauty in your chanter which would enhance your quality of sound even more! Solid 6/8 playing and an enjoyable performance!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Abby Long 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Dornoch Highland Gathering      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo! 1st part nice, consistent 6/8 rhythm to start and bagpipe was very enjoyable! 2nd part nice 3rd part nice 4th part nice Overall very well played with poise and control on an excellent instrument! Well done!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Neill Hannah 🇦🇺      Place: 5      Tunes: Donald MacLean of Lewis      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Solid tempo to start tune off! A tad early to the E doublings in the first part to start bar 2. 2nd part Good 3rd part Good 4th part okay but again a little early to the E doublings on the 2nd time ending. Overall well done on a nice instrument controlled from start to finish. Just a little pushed in the open phrase as mentioned heading to the E doublings pulling you out of the 6/8 swing. Loosen up your hands a bit to give yourself more freedom (staying longer on notes and then being able to move freely and in time to the next beat note as was the issue in the opening phrase). Well done!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Stu Budden 🇳🇿      Place: 6      Tunes: Meleana’s Wedding      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo Solid first part playing in time. Watch you don't cut the short B up to D at the part ending as sometimes not audible. 2nd part - solid other than the above comment pertaining to the short B. 3rd part - good and slight chirp to Low G 4th part good Overall well done on a nice, full sounding instrument you had control of from start to finish. Nice 6/8 lilt throughout but watch you don't overcut short notes which could be the result of a little too much tension on your grip of the chanter. Relaxing more will magically thicken up your short notes I commented about above in most cases and will be less taxing on your hands! Regardless, well done and very enjoyable!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: David Smylie 🇳🇿           Tunes: Meleana's Wedding      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo If you can try to use a more natural walk which will assist in settling you down and provide you with a more consistent cadence similar to a metronome. 1st part - good 2nd part - good 3rd part slight catch on first time through after the birl phrase at end of line. 4th okay Overall drones not quite locked together and not quite on with Low A detracting from your overall sound. You have nice hands and you have a nice sense of the music but I believe if you can work on a more natural and effortless walk it will provide you with a more consistent rhythm which will enhance your presentation. Relaxing your hands and staying in time will enhance your overall performance and of course as you mentioned yourself, fatigue can contribute to slight catches and pushing the beat. You have good hands and can get this done! Well done!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Edon Abbot 🇦🇺           Tunes: Cameron MacFadyen      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice Tempo 1st part good but a little rushed at endings going up to the High G. 2nd part Nice here — slight choke on repeat of part. 3rd part Nice here — need to be on Low A more at the part endings contributing to being early to the High G as mentioned above. 4th part Nice Overall well done - Nice pipe and felt that it was a little underblown contributing to the choke. The part endings were not quite the same as the rest of your performance in terms of maintaining a nice consistent beat (staying in 6/8 rhythm/lilt). As mentioned a little more weight on the Low A to start bar 7 and then don't rush to the short E prior to the High G will keep you in time and really enhance your presentation. Show excellent promise well done!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Glen-mary Christopher 🇨🇦           Tunes: Angus MacKinnon      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Aggressive tempo Light C doubling in first part 2nd Part - Nice 3rd Part - Okay 4th Part - Okay Overall a shade quick in presentation of 6/8 march and some bottom hand work was a little light and pushed at part endings where you need to play a C doubling and a B strike (then wait) and put the G grace note to start the second B strike to fill out the beat and stay in rhythm. At the tempo presented you will have less time to play all of this technique unless you can stay in perfect time. Suggestion is to slow down a tad and let your great hands have the opportunity to be in time. Nice pipe!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Gonzalo Quezada 🇨🇱           Tunes: Pibroch of Donald Dhu      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Good tempo well done! 1st part - good 2nd part - good 3rd part - good 4th part - a little laboured with the strikes here in the last part pulling you out of the 6/8 rhythm you were consistent with for the other three parts. Overall very well done and other than last part very good sense of "lilt" rhythm in 6/8's. Keep your hands relaxed and find that same rhythm in the 4th part to complete your presentation which was delivered on a very nice pipe! Well done!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jack Lang 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿           Tunes: Pipe Major Sam Scott      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Aggressive tempo! A little pushed coming from High G to F doubling in 1st part. 2nd part again a tad pushed in delivery. Nice in 3rd part 4th part a little loss of timing due to over-expression. Overall a good presentation and you have excellent hands and control of your pipe. You need to establish a more consistent rhythm by staying in time first then, add some expression to really bring out the 6/8 lilt. To start, just walk and put the notes right on the beat to the natural cadence of your walk which is why we march (human metronome). Drones not quite locked together but pretty good pipe! Good stuff!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Joseph Gallagher 🇺🇸           Tunes: Angus MacKinnon      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: A little careful with tempo but liked your consistency here in terms of tempo. Technically pretty good other than in the 4th part where you lost a little bit of timing and not putting your E finger down when playing the short High G's in between the High A's. Your bagpipe was very good and you had control over it from start to finish! Overall there was some loss of timing that popped up throughout the tune and I believe just keeping up your practice and maybe utilizing a metronome will help here. You were never behind and slightly pushing at times which means you could push up your tempo but be mindful that your tempo needs to be consistent no matter what pace you choose. Showing excellent potential, keep at it!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Kathryn McEwan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿           Tunes: John MacColl's Farewell to the Scottish Horse      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo 1st part the D grace notes were a little big in here inhibiting the proper rhythm in tacchums. 2nd part good 3rd part good 4th part good Overall very nice 6/8 march played with confidence on an okay bagpipe with drones not quite locked together or in tune with Low A detracting from the overall quality of sound. Try to make your D grace notes a little smaller so that there is more precision in your tacchums and doublings as was mentioned above. I realize asking you to slide your bottom hand back a bit may interfere with your birl however it may be something to try with the intent to relax your hands (will provide more freedom of mobility) and assist in making D grace note smaller which will in turn create more precise technique (crisp). Well done!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Laura McEwan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿           Tunes: Pipe Major Donald MacLean of Lewis      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Good tempo! Drones not quite locked together and with the Low A detracting from the quality of sound. 1st part well played 2nd part good 3rd part need a little more E before the E strikes as they are coming across as tight and laboured 4th part rushing to E doubling after the E strikes and needing to wait a little longer . Overall well done! Just a little tight with the E strikes in 3rd part major criticism where you need to establish the same 6/8 rhythm/lilt (1 . . . 2, 3) with the E on pulse 2 prior to the strike on pulse 3. Good stuff!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Lee McLeod 🇺🇸           Tunes: Donald McLean of Lewis      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo! Not always clean in the opening bar Low A, short B with a D grace note and down to Low G with an E grace note . . . grace notes a little big! 2nd part good and again a little tight on 2nd time ending (see above). 3rd part Nice 4th part E strikes are tight (choked) need more E prior to the actual Strike but need to do all this in time. Overall a solid performance on a nice pipe! Some bottom hand technical things to look at: i) smaller D grace notes and relaxed hands will assist in creating more accuracy in the first bar in the 1st part. ii) 4th part you could loosen up your hand and ensure you play an E before the E strikes coming from the High G. Show excellent promise keep at it!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Noah Mittwer 🇺🇸           Tunes: Miss Ishabel T. MacDonald      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo! Light birl at end of 2nd part but otherwise solid 3rd part a little pushed to the grips on C (relax and trust your skill). 4th part Good but again a little pushed with grip in 2nd timing. Overall well done! Would like you to march just to settle you down a tad as the 1st part had some feeling of being pushed but got better as you went. Relax your hands and this should assist in more flow and freedom about the chanter and most likely fix your grips on C. Well done and pipe okay!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Philip Duthie 🇬🇧           Tunes: Bruce Gandys farewell to the Iron horse      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Tempo okay to start. 1st part the ending phrase the short Low A before the grip on B is not audible. 2nd part coming off the High A early pulling you out of 6/8 rhythm creating a pushed feel here. 3rd part there was a wrong note going up to High G at start of 4th bar consistently (setting?) 4th part, wait for the beat on short High G in bar 4 and where this occurs following — you are slightly early here and again pulls you out of the 6/8 rhythm creating a pushed feel again. Overall and enjoyable performance on a decent bagpipe with drones not quite locked. At times you are pushing the beat pulling you out of rhythm which also can contribute to missing short notes (ie. the short Low A before the B grip at the part endings). Another side issue for the above is gripping too hard on the chanter preventing the free movement of fingers about the chanter. Try to loosen up a bit and see if this improves some of the comments mentioned above and you have the tools to do this easily!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Richard Christiansen 🇺🇸           Tunes: Dovecote Park      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo to start tune! 1st part the Taorluath was not clean on the first time through and better on repeat. 2nd part C NOT D in last bar to the Low A? 3rd part missing some notes and slight catches coming through here. 4th okay Overall you have a good sense of music for 6/8 marches but some big grace notes are interfering with the clear delivery of technique (ie., E, short C and small D grace note to the Low A — When D grace note is too big the result is a D sounding as mentioned above). Loosen up your hands and work on small grace notes which will give you freedom of movement. Pipe okay but drones not in tune detracting from the overall quality of sound.
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Thomas Kunz 🇩🇪           Tunes: The 10th batalion highland infantry crossing the rhine      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo for 6/8 Slight catch going from D to F in 1st part Nice 2nd part Again slight crossing noises Low A, short C to E 4th part good other than a slight crossing noise at part ending. Overall well done on a nice pipe. Just some little crossing noises creeping in — Keep you bottom hand relaxed to allow more mobility about the chanter which will also most likely fix up the slight crossing noises. You have a nice feel for 6/8 lilt and your instrument was nice!
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Event 17. Grade 3 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Vincent Guinnane 🇺🇸           Tunes: Farewell to the Creeks      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo and timing - Lovely pipe! A little quick on the repeat of the 2nd part (C to E) Mistakes in the 3rd part near the start. 4th part nice Your recording had some audio distortion but overall a nice 6/8 played on a nicely tuned and controlled bagpipe. Well done!
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Thomas Kunz 🇩🇪      Place: 1      Tunes: Glasgow City Police Piper      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one Thomas! Thanks for this. Smooth mature jig presentation. Consistent pace and feel evident. Strong clean fingerwork. Clear rhythmic triplets and High A strikes. Very nice pipe with nice balance. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Alex Taylor 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: Alan MacPherson of Mosspark      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one Alex. Thanks for this. Nice pace and jig feel here. Pipe well set with good balance. Good rhythmic triplets, nice B taps, clear fingerwork evident. Keep up the good work. Thanks — Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Peter Duncan 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: Fittie Boatmen      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: A nice tune Peter. Thanks for this. Nice pace and rhythmic jig feel. Triplets and runs consistent. Strong fingerwork and nice birls. Pipes well set. Keep up the good work. Thanks! Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Carsten Christiansen 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Cork Hill.      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one Carsten. Thanks for this. Nice pace and feel with consistent rhythmic triplet feel. Pipes well set. Fingerwork is coming along nicely . . . taps and doubling are quite strong. Keep up the good work. Thanks, Shaunna.
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Stu Budden 🇳🇿      Place: 5      Tunes: Cridhe Ur Annag      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thanks Stu, nice one! An unusual Jig tune. Nice even tempo and feel. Good spirit evident. Nice rhythmic triplets on a consistent blown pipe. Flowing well. Nice back hits. Good setup and technique. Enjoyed this. Keep up the good work. Thanks, Shaunna.
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Abby Long 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: James MacLellan's Favourite      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi Abby - Nice one here. Blowing well and jig pace and feel are coming along. A few wee moments of tempo dips when a tougher technical demands approach. Watch in P2 for clean fingering F to B taps — not always closing the B finger when going back up to F. Keep the tempo going and bump it up a bit to full effect. Triplets aim to keep the effect smooth for all not combinations. Lots of potential. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Chris Tabram 🇦🇺           Tunes: Glasgow City Police      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thanks Chris for this! Hi A is very flat, Drones ok. Some rushing through the triplets — aim to keep them all smooth and consistent for a full jig effect. Watch the flow of P2, Some over holding. Lost rhythmic feel in P3. Wee bobble in P4. Keep up the efforts! Thanks! Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: David Smylie 🇳🇿           Tunes: Corkhill      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one David. Thanks for this. Brisk tempo here. Some the rushed triplets — aim to keep them smooth and consistent. Nice Pipe, well set. Small Choke. Keep up the good efforts. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Edon Abbot 🇦🇺           Tunes: Nelson Mandela Welcome to the City of Glasgow      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi Edon. Thanks for this. Tempo is VERY brisk here at 136 BPM. Try and pull the tempo down to 115-120. Playing just ahead of your own toe tap. Aim to securely land the beat notes directly on your toe tap when it touches the floor. Some triplets are crushed. Aim for a smooth and thymic triplet feel and spread them across the time provided, with the G grace note of the triplet on the toe tap. The E grace notes are often forgotten about and those ones can be arriving early. Drones are squealing on the bag strike. Have a look at the bridle position. Wee choke Lots of potential! Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Gonzalo Quezada 🇨🇱           Tunes: Banjo Breakdown      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: A nice studio set up Gonzalo. The G grace note is not evident on any of the C doublings today and are omitted. Each C doubling is needing a strong G Grace note. A nice pace and feel. Nice taps with nice triplets. Pipe is well blown and Tempo ok. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jack Lang 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿           Tunes: Judge’s Dilemma      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thanks Jack for this. A few wee spots where catches and chokes are evident today. Aim to smooth out your triplets to achieve a consistent rhythmic jig feel. Key in on your ending phrase to improve the overall tune as well. Good effort on your pipe, sounding a bit dry. Keep working hard! Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Joseph Gallagher 🇺🇸           Tunes: CorkHill      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi Joe. THanks for this! The Jig tempo here is a shade slow - aim for consistent flow and feel. Triplets are coming along but still need work to make them smooth and even. The tune is a shade laboured. A few wee pauses. Looks like a nice spot and a nice temperature. PIpe quite well set. Keep up the good effort! Thanks, Shaunna.
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ken Maclean 🇦🇺           Tunes: Piper's Bonnet      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thanks for this ! The rhythmic aspect of this jig coming along — keep working on the pace and to increase the tempo a wee bit more. The technical aspect of gracenotes and birls quite strong, but the triplets are a bit mechanical in feel. 94 BPM is tough, so go for it and let it go a bit more. Drones are slightly overpowering the chanter. Lots of potential! Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Laura McEwan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿           Tunes: I Laid a Herring In Salt      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi Laura, Love your dog. A very nice effort on a good pipe. A thoughtful tune, perhaps a wee bit over controlled. Watch the D grip to LowA for consistency. aim for the full note value on the D first. Just slightly early to the birls. Tempo was ok... bit of an increase would help the feel. Lots of potential! Thanks! Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Leon Lee 🇬🇧           Tunes: McGuire's Jig      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi Leon Thanks for this! Tempo is a wee bit slow today. The overall effect is a bit laboured from a musical aspect. Strong B taps and F doublings. You have the right idea for the triplets. but let it go a bit more to achieve a full rhythmic jig feel. Drones are wavering from the start. Nice chanter set up. Thanks! - Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Max Busboom 🇺🇸           Tunes: Alex MacDonald      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Lots of potential, Max. Pipe chanter ok, but drone sound was wavering heavily** and below the standard of the class. You have nice strong hands. Strong gracenotes and throws. Tempo here was slightly too slow (95 BPM) and had a slight 6/8 pointy march feel. Not quite a dynamic jig feel yet. It's close . . . but let it go a bit more for the full jig effect. Lots of Potential for a bright piping future. Fix your drones. Keep working hard. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Michael Custodia 🇺🇸           Tunes: MacGuire’s Jig      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thanks Michael for this! Nice pace and feel for you Jig. Pipe is slightly chirpy at moments. B taps not always closing to Low G. A few crossing noises when changing from top hand to bottom. Pipe is slightly chirpy. Drones are wavering slightly from the start. Lots of potential! - Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Noah Mittwer 🇺🇸           Tunes: St Ninians Parish Centre Ceilidh      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: HI Noah! Thanks for this. St. Ninian’s Parish . . . a lovely tune with challenging technique. Nice efforts. Pace and feel ok. Chedre movements need to be clearer to add full effect and impact. Birls in P3 are overvalued vs time available, aim to snap them and be right on time for those. Overall pitch is low, but pleasant. Hi A is flat, drones set well. A small chirpy presence with occasional grace notes. Keep working hard. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 18. Grade 3 Piping - Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Vincent Guinnane 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Judge's Dilemma      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thanks Vincent for this. Tempo ok, The rhythmic feel is lacking in spots with a slight marchy feel. Aim to have smooth consistent triplets with equal gracenote presence for full effect. Small fingering catches and wee pause P2 to P3. Watch for blowing as a few hairline chokes evident. Keep working hard. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 19. Grade 3 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Noah Mittwer 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: Donald Macleod      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Good control overall. Instrument: Nice sound overall. It's a flatter pitch overall. High A is very flat. D is flat. Good drone tuning. Some pressure spikes. Chanter sharpened just a bit. Technique: Very strong technique. Slight E to High A crossing noise. Not all thumb grace notes are projecting. Overall: Very good playing, Noah. Good rhythmic control on a solid bagpipe with clean technique.
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Event 19. Grade 3 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ken Maclean 🇦🇺      Place: 2      Tunes: Lucy Cassidy      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: On the slow side for a hornpipe. Steady. Instrument: Good drone tuning! Flat high G. Well-set chanter overall. Technique: A few out-of-sync gracenotes. Some muddy birls. Overall: A strong performance of a very difficult tune, Ken. As your technique is able, you can speed up the tempo some. Very nice instrument and overall technique!
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Event 19. Grade 3 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Stu Budden 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: Duncan Johnston      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Nice control! Band setting of this tune has some technique removed. Instrument: Well-set drones! Quite sharp overall pitch with a sharp High G and High A. Technique: Just the odd out-of-sync grace note, such as the D gracenote from B to Low A in measure 2 of part 3. Overall: Nice playing, Stu! You are showcasing great rhythmic poise in this tune. Solid drone tuning, just a bit of sharpness on the top hand. Watch the out-of-sync grace notes. Very solid technique overall. Well done and best of luck this season!
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Event 19. Grade 3 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Michael Custodia 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Desert Storm      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Good rhythmic control and well-defined syncopated rhythms. Instrument: Drones aren't in tune from the start. Your chanter is sharp to the drones. Technique: An indistinct birl at times. Just the odd crossing. Make sure strikes on D fully close in part 3. Overall: Good playing of a difficult tune, Michael. Work on drone tuning as this will be the biggest improvement to your performance. Some very good technique is on display here!
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Event 19. Grade 3 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Laura McEwan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿      Place: 5      Tunes: Piper's Controversy      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Slow tempo for a hornpipe. Good control. Just make sure not to rush off any 1/8 note rhythms. Instrument: Drones not totally locked, flat to the chanter. Sharp High G, E, and D. Technique: Nice technique! Overall: Nice playing, Laura! While the tempo is on the slow side, you are making a good job of it and playing with musical control. I might recommend a pointed-style dot-cut hornpipe, rather than a round/even hornpipe, as those will sound better at a slower tempo. Work on drone tuning. Perhaps you are under-blowing when holding a Low A for tuning, as the chanter was sharp when playing your tune. Really nice technique - this was the highlight for me!
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Event 19. Grade 3 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Thomas Kunz 🇩🇪      Place: 6      Tunes: Sandy's New Chanter      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Steady control of the even 1/16 note subdivision. You are demonstrating solid syncopation as well. Lost some poise in the fourth part. Instrument: Great drone tuning! Sharp F# and D. Technique: A handful of crossing noises when changing hands. Great birls. Overall: Well done, Thomas. You are playing with good musical control on a very well-set bagpipe. Just a couple of sharp intervals. The biggest technical concern is the crossing noises when going from a bottom hand note to a top hand note and vice versa. Best of luck next season!
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Event 19. Grade 3 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Chris Tabram 🇦🇺           Tunes: Straloch Turkey’s      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Solid music overall, but it's too fast for technical mastery and musical stability. Have a look at the music to sort out parts 3 and 4. Instrument: Drones tuned nicely together. Very flat High G, High A, F#. E and D are also flat. You simply need to sink the reed lower in the chanter reed seat. Technique: Some great birls and strikes. In general, it's a bit too fast for total technical control. Overall: You've got the right idea overall. Leaving out some notes in part 3 and a fumble in part 4 hurt you a bit. Just have a look at the sheet music. Playing slower will help your technique and your musical control. Sink your reed in the chanter to help bring balance to the intervals. While you have some strong technique, the tempo is causing a lot of sloppy technique. Control the tempo to let your technique shine. A strong effort, Chris.
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Event 19. Grade 3 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Edon Abbot 🇦🇺           Tunes: The Sandpiper      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Too fast! Losing stability and control in part 3 and part 4. A wee slip/mistake right at the end. Instrument: Drones are set quite well together but are not locked in with Low A. E is flat. Chokes here and there. Technique: Birls from B are not coming through cleanly. Make sure that E strikes fully close to Low A. Overall, it sounds like you have good hands but you are trying to play faster than they can cleanly keep up. Overall: Solid effort, Edon. You are just approaching this difficult tune too aggressively. A slower tempo (and/or an easier tune) will give you more musical and technical control. Make sure that you are blowing your pipe fully out when tuning your drones. The drones were close together but flat to the Low A. Lots of potential - keep at it!
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Event 19. Grade 3 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Max Busboom 🇺🇸           Tunes: Jim Tweedie's Sea Legs      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: On the slower side, but very consistent and expressive playing! Be careful not to rush into the tachum in measure 4 of many of the parts. Fumble in the final part. Instrument: Your drones are unfortunately way out of tune here, set too sharp. Flat E, F#, and D. Choke. Technique: Excellent technique overall! Overall: Lots of potential here, Max. You are playing very good music here. Watch that you don't rush the dot-cut-cut-dot rhythm in measure 4 throughout. Small slip or memory lapse, unfortunately. Better drone tuning will be the biggest improvement that you could make. It's the one constant throughout a performance, so any improvement will make everything sound better. Very strong technique!
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Event 19. Grade 3 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Vincent Guinnane 🇺🇸           Tunes: Joe McGann's Fiddle      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Nice hornpipe tempo with expression! You are starting to rush at the end of part 2. Off the rails for a bit in part 4. Too fast for total musical and technical control. Instrument: Solid drone tuning. Chokes. Sharp F# and a sharp E. Technique: Wee slip in part 3, both times through. You didn't quite cover the chanter in part 4 at one point. Overall: Very strong first half of the hornpipe, Vincent! You sped up and lost some control as you progressed. While I like the tempo you started with, I think you need to slow it down to maintain technical and musical control. Good drone tuning overall. Some sharp chanter intervals. Good technique aside from the slips. Slowing down should give you full control. Well done!
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Abby Long 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: The Glen is mine      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Abby, thanks for your tune. Sweet sounding pipe - well tuned. Ground - fantastic Var 1 - great Var 2 - great Var 3 - nice tempo lift, going well here. LS - solid grips, very good technique LD - wee miss 1st phrase and last phrase TS - nice transition, good T technique TD - good CS - missed first crunluath, slightly tighter now with hands . . . when they're good they're good! needs more consistency. CD - ok CM - pretty good - CAM movement good, just the one miss. Pipe held beautifully, well done, classy tune for this grade.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Noah Mittwer 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: Flame of Wrath for Squinting Patrick      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: HI Noah, lovely bagpipe. Ground bold start, for me just breaking time in 4/5 line 1 and 2. Very good ground. Var 1 - great expression, hint of chirp on low g. Good tempo lift to doubling, again hint of chirp. Great drive. CS - little snatchy into hiharin and double echoes, would like to hear low g soften into these. C technique not always clean. CD - strong drive, again technique not always 100% but close. I really enjoyed this bold tune. Impressive.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Lee McLeod 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: Lament for Mary McLeod      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Lee - tackling a classic here! Nice opening to your tune, drones well tuned. Low A flattish to my ear. Ground - good musical flow and phrasing — occasional dropped hi G gracenote. otherwise good technique. Var 1 - well phrased, doubling nice — watch you maintain 2 bar phrasing throughout these variations. T - strong technique mostly, good playing here. Doubling very good, and nice transition to C. C - occasionally snatching at the C movement, aim for that 1st low g to balance the movement. Otherwise well phrased and expressed. Doubling - the breabach rhythm a little unbalanced and not flowing as well as the other variations, but minor distractions. Really enjoyed this tune, well done.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Philip Duthie 🇬🇧      Place: 4      Tunes: James Macdonald of the Isles Lament      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Philip, thanks for the entry. Drones not quite 100% from outset. F bright, bass not locked. Ground - pretty good, be careful not to fall into a 'beat to beat' pattern, look to create those 2 bar phrases. D Grace note of hiharin and cadences is quite open. NIce grips. Var1 - very nice T - good technique here, solid variation C - c movement pretty good, a little jerky with the linking notes of the breabach movement. Well done, a very strong tune. Enjoyed it thanks.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Craig Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 5      Tunes: Struan Robertsons Salute      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Craig - love the tree! Pleasant sounding pipe. Well tuned. Ground - well phrased and delivered, bright high g. And high A. TS - nice clean technique, again well phrased, drones staying solid. TD - great CS - ok here — quite a tight crunluath movement, would be nice to soften breabach into phrase endings. CD - drones moving slightly now. Really good tune, well handled, composed and mature delivery — bags of potential, keep it up!
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Vincent Guinnane 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Sir James MacDonald of the Isles Lament      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Vincent. Sound quality distracts unfortunately. Pipe in tune, full sound and bold chanter. Ground flowing well musically with good technique. D and F sharp at times. Less commonly heard interpretation with the cadences but consistent. Var 1 - well expressed and phrased T - again well expressed, T movement not consistent, wee choke end of line 1. C - tempo lift a little abrupt and wee error end of line 1. Would prefer to hear smoother breabach interpretation here. Again crunluath technique not consistent. Very strong tune nonetheless, well done.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Glen-mary Christopher 🇨🇦           Tunes: Lament for the Old Sword      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Glen-mary, thanks for entering this event. PIpe quite nice from outset, D a touch bright, piob hi g flattish. Ground - well delivered musically, watch those edre movements are consistent. Nice parsing. Var 1 - watch the timing of the G/E grace notes is consistent, slowing down on occasion. Doubling — good. T - quite tight T technique here. a few missed ones. Wee errors line 2. C - again some movements a little tight/missing. (the good ones are good!) wee error last bar. CM - pretty good but same observations as above, couple of wee chokes. Overall musical tune with a few memory lapses, technical blemishes. Well done.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Jayne Ferlitsch 🇺🇸           Tunes: Salute to Angus of the Chukar Hills      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Jayne, thanks for the entry. Drones nice, D fraction sharp. Lovely melodic piob. Watch the dare on f is consistent. Nice phrasing. Drone stop line 3. T singling - musical interpretation, however the T movement is inconsistent. Double echoes - watch you don't jump in the line endings. T doubling wee change of mind line 2. D taurluaths not always coming through. C singling - well balanced breabach expression, hampered sometimes by C technique. Again jumping into the double echoes. C doubling - memory lapses here but good tempo lift. A very pleasant tune - you're doing lots of good things with this tune — firming up the technique in places would definitely help the tune flow. Well done.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Kathryn McEwan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿           Tunes: Struan Robertson's Salute      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Kathryn, thanks for your entry. Some distortion on recording. drones not in tune. Ground - Interpretation a little clipped. slight rushing in line 2 and 3 ( sliding off high A) hi G is quite sharp. TS - T technique a little tight. TD - good tempo lift CS/CD - C technique inaccurate causing squeals. This was a bit of distraction from the music of these variations. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Ken Maclean 🇦🇺           Tunes: Lament for Donald of Laggan      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Ken thanks for your tune. Pipe quite nice. Ground - error in repeat of line 1, not always catching the 'song' of the ground. Losing the music in places. TS - round interpretation, technique pretty good. again phrasing a little inconsistent. TD - technique not as reliable here. CS - pretty good here CD - errors in last line. Pretty solid run - suggest you review your interpretation of the ground, to improve musical flow and appeal. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Kim Meek 🇺🇸           Tunes: Struan Robertson’s Salute      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Kim, thanks for the submission. Pipes nice from the outset. Ground - well laid out musically, piob hi G a touch flat at times. Hiharin a bit sticky. TS - cleanly executed, balanced phrasing, HIharin still sticky. TD - need to pick up the tempo a little here to create contrast. Line endings rushed. (low A theme note) CS - very chunky crunluath movement, breabach ok though. CD - losing composure into line2 but recovered. Solid tune very good ground and tuarluath variations, pipe nice. Just got a bit clunky in crunluath — but on the right track!
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Laura McEwan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿           Tunes: Sir James MacDonald of the Isles' Lament      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Laura, nice pipes, drones in tune. Ground - pretty musical, perhaps could float off the cadences a little to enhance the balance of phrase. 2 bar phrasing not always coming through. Var 1 - expression ok but dropping grace notes — dog put you off! T - I can hear your foot tapping - suggest you look at not beating your foot through this piob. Quite tight T technique, causing the odd dropped one. C- again tight technique — also rushing this variation to my ear ,musically. Error. Losing composure line 3. You've got plenty of potential, if you correct some of the above issues you could really enjoy this tune.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Leon Lee 🇬🇧           Tunes: Glengarry's Lament      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Leon, thanks for the entry. Pipes not quite in from outset. Bass drone a little distracting. Ground - well handled. Some fluctuating blowing evident. Actual expression pretty good. Var 1 - well played, doubling good. TS - taorluath movement ok, lacking consistency, wee error line 1. TD - losing composure, wee error and choke towards end of variation CS - crunluath movement is early in it's development — that's ok. Some chokes creeping in. CD - wee errors. Piobaireachd is a really great way to extend ourselves, great that you've taken the time to put this tune in. Keep working on your blowing/stamina and technique and you'll get there! Well done.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Marie Hollinger 🇺🇸           Tunes: Field of Gold      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Marie, thanks for entering. Pipe is ok. Drones not 100% in though. (Bass?) Ground - musical playing from outset, good ground. Var 1 - a little snatched interpretation, perhaps a little more on first theme note of line would help to settle in T - squealing - hands tight. slower in tempo than var 1, this is probably the correct pace, var 1 needed a bit more grandeur. C - tight hands in places, full C movement not always clear. Watch you close off the D grace note to C movement at line endings (instead of playing D). Musically confident, seom pacing issues and the wee squeals distracted at times but solid run thanks.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Maureen Moore 🇺🇸           Tunes: Glengarry's Lament      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Maureen, thanks for the entry. Pipes not quite in from outset. Ground - musically laid out, although watch you finish the line endings. Sometimes playing a taorluath instead of a grip. Var 1 - well handled - drones getting a wee bit distracting now, doubling good, T - Would be nice to hear a wee bit more on the first theme note of each line, and softening into the cadences. TD - nice C - again jumping off first theme note each line. C technique open and mostly correct, a few inconsistencies towards end of variation. CD - technique open, not consistent but has potential, drones distracting. Good attempt here — musical tune. Pipe needed to be a wee bit better in this event to be more competitive.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Michael McNeil 🇨🇦           Tunes: Lament for Donald of Laggan      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Michael, thanks for the entry. Pipe pretty good , not 100% locked but close. Ground - 1st phrase not quite balanced musically, would like to hear the phrases laid out more obviously. A few crossing noises distract. TS - tuarluath technique not clean from the outset. Possibly a little the quick side, not leaving much room for increase into doubling TD - again technique not clean, wee choke. CS - error 1st line, again incorrect technique. CD - ok rhythm, another wee choke Laying out the tune ok, pipes pretty good, would be enhanced by cleaning up T and C movements, thanks for the listen.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Ray Morrison 🇺🇸           Tunes: Duncan Macrae of Kintail's Lament      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Hi Ray, thanks for the tune. Pipe nice at start. Good ground, although not always capturing the song to my ear. Var 1 - good. Var 2 - focussing on the 2 bar phrase would help this flow a little better. Dare quite open which also affects flow. Nice tune, well done.
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Event 20. Grade 3 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Richard Christiansen 🇺🇸           Tunes: Field of Gold      Judge: Brendon Eade      Judge's Comments: Thanks for entering Richard. That's a big tree! Pipes pretty good from outset. Ground - ok interpretation, some technique not always clean. Var 1 - quite quick into this variation and you're playing D instead of C in bar 4 of each line. T - errors and crossing noises cause loss of impact here. GDE movement not consistent. error line 3. C - really losing the flow here — large pauses after C movement are giving a stilted effect. The way to advance this tune would be to work on tidying up the GDE and C movements, still a complete tune, well done.
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Event 21. Grade 2 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Mackenzie Loudon 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Allan Dodd’s Farewell to Scotland, Lady Loudon, Alick C. Macgregor      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipes well set. Nice tone. Nicely played March at a steady tempo suitable for this tune. Tune well phrased and played. Strathspey nicely into the tune again with good tempo. Tune very well played with good phrasing and pulsing throughout. Reel again well played showing a lovely flowing style. Well phrased and expressed. Overall tunes very well played and good technique.
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Event 21. Grade 2 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Seumas Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Miss Elspeth Campbell, Highland Harry, Sound of Sleat      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Good pipes well set with a nice robust tone. March played at a steady tempo. Tune well phrased throughout. Some grips were inconsistent. Make sure all grips are given the same weight. Don't play one heavier than the other. Strathspey nicely Into the tune. Tune well phrased which showed good pulsing rhythm throughout. Reel. Nicely into the reel well phrased and expressed. Overall tunes well phrased and played with good clean accurate fingering
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Event 21. Grade 2 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Phil Nielsen 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: John MacDonald of Glencoe, Maggie Cameron, Loch Carron      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Good pipes quite well set. March played at a good lively tempo. Tune played well with good phrasing throughout. Strathspey again good tempo. Tune well played and phrased showing nice pulsing rhythm throughout. Last part slightly round in places. Keep the phrasing going for the whole tune. Reel nicely played nd break to reel was smooth. Good tempo and playing throughout the tune. Overall tunes well played with good technique.
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Event 21. Grade 2 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Eala Niamh McElhinney 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 4      Tunes: The Abercairney Highlanders, The Shepherds Crook, The Cockerel in the Creel      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipes set ok. March. Tempo good. Cut the F to the E doubling throughout the first part more. Slowing tempo wise slightly from 2 nd part onwards. Strathspey great lively tempo. Good phrasing and pulsing throughout. Watch doublings top and they were light in places. Reel nicely played at a good tempo. However given the tempo of the strathspey it is as a touch on the slow side. You need to be aware of this and balance the tempo of each tune so that they fit together. Tunes well played with good technique.
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Event 21. Grade 2 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Anthony Kelly 🇮🇪      Place: 5      Tunes: Major Manson of clanstrachustral, Highland Harry , drumlittie      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipes well set. Nice sweet tone. March well played with good phrasing. Some technique was tight in places. Demanding tune which was overall well played. Strathspey nicely into the tune. Overall the tune needs more emphasis on the strong beat throughout. Technique was good in this tune. Reel was very well played and phrased with good flow throughout. Overall tunes well played on a lovely pipe.
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Event 21. Grade 2 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Megan Brodie 🇳🇿      Place: 6      Tunes: Bonnie Ann, The Shepherd's Crook, The Sheepwife      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe well set. Possibly on the strong side. High G slightly flat. March played at a nice steady tempo. Tune very well phrased. Strathspey played at a good tempo. Excellent phrasing and pulsing. Some doublings on bottom hand slightly tight. Nicely into reel again good tempo. Well played and phrased.
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Event 21. Grade 2 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Alex Nielsen 🇳🇿           Tunes: Mclaen of Pennycross, Bob O' fetticairn, The Sheepwife      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipes well set. March tune tempo was slightly on the slow side. Slight slip in 1st part. A demanding March which was overall was well played. Strathspey nicely into the tune again tempo was on the cautious side. Tune quite well phrased. Reel was well played and well phrased. Tempo again on the cautious side. Overall tunes well played with solid technique.
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Event 21. Grade 2 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Christopher Stowe 🇺🇸           Tunes: Hugh Kennedy, The Shepard's Crook, The Rejected Suitor      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set. March played at a good tempo. Phrasing ok. Slight crossing noises C to E first part. Some D throws slightly tight. Strathspey tune played at a good tempo slightly round in presentation. The tune needs more emphasis on the strong beat. Nicely into the reel tune played at a good tempo. Tune overall played and phrased well. Overall technique is ok.
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Event 21. Grade 2 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Graham Durant-Law 🇦🇺           Tunes: MacLaren’s Farewell to Blairgowrie, The Ewe With The Crooked Horn, The Blackberry Bush      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe well set. March played at a steady tempo. Tune well phrased with good musical presentation. Strathspey played at a nice lively tempo. Tune well phrased. Some D throws and high G doublings slightly light on technique. Last part slightly round. Reel played a good tempo. Slight slip last part. Overall tunes played well.
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Event 21. Grade 2 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Raúl Peinado Fuentes 🇪🇸           Tunes: The isle of Barra march/ the piper's bonnet/ Willie Cummings      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipes ok. Drones slightly out at start. Chanter possibly slightly high pitched. March ok tempo was ok as well. Strathspey. Slightly quick into the tune. Tempo was good. Slightly round in presentation. The tune needs more emphasis on the strong beat. Tempo increased slightly in 3rd part. Reel nicely into the reel good tempo and better phrasing here.
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Event 21. Grade 2 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Rupert Nielsen 🇳🇿           Tunes: John MacDonald of Glencoe, Maggie Cameron, Loch Carron      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipes quite well set. March played at a bright tempo. In general the tune needs more emphasis on the strong beat to assist with phrasing the tune correctly. Strathspey again nicely into the tune which was played at a good tempo. Better phrasing coming through in this tune. Slight slip last part. Reel slightly quick into the tune and a slight choke. Slip 2nd part. Tune overall was played well. Overall technique in all tunes was ok.
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Event 22. Grade 2 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jens Olsen 🇩🇰      Place: 1      Tunes: Donald Cameron's Powderhorn, Paddy's Leather Breeches      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: J1. Well controlled. A couple of technique misses. J2. GDE miss 3rd part, and wee slip 1st time 4th part. Overall, pipe well set. F a shade flat. Generally well controlled playing. Focus on technical execution now — size and accuracy of embellishments and accuracy of fingerwork.
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Event 22. Grade 2 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Phil Nielsen 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Cridhe Ur Annag, Coldar Sniob and the Dubh Ramh      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: J1 and J2. Quite novel and enjoyable tunes. Generally well played — a few wee fingering inaccuracies, but generally well handled — no faster!! Pipe - drones not 100% locked together. - need to get these better! HA a shade flat.
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Event 22. Grade 2 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Seumas Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: Kenny Gillies of Portnalong , Donald Maclennan's Tuning Phrase      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: J1. Wee miss 1st part. Slip 2nd part. Competent playing - watch technical accuracy throughout J2. 2nd part - crossing noises. Finger inaccuracies 3rd part. Pipe - Ok. Drones could be set better together. F a little sharp. Overall, plenty of potential, I feel you need to take a little more care in your presentation of the tunes — bagpipe, technique and musical expression.
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Event 22. Grade 2 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Nicholas Mathis 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: After the Games, Center's Bonnet      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: J1. wee slip into 2nd part - make sure of those F doublings. Rushing 4th part. Make sure you control the tempo! J2. some crossing noises and missing grace notes detracting. Tempo too quick (and speeding up). Squeals 4th part and odd grace note choices — remember this is a very traditional jig. Pipe - drones could be better set together. You are obviously a very competent player - slow the tempo a little, make sure of your technique and produce better musical expression!
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Event 22. Grade 2 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Mackenzie Loudon 🇳🇿      Place: 5      Tunes: Alex MacDonald, The Curlew      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: J1. slight rushing 3rd part. Grace note inaccuracies 4th part J2. Slight rushing 1st part. Wee choke 2nd part. Slip 4th part. Pipe. Drones were initially good but did not last. HG a little sharp. Overall, very competent — but need to get the pipe to be 100% for the entire performance, steady the tempo a bit and keep it consistent, and make sure all technique is accurate.
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Event 22. Grade 2 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Rupert Nielsen 🇳🇿      Place: 6      Tunes: The Jig Runrig, The Skylarks Acension      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: J1. GDE miss 4th part. Some fingering inaccuracies (minor) — tempo a little quick overall. J2. Slip 1st part. Misses 2nd part. Rushing. Watch execution of birl. Overall, a little quick and lacking control. Pipe ok, but not lasting the distance.
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Event 22. Grade 2 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Graham Durant-Law 🇦🇺           Tunes: Wee Willie’s Jig and Dancing on Frost      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: J1. Nice lively tempo and jig rhythm. A few grace note misses and finger inaccuracies — make sure of the first HG grace note in doublings. J2. Came across as a little rushed. Pipe - drones not well set together or with Low - detracted a bit. Overall, very competently played.
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Event 22. Grade 2 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Max Busboom 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Stool of Repentance, Alex MacDonald      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: J1. Technically well handled. J2. A little too dot/cut for me — lost that 'jig' rhythm. Wee miss 4th part. Pipe - drones nowhere in tune together or with the chanter. Overall, you are very technically competent. Next step is to focus on getting your instrument much better in tune — not just the drones, but also ensuring notes on the chanter are well-tuned. Musically, try to get a more 1-2-3 jig rhythm going — it was a little more 6/8 march style.
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Event 22. Grade 2 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Raúl Peinado Fuentes 🇪🇸           Tunes: Islay's charms/ Over to Uist      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: J1. A little quick and rushed. J2. Rushed again. Some technical inaccuracies. Pipe - Drones need to be set better together. Overall impression was too frantic — remember the aim is to produce music that draws a positive emotion from the listener(s).
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Event 23. Grade 2 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Seumas Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Rab's Wedding      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Seumas. This was an excellent performance! Your playing is very confident and controlled. Execution is very clean and crisp. A nice, relaxed tempo which was consistent from start to finish. My only suggestion would be to try for a bit more pointing on the dotted ⅛ and ¼ notes. At times I feel you're rounding out some phrases. A bit more dot/cut would generate a little more of that distinctive 6/8 swing. Your bagpipes were excellent. Drones were locked in. A very bright and well balanced chanter. Top notch performance. Well done!
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Event 23. Grade 2 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Rupert Nielsen 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Mrs Margaret Black      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Rupert. What a great place to play bagpipes! This was a very well played 6/8. I was most impressed with your ability to bring out a strong 6/8 rhythm. Really good dot/cut phrasing which provided a strong 6/8 swing! To do this requires crisp fingering which you have. Your execution overall was quite good other than a few missed birls and B taps. Nice bagpipe sound. Drones were well tuned. Chanter was also well tuned, but there were a few chirps. Overall, a really well played tune. Thanks for sharing!
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Event 23. Grade 2 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Eala Niamh McElhinney 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 3      Tunes: The Heights of Cassino      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Eala. Some really good playing! I was most impressed with your strong execution. Really strong hands, with clean and crisp technique. Tempo was lively and consistent throughout the tune. Some of your phrasing is a bit round. I’d like to hear a bit more emphasis on the dotted ⅛ notes for a more dot/cut effect. This will give your 6/8 a bit more swing. Unfortunately, your drones were out of tune from the start which distracted from your overall performance. Nice, bright chanter sound, although a little flat on F. With better tuned drones and a bit more pointing, this would be an exceptional performance. Having said that, I still enjoyed hearing your tune. Thanks for sharing!
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Event 23. Grade 2 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Phil Nielsen 🇳🇿      Place: 4      Tunes: Miss Ishabel T Macdonald      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Phil. Very nicely played! Your execution is strong and consistent. No real technical issues. Good, consistent tempo throughout the tune. Nicely expressed, but I think you could generate a bit more swing with a strong dot/cut approach. Try to lean into the dotted ⅙ notes a bit more. A really good pipe sound. Drones were well set. Chanter bright and balanced, maybe slightly flat on high A. Overall, a really nicely played 6/8. Well done!
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Event 23. Grade 2 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Alex Nielsen 🇳🇿      Place: 5      Tunes: Mrs Margaret Black      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Alex. Some really good playing! Your execution is very controlled and clean. A few missed B taps here and there. I’d like to hear a bit more snap in some of your movements, but I suspect that will come as your playing develops. Tempo was a bit erratic. You have a tendency to slow down during some of the more complex phrases. You’re expressing the tune very nicely with a strong dot/cut approach which is essential to good 6/8 playing. Really good bagpipe sound. Drones were well set and steady throughout. Bright and balanced chanter sound. Overall, this was a very strong performance. Well done!
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Event 23. Grade 2 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Andrew Hill 🇨🇦      Place: 6      Tunes: Fairview Cottage      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Andrew. Some really nice 6/8 playing! You have some strong execution with crisp fingering. At times, some of your movements are a bit crushed, particularly your grips. Try to keep these a bit more open. Also; watch the low A/C/E combination. You’re getting a bit of a crossing noise on the C to E. You have a nice dot/cut feel to your playing, but the timing of your triplets is a bit rushed. The key is to make sure the first dotted ⅛ note is placed right on the downbeat, and then make sure not to leave the ⅛ at the end of the triplet too early. I liked your tempo and it was consistent from start to finish. Your drones were well tuned to each other, but set slightly flat to your chanter. Overall, this was a very strong performance. Well done!
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Event 23. Grade 2 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Anthony Kelly 🇮🇪           Tunes: The Bonawe Highlanders      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Anthony. Good playing! Your technique is generally very good. Some crushed moments at times. Tempo a bit slow. You have a good dot/cut approach, but some of your phrasing is a bit inconsistent. For example; in your triplets, make sure the first dotted ⅛ note falls directly on the beat, then make sure to give the last ⅛ note of the triplet its full value. At times you’re early to the first note, and leaving the 3rd note early. This can give a “pushed” feel to your tune even when playing slowly. Very nice bagpipe sound. Drone well tuned and steady throughout. Nice, bright chanter; perhaps a bit sharp on high G. Overall, a nicely played tune. Well done!
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Event 23. Grade 2 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Graham Durant-Law 🇦🇺           Tunes: The Heights of Mount Kenya      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Graham. I really enjoyed this very simple but melodic tune. This isn’t the most technically challenging tune and you played it very cleanly. Generally, you’re expressing the tune very well with a nice 6/8 swing. At times, you’re jumping into phrases early which does distract from the flow and timing of the tune. For example; in the first part, you’re very early into the birl at the start of the 5th bar. Playing with a metronome will help you identify when this is happening. A very nice bagpipe sound. Drones are locked in and steady. Chanter well tuned other than a very sharp high G. Overall, a very nicely played tune. Well done!
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Event 23. Grade 2 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Mackenzie Loudon 🇳🇿           Tunes: Pipe Major Frank Mackinnon      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Mackenzie. Some solid playing! You have really strong technique with crisp fingering. There was the odd crossing noise that you’ll want to clean up, but overall, very cleanly played. This was a good tempo and you held it steady throughout the tune. Some phrasing work needed. While you have a nice dot/cut feel, you need to make sure to start and end your phrases accurately. For example; in your triplets, make sure the first dotted ⅛ note falls directly on the beat, then make sure to give the last ⅛ note of the triplet its full value. At times you’re early to the first note, and leaving the 3rd note early. Pipes a bit unsteady. Marching on an uneven surface can make it difficult to keep your pipes steady. It can help to keep your steps shorter. Overall, you have great potential. Keep at it!
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Event 23. Grade 2 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Raúl Peinado Fuentes 🇪🇸           Tunes: Macleod of Mull      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Raul. Thanks for submitting your video! You have some really good technique. Embellishments are generally clean and accurate. You do need to work on your timing and expression of this tune. To properly play 6/8 marches, you need a strong dot/cut feel. A good example of this can be seen in the triplet movements which are prevalent in 6/8’s. To create proper 6/8 swing, the first dotted ⅛ note must be held sufficiently, followed by a very short 1/16 note. Finally, you must not leave the last ⅛ note of the triplet so as not to arrive early at the next phrase. You have a tendency to phrase your triplets a bit too round. You’ll also need to work on getting your bagpipe better tuned. Your drones were out of tune from the start, with the chanter being set too flat to the drones. Talk to an instructor or check out some online sources to see how to better tune. Best of luck with your future piping!
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Event 23. Grade 2 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Stella Dobbs 🇳🇿           Tunes: Leaving Port Askaig      Judge: Keith Paton      Judge's Comments: Hi Stella. Thanks for sharing your performance! You have some really good execution. Most movements are clean and crisp. Timing and phrasing need work. You have a tendency to start phrases early, putting you consistently ahead of the down beat. This is especially noticeable with your triplets. The key is to make sure the first dotted ⅛ note is placed right on the downbeat, and then make sure not to leave the ⅛ at the end of the triplet too early. Practicing with a metronome can help with this. Really nice bagpipe sound. Drones and chanter both well tuned and steady throughout. With a little polishing to your phrasing, this will be a top notch performance. Good luck!
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Rupert Nielsen 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: The Sandpiper      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi Rupert — Thanks for this. Great tune here. Well set pipe, fully blown. Crackin tempo and confidence in this HP. Strong rhythmic fingerwork, edres, birls, and pelles. You have raw talent... Rupert. A gift that few get. Work hard and enjoy the learning process. This is a spirited tempo — top shelf . . . and would be enhanced by a whisper* at your phrase ends. Well done. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Mackenzie Loudon 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Ina Mackenzie      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one Mackenzie. Thanks for this. Well set up pipe overall - drones just a shade flat to chanter. - well blown. A lovely smooth HP presented in the dot cut style. Themal notes getting the correct amount of breath to achieve the desired groove and shape. Cut notes are appropriate and well placed. A very small catch in final line. Technique is very strong and consistent with equal gracenote audibility. Well done. Enjoyed this! Loads of Potential! Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Seumas Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: Crossing the Minch      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one Seumas. Thanks for this! A lovely set up pipe with full harmonic. Blowing well. A nice HP tune with good pace and dot cut feel. Well weighted themal notes. Cut notes are tasteful and consistent. P1 had 2 very minor catches to F, then strong clear fingering for the remaining. You could add just a wee whisper at your phrase ends to enhance the musical shape. Just ahead of the ending phrases on the HiA for example Loads of Potential! Enjoyed this! Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Eala Niamh McElhinney 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 4      Tunes: The KC Connection      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi Eala. Thanks for this Pipe set up is ok — drones are well in tune with one another but flat to chanter pitch. Aim to bring them right into tune with the Low A esp. A nice pace for this round HP. Consistent pulse and rhythmic presence. The back hits are frequent in the tune. Birld are ok, Aim for consistency with your technique. Could give the themal moments just a wee shade more emphasis to achieve full musical shape while still being round. Keep up the good work. Thanks, SHaunnah
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Phil Nielsen 🇳🇿      Place: 5      Tunes: Jimmy Blue      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thanks Phil for this. Pipe well set and blown. Nice pace and feel for this round HP. Well sustained rhythmic pulse and well sustained phrases. Nice touches and sight extensions on the themal moments. Strong technical delivery of birls and D taps. Consistent audible grace noting. Keep up the good work. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Stella Dobbs 🇳🇿      Place: 6      Tunes: Outward Bound      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one Stella. Thanks for this. PIpe is quite well set except LowA is flat. Give it a carve if needed. Nice full drone sound Tempo is spirited and brisk. could knock it down a couple BPMs to add a bit more HP egroove and allow for a wee bit of presence on the themal notes. The D throws are coming through well. Grace noting in P3 has a slight rushed feel in a couple of spots. Wee surge on Hi A here also. Keep up the good work. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Alex Nielsen 🇳🇿           Tunes: The Sandpiper      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thanks Alex. Nice effort here. A technically challenging tune. A good effort on the pace and feel. Aim to keep the musical flow rolling smoothly, while inside the technically challenging spots. A couple of moments where the technique is just over valued for the time allotted. Watch the edres especially . . . aim to have them be "just part of it." Nice Birls P3. A few clumsy spots . . . .but this is a big tune . . and good on you for giving it a go. Lots of potential. Thanks, ShaunnaI
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Christopher Stowe 🇺🇸           Tunes: Iain Macdonald      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thanks Chris for this. A nice dot cut feel in this tune, sustained tempo with a nice rhythmic feel. Marching in a HP is unexpected... and not really necessary. Best to stand in place. Drones: Are a concern on 2 fronts.. Very much a wavering distraction for this grade. Squeal on Bag strike — and the tuning slides are too loose and will not ever lock in to perfect tune when loose. Add a few wraps of hemp on each to lock them in tone wise. Check the bridles on the drone reeds to eliminate the squeal. Stick a cork in the chanter stock and blow the drones only . . . then squeeze as hard as you can to shut them off. They should be turning off together (when FULL* pressure is given).Adjust and likely close them down to streamline the sound. Keep working hard. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Graham Durant-Law 🇦🇺           Tunes: Jack Aloft      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi Graham. Thanks for this! A nice tempo sustained from the beginning. HP has a roundness in the feel which was maintained well. Technique is quite light in demand, with elements handled well. Watch the D strike at the ending phrase — just a shade early on its arrival consistently. Pipe Well set except for F and drones were solid. Keep up the good work! - Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jens Olsen 🇩🇰           Tunes: Jim Hood's Fancy      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Thanks Jans for this. Round feel overall — and sustained tempo from start. Watch the back hits.. there are loads of them esp on E. These are slightly just a shade lagging behind the main rhythm. They need to be just "part of it." Watch birls for consistency — again here "just part of it." A few small grace note misses. Pipe nicely set up except E is sharpish. Keep up the good work. Thanks Shaunna
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Nicholas Mathis 🇺🇸           Tunes: P/M George Allan      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice one Nicholas Drone squeal on the bag strike . . . check your bridle placements to eliminate that first impression. Drones tuned well to chanter with a nice harmonic. Tempo is brisk and spirited... could knock it down a couple BPMs to achieve a bit more HP groove and allow for a bit more presence on the themal notes. Consistently presented. Technique is strong, with a few small catches in P3 C to E. Watch the speed of your ending phrase triplets on LowA — just a shade on the front of the beat here. A bit of awareness on keeping these unhurried will provide full effect. Keep up the good work. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 24. Grade 2 Piping - Hornpipe (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Raúl Peinado Fuentes 🇪🇸           Tunes: The piper's controversy      Judge: Shaunna Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi Raul thanks for this. Speed is a concern here. It's simply too quick to achieve the musical groove a HP needs. Aim for a 80-82 BPM with awareness on the themal notes, even when playing a round style HP. Pipe is wavering slightly front the start, but remain throughout. Technique is strong and consistent throughout. AIm to feature the 1/8 notes a wee bit more to add some musical shape. Keep working on it. Thanks, Shaunna
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: François Kervadec 🇫🇷      Place: 1      Tunes: Lament for Alasdair Dearg MacDonnell of Glengarry      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Lovely bagpipe – very accurate. Just a fraction sharp on the B. Ground played very well, lovely feeling and control. Small catch in line 3. Var 1 beautiful playing. Lovely subtle transition into doubling. Taorluath very good. If anything just a little heavy on the medium pulses (2&3). Crunluath error in repeat of Line 1 – Played D instead of LA. A very nice tune overall showing real class. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Alex Nielsen 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: McLeods Controversy      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Ground played very well. Donald Mor rundowns slightly rushed. Lovely PHG in line 2. Embari a little inaccurate last phrase line 3. Taorluath Good playing here. Great work in doubling. Tiny catches in closed Crunluath movement to PHG. Nice subtle transition into doubling. One missed Crunluath line 1 repeat. A really enjoyable tune on a good bagpipe, well done. Keep up the good work Alex.
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Craig McKenzie 🇦🇺      Place: 3      Tunes: The King's Taxes      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Well tuned bagpipe. Confident approach into ground. Piob HG just on the peaky side. Some tiny catches following embellishments in lines 2&3. Var 1 well played. Excellent transition into the doubling. GDE gracing’s in Taorluath movement quite tight in line 3; and Doubling especially on LG. Nice control in Crunluath fosgailte, just a big catch to HG line 1. Some catches LG to D in Crunluath Doubling. A well set out tune Craig, enjoyed it.
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Phil Nielsen 🇳🇿      Place: 4      Tunes: Lament for Donald of Laggan      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Well-tuned bagpipe just a touch of intonation on F (little flat) and slight wave in drones towards end of tune. Ground good – Bar 1 could give the LA ‘and’ note a touch more weight. Line 2; bar 4 could give more swell to the B to E to allow for the cadence. Same here in line 3; Bar 2 D to E. Taorluath Played well. Some of the ‘and’ notes a touch short. Nice subtle transition into doubling. Crunluath breabach well controlled if anything a little measured in places. Doubling played well. Strong presentation of tune. Well done Phil, very enjoyable.
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Seumas Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 5      Tunes: Macleod's Controversy      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Nicely tuned bagpipe. Good positive approach into the tune. Ground played quite well. If anything Donald Mor rundowns a tad rushed. E echo not always landing in bar 4 and on the repeat in bar 2. Piob HG a tough peaky – bit of blowing instability. Hi A doub indistinct line 2. Taorluath nice. B poking out (little sharp). Repeat of line 1, Bar 1. wee error accidently landing on D instead of LG. Good control in Crunluath singling. A few tiny catches to PHG and E. Wee fumble in last phrase of Doubling. A small but tricky tune and you played it quite well. Keep up the good work Seumas.
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Megan Brodie 🇳🇿      Place: 6      Tunes: The Fields of Gold      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Ground. A tad too snappy on the semi quaver B to C grip; and the relative B semiquaver to the D throw. Should be soft cutting here. Bar 4 could shave some more off the medium pulses in here. Getting a little bogged down. Line 2; Low A to B (same as above, needs to be softer). Good treatment of F echos. Var 1. Played well however could get a bit more expression out of the pulsing as you are playing in common time, a bit more SMMS per bar would give it more life. Taor nice tripling and good swing. Just the one miss in line 2. Crunluath fosgailte played well with nice control of the 3 note groupings. Bagpipe pretty good, just a hint of intonation on F (flat) and B (sharp) and a slight wave in the drones. A nice tune overall Megan, keep up the good work.
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Anthony Kelly 🇮🇪           Tunes: The Massacre of glencoe      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Bagpipe good, Intonation on B a little sharp. Rushing to 4th pulse (B). Hi A doub needs to be neater. Some of your Low A’s in the E echo perhaps a little too deliberate. Var 1. Timing inaccurate and not balanced. Typically, would play this SMMS per bar in the common time. HA doubling as mentioned above sounding more like HG then HA, there’s no distinction of the first HA gracenote. Taorluath pretty good just a little heavy on the medium pulses. Could also get up to the cadences quicker form the LA. Cadences are good. Nice transition into doubling. As above pulsing coming out a bit square. Would like to hear this flow better. Slowing down in line 3 Crunluath Singling. Nice uptake into doubling. E’s following Crunluath a touch laboured. Crunluath a mach tempo slowing down. Loads of potential here. Keep up the good work.
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Dave Campbell 🇨🇦           Tunes: Colin MacRae of Inveerinat's Lament      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Ground played cautiously. Nice clean fingers. HG gracenote a little big. Could be neater. Hiharin in 3rd a little loose. Musically just a bit measured. Var 1 nicely set out just a little too deliberate, the music could flow better. Var 2. Lemluath good. Hiharin end of line is a bit slurry. Taorluath ok. Crunluath feels you could swell the LA to the C in preparation for the cadence. Clean performance on a good bagpipe. Would like to hear a bit more musical flow in the tune. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Eala Niamh McElhinney 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿           Tunes: The Massacre of Glencoe      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Bagpipe, drones good. Chanter Intonation issues on B, E and HA all quite sharp especially HA. Ground played well, nicely set out and good care of the subtle notes. Var 1 could flow through the medium pulses a touch more. Cadence to C & B cut a bit short. Don’t jump off the E of the cadence. Taorluath well set out, good timing into cadences. Unfortunately missed cadence in line 3. Crunluath very good. A mach just jumping around with the timing here – could be more regular pulsing. A tidy enough tune Eala, keep up the good work. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Graham Durant-Law 🇦🇺           Tunes: Weighing From Land      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Nicely tuned bagpipe, just a hint of a wave in the tenors and not quite locked on Low A. Ground played well. Thumb var you are adding a HG gracenote on the B quaver in Bar 2 & 4 (both times) – couldn’t find the reference for this in PS. Was consistent anyhow. Good treatment of the Siubhal and doubling. Taorluath GDE gracing’s lacking consistency and a couple of misses. Felt this became a little square with each pulse treated quite heavy. Could move through this 2nd & 3rd to achieve better flow. Note error line 2 last bar, last note group. Line 3 played Low A’s instead of B’s in Bar 2 and bar 4. Good subtle transition into doubling. Crunluath Fosgailte well played. Crunluath movement just lacking bottom hand definition – difficult to hear the second LG gracenote in the movement. Very little transition from Crunluath Singling to Doubling. Little untidy on LA D E groupings. Few catches sneaking in here. A steady performance Graham, thanks for the listen.
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Mackenzie Loudon 🇳🇿           Tunes: Hector MacLean’s Warning      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Good positive approach into the warning tune. I like the Donald Mor run downs – however could fatten them out a bit as they are quite rushed. B echo not quite hitting the LG gracenote first phrase Line 2. Line 3 error first bar – you played LA instead of the LG. Var 1; Nice pulsing here. No real change in tempo to doubling. Taorluath over holding the first E before DMRD. Taorluath doubling good. Crunluath ok. End of line 1 overextending the E and then rushing the DMRD. Some inconsistency here in line 2 & 3. Good Crunluath doubling to finish. Pipes not quite on at the finish. Presentation wise- you are moving a lot. Try to keep still especially the drones to avoid the wavering. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 25. Grade 2 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Rupert Nielsen 🇳🇿           Tunes: Field of Gold      Judge: Stuart Easton      Judge's Comments: Ground nicely played. A few subtleties missing, in particular last bar of each line swelling of C to F. Var 1. Is ok. You are a little choppy on most of the couplets. The medium pulses are also quite heavy. I can definitely here the 4th strong pulse but overall its not quite flowing as it should. Taorluath good GDE gracings. Big catch line 2. Crunluath fosgailte played with good control. Couple of small blemishes in lines 2&3. Good finish. A well set out tune on a good bagpipe Rupert. Keep up the good work. Thanks for the listen.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Connor Eckert 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: John MacDonald of Glencoe, Susan McLeod, Sandy Cameron      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - Very nice pipe to start. Nice into this. Good pace and lift. // Strath - nice into this. Good pace and lift. pt2 missed F doubling . //Reel - nice into this, be careful not to jump off the Bs too quickly at part ends, the G and D grace notes on the Bs could use a bit more separation. Strong fingerwork, music and pace throughout. Pipe held very well. Well done.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Hamish Reade 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: P/M Wm MacLean, Inveraray Castle, Drumlithie      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - pipe sounds very nice, but hard to get a clear sound with the recording quality. Nicely into this. Good pace and lift. Nice fingerwork. C-E D-E combinations in pt2, be careful not to jump off the E before the D too quickly. //Strath - nice into this. Good lift and pace. // Reel - nicely into this. Nice swing and lift. Chanter may have climbed in sharpness a touch, but hard to tell. Otherwise a good play. Strong technique, and good handle of the music.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Meleana Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: Pipe Major John Stewart, Struan Robertson, Alick C. MacGregor      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - off to a good start, nice and well balanced pipe. High G and F may be a touch sharp. Nice pulsing. Missed B hit pt3. //Strath - nice pulsing, missed B hit pt 2/ /Reel - nice pace, could use a touch more pulsing, at times it comes across slightly rounded, slight catch pt2. Well done. Pipe held nicely!
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Richard Payn 🇿🇦      Place: 4      Tunes: 91sts at Modder River, Cabar Feidh, The Grey Bob      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - Nice resonant pipe to start. Nice pace. Notes before toarluaths could use a bit stronger pulsing, and slightly more pulsed throughout. Nice march otherwise. //Strath - Nicely into this. Light birl pt 1. Nice pulsing. //Reel - nice reel. C grips could be a bit more rhythmical, but otherwise good pace and flow. Pipe held nicely. Good performance.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Gord Wallace 🇨🇦      Place: 5      Tunes: Glenfinnan Highland Gathering, Dornie Ferry, Alick C Macgregor      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - off to a solid start. Good pace. Chanter may be a bit sharp to drones. Nice lift to march. slight catch in pt2. // Strath - could use a slightly longer pulse on first low A. Good pace and lift to this. Light D grace note 3rd part on tachum B to low G. //Reel-Watch the B to C, they could be articulated more clearly. Nice bounce and lift to this. Last part, GDE on C was a bit rounded. Overall quite good. Drones are very solid. Chanter reed well balanced, and did not move. It seemed just slightly sharp to the drones, but didn't move. Well done.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Eddie Boland 🇮🇪      Place: 6      Tunes: Inveran, Arniston Castle, Major Manson.      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - drones not quite 100% to start, but difficult to be sure with recording. Good pace into this, and strong fingering. Watch jumping off Fs too quickly in pt2, could use a slightly longer pulse. Light B toarluaths in pt4. //Strath - 3rd pulse in pt 1 could use more weight. Good fingering, and pace, at times lacking the 3rd pulse, which rounds it out slightly, C grip to E a bit light pt 4. //Reel - good pulsing to this. Watch jumping ahead at the D to Low G at part ends. Well done.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Abraham McCarty 🇺🇸           Tunes: Clan McColl, Isle Ball, Neil Angus MacDonald      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - nice pace to start this. Nice fingering and swing. Nice pulsing. Slight catches in pt 3 C to E. //Strath - nicely into this. Nice pace. pt2 first E could use a bit more pulse. Same for pt3 at start and part ends. Same for high A in pt 4. Runs clear, just slightly inconsistent. //Reel - nice into this. Nice pace and lfit. Pt 2, you are jumping off the high G to D a bit too quickly. Pt4 tight grip. Good performance overall, just a few comments to take it to the next level.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Anatoly Isaev 🇷🇺           Tunes: Invergordon's Welcome/ Susan MacLeod/ Kalabakan      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - nice into this. Be careful not to overpulse in parts, moving out of the tempo grid, and taking away from the flow of the tune. Some catches in pt4. //Strath - nice pace. Be careful not to rush to the 4th pulse in pt1 (grip). Pulsing not always consistent throughout. //Reel - Good pace and control. Be careful not to jump off the low As before the B-D's throughout. Well done.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Angela McDonell 🇨🇦           Tunes: Donald MacLean’s Farewell to Oban, Susan MacLeod, Fiona MacLeod      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: This appears to be a Hornpipe submission.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Charlie Martin 🇺🇸           Tunes: David Ross, John Roy Stewart, Traditional Reel      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - nice resonant pipe. Nice pace. hands a bit tight with some catches, and misses. Good lift to march. //Strath - nice setting, and good lift and pulsing. Hands still a bit tight throughout here. //Reel - nice lift, pace and pulsing. Hands tight in the reel as well, but good performance otherwise Charlie.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Friedrich Christiansen 🇺🇸           Tunes: John MacDonald of Glencoe, Lady MacKenzie of Gairloch, Willie Cummings‘ Rant.      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - good start. Chanter sharp to drones, but drones nicely together. Nice pace and fingering. Some bottom hand light fingerwork coming across as misses in 3rd pt. //Strath - nicely into this. Nice pace and lift. Some light fingering throughout. SLight choke in pt 4 end. //Reel - a bit aggressive into the reel. Tempo could come down slightly to give this more lift. Some catches in reel. Well done.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jerry-Anne Dickel 🇺🇸           Tunes: Bonny Anne, The Top of Craigvenow, Drumlithie      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - nice pace and swing. High G a bit flat. Careful not to jump off the Ds at part ends and throughout, at times. Tempo a bit inconsistent in pt3. Catch in pt4, otherwise nice fingerwork. //Strath - nicely into this with nice lift. High A at start of pt2 and 4 could use a stronger pulse. //Reel - nice into this. Hold low A of C-A tachum in pt 1 longer. Nicely done.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jürgen Christiansen 🇺🇸           Tunes: John MacDonald of Glencoe, Susan MacLeod, Captain Lachlan MacPhail of Tiree.      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - drones could have used a bit of tuning. Nice pace to the tune. Some light fingerwork. Stumble end of part 2. Some catches, and inconsistent tempo at times. //Strath - Inconsistent tempo. At times the pulsing is there. And fingering is decent, but inconsistent.//Reel - good pace. some misses and falling out of the tempo grid at times as well. I would say that slight tuning, and more consistency on tempo and fingerwork would elevate this performance for you. CHeers.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Megan Brodie 🇳🇿           Tunes: Bonnie Ann, The Shepherd's Crook, The Sheepwife      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - steady into this. High G and D a bit flat. March could use a slight bump in tempo. Nice lift and fingering. //Strath-nice pace into this. Watch not to rush B-lowA-lowG a bit rushed, but got better as tune progressed. //Reel - Entry a bit too pointed, it could be rounded a touch more, and a few misses throughout. Good pace otherwise. Well done!
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ray Flanagan 🇺🇸           Tunes: Mrs. John Maccol, Inveraray Castle, Blackberry Bush      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - drones could have used a quick tune before starting. Chanter is nice and resonant. Good pace to start march. Rushing in parts. Nice fingers, but tempo and pace are inconsistent. // Strath - same for this. Stumble in pt4. //Reel - fingerwork a bit tight in here. I think you could elevate this performance by working with a metronome, getting the drones a bit closer, and loosening your hands a bit. Well done.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ryan Morrison 🇺🇸           Tunes: Major David Manson at Clachantrushal, Caledonian Society of London, The Rejected Suitor      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - nice into this. Drones slightly flat to chanter. March just slightly on the slow side. Nice pulsing. Pt 4 line end C-E rushed 1st time. Some of the Es at part ends could use a slightly longer pulse. //Strath - nice into this.Good fingerwork and pulsing. Tempo drop in bar 5 pt 1. in pt 3 and 4, the tempo increased around the runs, hold the last note of each a bit more.// Reel - nice into this. Tight fingering in places. Watch bar 4 last part, and not jump off the bs too quickly. Well done.
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Event 26. Grade 1 Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Sass Bergen 🇨🇦           Tunes: Kantara to El Arish, Susan MacLeod, Sandy Cameron      Judge: Sean McKeown      Judge's Comments: March - nicely into this. Good pipe, D a touch sharp. Nice pulsing. COuld use a slight bump in tempo. Nice fingerwork. The Ds at part end, of pt 3 a bit rushed. Nice march. //Strath - nicely into this. Nice pulsing. Be careful not to jump off low As in pt2, and the Es that follow (bar 2 and 6 - they are coming across as rushed). Nice lift throughout. //Reel - a bit rushed into this, with crushed GDEs. Settled by pt2. Catch end of pt3. Chanter sharpened slightly through the performance, but the drones held. Well done.
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Event 27. Grade 1 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Hamish Reade 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Donalds McLennans Tuning Phrase, Donald Mckillop      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Lovely pipe. Lively but in full control. Clear technique. Very consistent in timing. Hmm, maybe one strike that didn't come out as well as the rest? Hard to find fault with this — thank you!
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Event 27. Grade 1 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Connor Eckert 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: Brennan's Broken Chanter, Patrick's Revelation's      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Excellent pipe. Technically very strong — sure, a few light bits, but overall powerful. Killer birls from B! Super steady tempo and consistent rhythms. Probably room for a bit of slight pulsing to give it that little boost from excellent to stellar . . . I'm very impressed. Loved this.
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Event 27. Grade 1 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Sass Bergen 🇨🇦      Place: 3      Tunes: Donella Beaton, Topper      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe. Fairly reserved tempo for what you're capable of, but well controlled. Killer birls. Minor inconsistencies in part four timing. D sharp. Nice pulsing in second tune! Minor miss at the end Well done.
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Event 27. Grade 1 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Abraham McCarty 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Atholl Highlanders, Alec MacDonald      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Great pipe. Technically strong. Little control issues part three in AH. Maybe speed related? Kinda quick. Back to full composure starting Alex M. Well played!
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Event 27. Grade 1 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Meleana Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 5      Tunes: Lt McGuire's Jig, Cridhe Ur Annag      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Excellent pipe. Lovely pulsed feel to start. Slight inconsistencies in the end of a few grips. Second part of the second jig, be sure not to let your grace notes get too big — it's more the spacing of the grace notes that is important. If they're too big it impacts the flow. Great set!
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Event 27. Grade 1 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Anatoly Isaev 🇷🇺      Place: 6      Tunes: The Curlew/ Kenny Gillies from Portnalog      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set and well blown. Good control but a few places where you're pushing through the triplets a little bit (sometimes on B-A-A gde for example). A slight pulse on the start of each triplet helps with this. In part three of Kenny G make sure you don't jump the E strikes — hear the E before it. I really enjoyed these jigs overall.
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Event 27. Grade 1 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Charlie Martin 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Skylark's Ascension, Alex MacDonald      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe. Slight inconsistencies in your approach to triplets — usually just fine but sometimes a bit pushy — light pulse on the first eighth note helps. Bass drone not steady . . . Minor crossing noises in Alex MacD. Well done.
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Event 27. Grade 1 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Gord Wallace 🇨🇦           Tunes: Micheal Mdonald and Old Wife of the Milldust      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Excellent pipe. A slightly pushy feel to start . . . I do like a slight pulse on the start of each triplet. Your GDEs in the first jig are a bit edgy, and also ascending runs. Much more settled in Old Wife. Rocking along here!!! High tempo but more control that M MacD's. Fun!
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Event 27. Grade 1 Piping - Jigs (two jigs each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Martha Hall 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Curlew, Rory MacLeod      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Good pipe — drones a bit flat. Triplet feel going well but pushing ahead in parts three and four of Curlew — make sure you're careful with each note on each down beat. Re-established well in Rory. Quick, but well controlled. Good show!
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Event 28. Grade 1 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Connor Eckert 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: Dr. Ross's 50th Welcome to the Argyllshire Gathering      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Very nice pipe and well blown. A really good 6/8 idiom and tempo. Great contrast in your phrases to show the musicality here. Thank you. David.
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Event 28. Grade 1 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Sass Bergen 🇨🇦      Place: 2      Tunes: Miss Ishabel T. MacDonald      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Very nice overall pipe well blown. Great hands here coming through strong. 6/8 idiom very evident and played musically at this tempo. Thank you. David
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Event 28. Grade 1 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Gord Wallace 🇨🇦      Place: 3      Tunes: Bruce Gandys Farewell to the Iron Horse      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Pipes are lovely — like bells ! Well played 6/8 with good contrast and short notes. Could be played a BPM faster for greater effect, however musical here. Thank you. David.
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Event 28. Grade 1 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Meleana Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 4      Tunes: Meleana's Wedding      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Very nice tune played at a good tempo. 6/8 idiom evident here with a good contrast in phrasing. Chanter a wee bit "peaky" on some notes, however well blown and drones are nice. Thank you. David.
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Event 28. Grade 1 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ryan Morrison 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: Mrs MacDougall      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice overall pipe here that is well blown. Good overall 6/8 feel that is phrased correctly for a compound idiom. The forward motion is slightly held back at times at this tempo, maybe one more BPM would help here. Thank you. David
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Event 28. Grade 1 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Martha Hall 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Frank Thomson      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice overall pipe, blown well. Good tempo, hands going well. Just a wee bit more pulse to give a good compound idiom and pull out that contrast for maximum musicality. Thank you. David.
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Event 28. Grade 1 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Abraham McCarty 🇺🇸           Tunes: Kenneth McLoed, Angus MacKinnon      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe, well set and blown. Good tempo. Settings are different from what I have seen with some execution. 6/8 idiom is not quite there. Needs a good bit of contrast in that compound signature. Be brave and bold to get the correct musical feel. Thank you, David.
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Event 28. Grade 1 Piping - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Charlie Martin 🇺🇸           Tunes: Iain Campbell of Oban      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Nice overall pipe here. 6/8 idiom evident with a good tempo. Make sure you keep it going here as the odd time there is a dip in forward motion. Overall nice tune. Thank you. David
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Event 29. Grade 1 Piping - Hornpipes (two hornpipes each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Abraham McCarty 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: Lift up your kilt, The Busy buddy      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Great tempo, Abraham! Rollicking without being out of control. And I love that it wasn't 100% round — there's a tiny bit of dot/cut without actually being noticeable — makes for great music. Very strong execution throughout. Great transition between tunes - seamless. Your chanter sounds lovely — drones hard to tell because there seems to be some sort of over-tone happening — perhaps a furnace or air conditioner in the room or something? A little distracting. Great fingerwork in the tricky 4th part of the 2nd tune. I really enjoyed your performance — thanks!
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Event 29. Grade 1 Piping - Hornpipes (two hornpipes each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Hamish Reade 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Bad Liar, Chasing Shadows      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Really nice entry into this tune — you settled into the tempo by the end of bar 1 which is totally appropriate. Very well-set tempo — controlled without being boring. Great playing. Strong clean execution throughout the first tune. It sounded to me like there was a tiny hiccup between the first and second tunes — could have just been a small recording glitch rather than a stumble. Still, your playing was fabulous throughout, and your pipes sounded great, with the exception of the dodgy break between the two tunes where the rhythm got interrupted just for a split second. An enjoyable performance — thanks!
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Event 29. Grade 1 Piping - Hornpipes (two hornpipes each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Gord Wallace 🇨🇦      Place: 3      Tunes: Pipe Major George Allan and The Lady’s Hornpipe      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Tempo a touch on the cautious side — I think you could pull a bit more music out of these tunes if you bumped the tempo up by 6-8 bpm. A few small technical misses going into the second tune — just some sticky grace notes. I really enjoyed your phrasing — nice dot/cut contrast without overdoing it and in spite of the slightly slow tempo, you kept it very steady throughout — perhaps picking up a tiny bit heading into the Ladies Hornpipe. Nice treatment of the runs in the 4th part. A very enjoyable performance on a nice-sounding pipe — thanks!
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Event 29. Grade 1 Piping - Hornpipes (two hornpipes each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Connor Eckert 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Chasing Banx, College of Piping at Summerside P.EI.      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Sweet job of the tricky top hand work in the first tune, Connor! Good tempo — up enough to make the tune interesting but controlled enough so that the tune didn't sound horribly busy, which it could possibly have the potential to do. A few misses in the 4th part - that's a lot of strikes to fit in . . . Lovely birls throughout. Nice smooth break to College. Again, well controlled tempo without being boring. Occasionally you're not holding the non- 1/32nd notes their full value — be careful not to jump off these. For example, in the 3rd part, with those tied low As, make sure you hold that tie long enough at the end of the first time through the part so that when you come in on the up beat with the E and then E strike, you're not early with it. Some missed execution (mostly E strikes) in part 4. Overall a very enjoyable performance on a well-tuned pipe. Thanks!
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Event 29. Grade 1 Piping - Hornpipes (two hornpipes each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Martha Hall 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: The Henningham Reunion, Donald MacLeod      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Very nice tempo starting out. Your top hand (high G, high A) is just a bit scratchy which is a little distracting — blow out that "crow." Fabulous control and embellishments throughout the first tune. Great birls! The switch from the dot/cut idiom into the rounded-out version of Donald MacLeond didn't really flow — I realize there's no requirement to play either two dot/cut tunes or two round tunes, but it breaks the flow of the rhythm and makes it just a bit less enjoyable for the listener, especially with the increased tempo from the first tune into the second tune. Having said that, you did a great job of the 2nd tune as well — good strong playing throughout, with consistent and controlled tempos (notwithstanding the switch in tempo from the first tune to the 2nd). An enjoyable performance — thanks!
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Event 29. Grade 1 Piping - Hornpipes (two hornpipes each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Sass Bergen 🇨🇦      Place: 6      Tunes: Duncan Johnstone, Angus John’s Fancy      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Your tempo in the first tune was a bit cautious starting out, but you picked it up nicely part way through part 1. Just the right touch of dot/cut - not really there, but yet not completely round. Well done! A few E strike misses in part 3 & again in part 4. Great tune overall. I found the switch to the dotted/cut tune a bit jarring. You're playing it very well — small stumble part 2. Great birls part 3, and awesome job of the tricky triplets in part 4. Overall really nice playing — my only concern was that the two tunes didn't go together very well in terms of rhythm. That's a taste thing on my part (i.e., mixing the round with the not-round) — you played them both very well — but the flow got lost when you switched from Duncan to Angus. Still, great playing on a nice-sounding pipe — thanks!
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Event 29. Grade 1 Piping - Hornpipes (two hornpipes each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Charlie Martin 🇺🇸           Tunes: Jack Adrift, Colorado Ladies      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Nice tempo for this great tune! Occasionally you're jumping off an up-beat — those long notes that aren't on beats 1 or 2, but are in the middle of a beat — be careful to hold them just as long as you're holding other long notes. For example, in part 4 of Jack, Bar 1, the 2nd high A (excluding the pickup note) should be just as long as the first high A (the "beat note"), but you jumped off the 2nd one much more quickly. It causes a tiny bit of a shift in the rhythm. It's the "up beat" — the beat that happens while your foot is up in the air. It's quite noticeable throughout the 4th part. A few small misses 2nd time through the 4th part. Your break to the 2nd tune was just a little un-smooth — almost like you were about to play a tune of a different idiom — but you settled into it very nicely after the first two bars. Again, the only issue is the jumping early off of some of the long notes as noted above. Some very minor execution misses - otherwise a really enjoyable performance, on a nice-sounding pipe. Thanks!
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Event 29. Grade 1 Piping - Hornpipes (two hornpipes each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Meleana Eade 🇳🇿           Tunes: Duncan Johnson, Jimmy Blue      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Tempo just a touch on the cautious side starting out — I think you could pull a bit more music out of these round pieces if you picked up the pace just a bit. Good strong execution throughout — lovely birls in the 3rd part of Duncan. A few small misses in the 4th part — the top hand work not all quite there first time around. Tempo seemed to pick up a little in the 2nd tune — I found it to be just a bit more lively and enjoyable. Very strong embellishments here as well. Consistent phrasing — you kept the relaxed feel throughout your performance — everything well under control without any rushing. Enjoyable performance on a nice-sounding pipe - thanks!
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Hamish Reade 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Lament for Captain MacDougall      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Poised, confident, and mature interpretation of the ground. Lovely build through variation 1 singling and doubling. Good pace in the taorluath singling with an effective lift into the doubling. Smooth segue into the crunluath singling, followed by another musically confident variation pair. I wouldn't aim for the slow-down at the end of the crunluath doubling, instead keeping it going until the final note. I'd also recommend just finishing on a plain low A, rather than playing a bunch of birls to finish. Great music throughout. Instrument: Excellent drone tuning. Bad quality audio recording with the volume changing suddenly and drastically. Well-set chanter except for a fairly sharp F#. Drones holding well. Steady pressure control throughout. Technique: Very good technique. Great hiharin, edre, dare, and odro movements. Rhythmic and clear taorluaths. Solid crunluaths though some are tight. Overall: First-class music on a solid pipe with good technique. Confident and mature musicality. Your pipe was steady and well-set except for a pretty sharp F#. Strong technique throughout, just keep the crunluaths open for full clarity. Well done!
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Meleana Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Too Long in this Condition      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Great musicality and tempo development. In the siubhal singling, make sure to not play an E gracenote in the middle phrase of line 2. Smooth transition to the crunluath singling. Effective preparation of cadences throughout the tune. Instrument: Good drone tuning with a well-set chanter. Pressure sagging sometimes when inhaling. F# and E are a tad sharp at times. High A could be flattened slightly to good effect. High A is coarse if underblown. Chanter just sharpening a bit as you progress. Technique: Excellent. Great edres, dares, and taorluaths. Overall: Seamless, musical playing throughout. Solid bagpipe, but a few slightly sharp chanter intervals and some pressure inconsistency when taking a breath. First-class technique from start to finish. Well done, Meleana.
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Richard Payn 🇿🇦      Place: 3      Tunes: The Earl of Seaforth's Salute      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Nuanced portrayal of the ground and variation 1. Variation 1 doubling is just a tad fast in places, especially moving off some phrase endings. Excellent transition into the taorluath singling. Nice tempo control with smooth approaches to cadences. The connecting notes in the crunluath variations are a bit slow and draggy, making it feel anticlimactic. Instrument: Well-tuned drones! High G is sharp and High A is on the flatter side. Very good chanter intonation overall. Pipe holding very well. Technique: Good grips and rodins. Excellent taorluath technique. A few tight taorluaths from D. Strong and consistent crunluaths. Overall: Well-played, Richard. You are bringing out a lot of music in this tune. I would slow down variation 1 doubling a bit, with a more subtle contrast to the singling. And I would speed up the three-note connecting groupings throughout the crunluath variations. This will help it move along and peak at the right moment. Very good instrument overall, high G just a bit sharp. Excellent technique!
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Gord Wallace 🇨🇦      Place: 4      Tunes: The Munro Salute      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Lovely musical flow through the ground. You are playing a G gracenote instead of an E gracenote on Low G in the initial phrase/measure of each line in the ground. Good overall pace in Var. 1, however, you could inject more energy into it by cutting the short notes a bit more. Showing line endings nicely. I felt that you rushed off the initial theme note of the G-D-E taorluath variation. Always push out the initial theme note of a variation, even when intending to speed up after, on the second pulse. Instrument: Well-tuned drones. Good chanter intonation, but for a slightly sharp C# and F#. Chanter had sharpened just a bit by the end. Technique: D throw sounds a bit labored, with an elongated initial Low G. Very good G-D-E variation, just one tight G-D-E. Well-developed and rhythmic crunluaths, just one tight embellishment. Overall: Nice playing here, Gord. While this is perhaps a light tune for this grade level, it was musical and nearly flawless technically. You will want to sort out the wrong gracenotes in the ground. Consider getting a bit more contrast in variation 1 by just cutting the short notes a tad more. Good bagpipe overall, just a couple of sharp intervals. Excellent technique overall. You could work on a more fluid D throw. Well done and best of luck this next season!
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Mike Fenton 🇨🇦      Place: 5      Tunes: The Desperate Battle of the Birds      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Solid and consistent expression in this rhythmic tune. Nice transition from Variation 1 singling to doubling. Don't let it run away and turn into a jig though. Effective ritard into Variation 2 singling. When speeding up the doubling variation, I would recommend waiting until the second pulse, keeping the first pulse held out. I think this tune demands a lot of contrast between singlings and doublings, especially since there aren't any cadences in the singling variations. However, I think you are overdoing this contrast a bit. You could slow your doubling variations down, or not take the singlings quite so slowly. Good transition from Dithis doubling to taorluath. Instrument: Drones well-tuned. High A is sharp (not ideal for this tune!), E is flat, C sharp at times. The high A can be flat but not sharp! Technique: Strong taorluath and taorluath a-mach technique. Solid crunluaths as well. A-mach embellishments are open but clean and consistent. Overall: Strong tune overall, Mike. Musically, I think you have the right idea but I would like to hear a bit more subtlety of tempo contrast, but still more contrast than many other tunes. Good bagpipe except for the sharp, peaky high A and a flat E. If you flatten the high A from perfectly in-tune, those pressure spikes won't be nearly so grating. As Bob Brown is recorded as saying when teaching this tune, your high A must be the "ultimate." This piobaireachd is probably the best tune for showcasing a great high A. Excellent technique! Best of luck next season.
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Abraham McCarty 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Andrew MacNeil of Colonsay      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Nice pace and expression in the ground. You are slightly overextending the E before the final D of each line, in my opinion. A more subtle ritard effect at the line endings would be expressive without being maudlin. You added a G gracenote to the B-grip/odro in the middle of line 3 in the ground. Musical presentation of Var 1 singling and doubling. In the taorluath singling, you are smoothly approaching the cadences. However, when beginning a phrase, you are quite abrupt, at times rushing the first theme note of the phrase. This then causes you to move through the phrase quite quickly for a singling. I would recommend both opening up your taorluaths and also opening up the Low A connecting note which follows. The taorluath doubling is quite fast and round, so you are losing the expression and phrasing. While the taorluath variation should be very cut, the crunluath variation should have a rounder compound-time swing. While your crunluaths are solid, the E following each movement is clipped. Slightly lengthening this E throughout in both the singling and the doubling will help this flow along more and give more contrast with the taorluath variation as well. Overall, good musicality, but a bit fast overall and losing phrasing in the doubling. Instrument: Drones locked in to start. Well-set chanter intonation, though D is a bit unsteady. Resonant and full chanter sound with an enrapturing High A. First-class instrument overall. Technique: Excellent edre, dare, and odro technique in the ground. Taorluaths are a bit tight and would benefit from more Low G coming through. Make sure to get two clear Low G's in the taorluaths from D, particularly. Sometimes you are getting to Low A before the E gracenote of the taorluath. Clear and powerful crunluaths to begin but they got a bit tight with some inconsistencies by the end. Overall: Great performance, Abraham. You have a good musical feel for this expressive tune. Be careful of just "barrelling through" the taorluath and crunluath variations. Excellent bagpipe, aside from a pressure-sensitive D that was unstable. I enjoyed listening to the warm, rich tone. Your technique is strong, generally. I would recommend opening up your taorluaths and crunluaths for more consistent delivery. Well done.
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Charlie Martin 🇺🇸           Tunes: MacLeod's Controversy      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Good first line of the ground. Rushing through the initial phrase in line 2. Solid taorluath variations but you might cut the connecting notes a bit shorter if your technique will allow. Good tempo control, navigating the changes of pace nicely. Instrument: Drones tuned well together but not quite locked in with Low A. Flat high G. High A could be flattened slightly. Spiking the pressure in places, sometimes in conjunction with a crunluath. Technique: Excellent hiharin movement. Chedari to high G is sticky and not even. D to E crossing in the taorluath singling. A slight catch to B in the second phrase/measure of the taorluath doubling. Solid crunluaths overall, despite a few sloppy embellishments. Very good closed/Low-G crunluaths. Missing more crunluaths in the doubling. Keep them open! Overall: Well done, Charlie. You are moving through this tune and not letting it drag. Your drones were never quite bang-on with the chanter, so that probably didn't help your pressure control. Some solid technique overall. You'll want to work to make your chedari movement even and relax your crunluath technique for more consistency. Best of luck next season!
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Eddie Boland 🇮🇪           Tunes: Sir James Mcdonald of the Isles Lament      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Lyrical playing in the ground. Good timing in variation 1. Started quite slow but developed a nice flowing groove. Pretty fast for the taorluath, with the tune slowing down into the crunluath variation. Lovely flow in the crunluath variation. Instrument: Drones quite locked in tune to begin. Chanter is well-set overall. D a shade sharp at times. Work on tuning the drones closer and steady pressure control. Technique: A few tight/sloppy grips in the ground. Nice hiharin. A few tight edres as well. Solid taorluaths except for a few sloppy movements from D. Nice crunluaths! Overall: Solid effort, Eddie. This is perhaps a light tune for this grade level, but you are doing well with it. I think musically you are poised and controlled throughout. I think you could work on a bit more tempo control. While you'll want to stretch the initial theme note of each variation, I would aim to hit your tempo by the second pulse of each variation. It felt like it took a while to settle into a groove at times. The biggest area for improvement would be your drone tuning. It's of course the one constant to every performance and will make everything sound better. You are getting some crossings from B grips to C (a slight B sounding after the grip) and a few tight edres that could be opened up for more clarity. Ditto D taorluaths. Excellent crunluaths and very good technique overall.
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Jerry-Anne Dickel 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Lament for the Only Son      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Very nice flow in the ground overall. I think you are a little long with some of the Es before double echoes. Variation 1 singling could move on a bit more. In Variation 1 doubling, you are breaking up the initial phrase. If you shorten the High A at the end of measure 1, I think you'll get a more fluid two-bar phrase. Excellent control and expression in the Dithis variations. Good transition to the taorluath variation and well-expressed taorluath variations. Crunluath variations are also smooth and expressive. Sometimes you are just a tad quick with the E connecting note which follows each crunluath. Lengthening it fractionally will give you a nice compound-time swing throughout the variation. A-mach variation is jumpy in places and loses the poise shown in the rest of the tune. Instrument: Drones are not quite locked with Low A, but this is just due to fluctuating pressure control. Micro-choke at the end of variation 1 singling. The chanter is well-set overall. Technique: Excellent technique! One taorluath miss in the doubling. Strong crunluaths. A few slightly sloppy A-mach embellishments. Really strong technique overall! Overall: Well-played, Jerry-Anne. Musically, I think you have a very good understanding of tempo control and are getting smooth segues throughout. I think you could get a bit more music out of Variation 1 singling and doubling as mentioned, but I loved it from the Dithis onward. Watch that you don't rush in the A-Mach. The area for the biggest improvement would be your pressure control. The bagpipe is well-tuned and sounds nice, but because of pressure unsteadiness, you aren't getting a locked-in hypnotic sound. Your technique is impressive! The only concern is a couple of A-mach embellishments. Well done.
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Ray Flanagan 🇺🇸           Tunes: Massacre of Glencoe      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Nice ground. You could let Variation 1 speed up. You are losing flow and musical interest at this slow pace. In the taorluath singling, you are pausing for a long time on some of the connecting Low As before cadences. You are also drawing out the cadence Es for quite a long time. Expression is good elsewhere. You started the ritard into the crunluath singling far too early, getting quite round as well. I would just slow down on the last two theme notes, and possibly the final connecting note, ever so subtly. Solid expression in the crunluath variations. Be careful not to rush mid-line in the crunluath doubling. Instrument: Drones not in tune with Low A from the beginning. Chanter sharp to drones. C# is particularly sharp. Pressure spiking on some high As, causing the drones to drift. Micro-choke in the crunluath singling. Technique: A missed hiharin in variation 1. Very strong throughout in the taorluath. Just a tight taorluath in the doubling variation. Great crunluaths! A-mach movements need work as they are sloppier than your standard crunluaths, with crossing noises and rhythmic instability. Overall: Good effort, Mr. Flanagan! Some musical touches here, for sure. Variation 1 felt dragged out as did the treatment of the cadences in the singling variations. Work on a subtle transition from taorluath doubling to singling. Good overall. You will need to start with your bagpipe closer in tune to be successful in this grade. Your pressure control isn't stable either, so definitely work a lot on that if you want to see success in Grade 1. You've got excellent technique that will take you right to the top. Just work on cleaning up and controlling your A-mach technique. Well done.
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Ryan Morrison 🇺🇸           Tunes: MacLeod's Controversy      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Good pace to the ground. The Low A "echo" strike in your E double echo motif is on the slow side for an aggressive tune like this and perhaps more appropriate timing for a lament. I would recommend shortening those Low A echoes for more drive and energy. Inconsistent timing of the third phrase/measure of line one (rounded out on the repeat). Solid expression through lines 2 and 3 of the ground, but you could hold out the end of line 2 a bit more. In the taorluath variation, you are not consistent with the length of the connecting Low A (or Low G). Sometimes you are quite long with these connecting notes, and other times you are much snappier. The more-cut treatment of the Low A connecting notes is more effective generally, letting the melodic line project. Whichever style you choose, make sure it is consistent. Quite round treatment of the taorluath doubling. Nice musical flow through the crunluath singling, just make sure not to rush off the odd phrase ending. Good crunluath doubling to finish. Instrument: Well-tuned instrument to begin. Lovely drone sound. Good chanter intonation, though Low G is slightly flat. Rock-steady piobaireachd High G and perfectly set! High A is quite coarse and scratchy. Pipe stable throughout. Technique: Excellent technique overall! Consistent, clean, and rhythmic. Great crunluaths overall, however, you aren't playing the closed crunluaths from B as noted in the PS setting. Overall: Strong playing, Ryan. There are a few musical comments above, but you are playing musically and expressively overall. I like your tempi/pacing in this tune. I recommend shortening the connecting notes consistently in the taorluath variations. Your bagpipe was the highlight for me. Well-tuned with steady pressure control throughout. The coarse high A was the only distraction. Very strong technique from start to finish! Make sure to play the closed crunluaths from B when notated, just as in the taorluath variations. Well done!
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Event 30. Grade 1 Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Sass Bergen 🇨🇦           Tunes: The MacDougalls’ Gathering      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Musical playing of the ground. Make sure not to rush any E cadences. Good music in the taorluath singling as well, though I felt you rushed the Low-G/Low-A run right at the end. Wrong note in the taorluath doubling, playing a High G instead of an F in measure 6 of line 3. Off tune again at the end of the crunluath singling, unfortunately playing a crunluath on the final E as in the doubling, rather than going to Low A. Strong music through the crunluath doubling. Instrument: Drones are okay. Sharp D and flat High G. F# is a shade sharp along with E and B at times. High A could be flattened slightly to good effect, thickening it up. Technique: Strong technique overall. Crossing in embari movement to high G at the end of the ground. The odd tight or unclean taorluath, but overall very good. Watch a Low A crossing after grips in places. Great taorluaths, with good closed/Low-G movements in particular. Excellent crunluaths. Still getting some Low A crossings after grips to the top hand. Overall: Very musical, polished playing overall! A couple of note errors, unfortunately. You set the drones well, but there are some chanter intonation issues present throughout, as mentioned above. Great technique overall! Make sure that you don't lift your little finger too early when playing grips to the top hand. Well done.
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Event 31. Any Grade Piping - Medley (4-6 Minutes)
Competitor: Dan Pisowloski 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: The Jacksonville Pipes and Drums/Sophie's Strathspey/Debbie's Dance(Strathspey)/Debbie's Dance (Waltz)/The Pharoah Rules/The Fiasco/Rob & Ginny Gregg/The Man-O-Meter      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Cracking sound here from drones and chanter together, D is a little sharp. 1 - Beautifully played retreat march! 2 - Great strathspey playing here, well expressed and good flow with good technique accompanying it. 3 - Great choice of strathspey, adding great but subtle variety here, nice transition to the waltz 4 - Cool transition to the reel here, well played. 5 - Good reel playing here, was it the best choice before the jigs? I felt there could be something in between. 6 - Good change to jig, perhaps think about putting another cool break to get yourself into the jigs 7 - Lovely bright jig playing here, drones starting to drift a little here. A wonderful, musical performance here with great technique accompanying it, well done.
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Event 31. Any Grade Piping - Medley (4-6 Minutes)
Competitor: Abraham McCarty 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: Bangers and Mash, out of the air, the panda, the nameless Piobaireachd, Aspen Bank, Stumpy, Mrs MacLoed of Raasay, Jenny Dang the Weaver.      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice drone sound here, could be slightly more refined. Chanter sounds good. tunes: 1 - Great to be playing your own tunes in the contest, much enjoyed and well played. Loving the syncopation in the second part. 2 - Good jig playing here, try and ease yourself into the tune a little more. Its well played but a little pipe-bandy, it could have a little more subtle expression 3 - As first jig. 4 - An interesting slow air, it sounds like it could be one of several piobaireachd, nevertheless it was a good tune. 5 - Well played here, try and ease into the tune a little more, enjoyable strathspey playing. Double check the music of the second part. 6 - Second strathspey is very musical indeed. 7 - Very musical reel playing here. Losing the accuracy in the technical embellishments a tad. 8 - Much smoother here. Generally a very enjoyable performance here. Lovely, bright, musical playing. I feel though, there could be a little more musicality gained if the tempos are brought back just a tad to add to the overall composure and therefore performance. Similarly, it is a solo performance, the breaks between tunes were slightly pipe-bandy, ease between each tune a little more. Overall, great fingers, lots of potential here, keep it up.
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Event 31. Any Grade Piping - Medley (4-6 Minutes)
Competitor: Graham Durant-Law 🇦🇺      Place: 3      Tunes: The Bear Dance, The Duck, The Irish Chase, I’ll Remember Tara, The Campbelltown Kiltie Ball, Itchy Fingers      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Drones could be slightly closer to the chanter which is balanced nicely, high G is a little sharp. Tune: 1 - Lovely opening tune to this medley, well played, enjoyable. 2 - Great jig playing here, slight false fingering here. 3 - Great slip jig playing, feel free to decorate the long B in the second part. 4 - Great composure in the slow air here. 5 - Lovely transition to the strathspey - well played. 6 - Nicely played reel however it could have had a slightly brighter tempo to round off a great set of tunes. Lovely playing with nice clean technique, well done. Most enjoyable.
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Event 31. Any Grade Piping - Medley (4-6 Minutes)
Competitor: Gus Sevil 🇦🇺      Place: 4      Tunes: Andrew & Colin Lee, The Brides Jig, Rory Macleod, Sarah's Song, The Redcoat, Kelsey's Wee Reel.      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - good drone and chanter sound. Top hand is a tad sharp. Tune: 1 - Good, musical playing here. Try and ease into the tune a little more at the start. I feel you could have played the setting that includes the additional ornamentation, the third part in particular sounds a little bare without it. 2 - Good jig playing 3 - Ditto, a few misses here and there however. 4 - Lovely slow air playing here. 5 - Good idiomatic playing here however there are a few doublings being missed out in this strathspey. 6 - Nice reel playing here, feel free to let it go and give it a little bit of life, bring the tempo up a little. Overall a great medley performance. Remember, this is a solo contest so the breaks between tunes don't have to be as rigid as the breaks between tunes in a band setting. Ease from one tune to another with a little more care, this will make the performance more musical.
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Event 31. Any Grade Piping - Medley (4-6 Minutes)
Competitor: Laura McEwan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿      Place: 5      Tunes: Beamish (hornpipe), Strathspey King, The Ale is Dear, Rakish Paddy, C'est la Vie, Nine o'Clock Walk, Beamish (jig)      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Nice drone and chanter combo sound. Drones drifting in slow air. Tunes: 1 - Technically well played however it is a little on the safe side, try and bring the tempo up a little. 2 - Great break into the strathspey. Lovely dot/cut rhythms here however again a little safe. 3 - Nice change here, a few places of rushing here and there. 4 - Nice reel playing here, this is much more exciting at that tempo. 5 - Nice slow air here, try and keep the shorter notes nice and soft. 6 - Great jog playing. Great tempo here, however you could have eased into the tune a little better. 7 - Starting to lose the composure here, try and make this as accurate as the first jig. Generally a very good performance here with great technique for the most part. The second half was very exciting whilst the first half seemed a little tame/safe for me. Much potential though, keep up the good work.
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Event 31. Any Grade Piping - Medley (4-6 Minutes)
Competitor: Raúl Peinado Fuentes 🇪🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Gaelic College, ST Annes/Romany/The sleepy tune/trad./Och is deine truagh mi/ trad.      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Drones could be slightly closer to the chanter which Could be a little more refined. Tunes: 1 - Great choice of tune and although I did enjoy it I felt this could have had a little more composure to it, the syncopation was lost due to the brisk tempo. 2- Again the tune choice was great but it could have been a little more composed, it felt a little rushed throughout. 3 - Great break to the slow air which was played really nicely. 4 - Nice reel playing here, a few inaccuracies here and there. 5 - Much better playing here. 6 - Great wee reel to finish on, much enjoyed. Overall this was a good performance, especially in the tail end. Try and ease yourself from one tune to another, this will add to the musicality. The fast tempos in tune have resulted in a slight loss in technical accuracy, try and bring the tempi down a little to get more clarity, you certainly have the fingers to do this. Lots of potential here, keep up the good work.
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Event 31. Any Grade Piping - Medley (4-6 Minutes)
Competitor: Kathryn McEwan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿           Tunes: The Rowan Tree, The Quaker's Wife, Nicky Tams, The Golden Wreath, High Road to Gareloch, Stirling Castle, The Piper of Drummond, Tail Toddle.      Judge: John Dew      Judge's Comments: Pipes - Great chanter sound, drones could be slightly more refined. High G and E a tad sharp. Tunes 1 - Very well played opening march, very musical and enjoyable. 2 - Good playing but I feel this is a tad rigid in places, allow for it to flow. 3 - Great gaelic air playing, much enjoyed. A wee choke. 4 - Nice arrangement into the jig. Try to ease into the jig a little more. 5 - Good choice of reel here, make sure the first part is nice and clear, at times it felt like it was a little unclear as to what the melodic line was. 6 - Good march here, aim to make the previous tune as confident as The High Road to Gairloch. 7 - Strathspey is fairly well played with good musicality. 8 - Final reels are musical but could be a little more composed. Generally speaking this was a solid performance with only a few wee issues. When it comes to medley construction, try and tell a story with the music. I felt there was a little too much jumping backwards and forwards between idioms, we heard 2 sets of reels. Sometimes the musicality was great, particularly the marches which is great to hear. I feel a few of the faster tunes weren't as confidently played as these simpler tunes. Also A few technical inaccuracies throughout but good for the most part. There is a lot of potential here in this enjoyable performance. Well done, keep up the good work.
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Event 33. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 12 years or younger
Competitor: Abby Long 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: Dr. E.G. MacKinnon      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: You started this march at a really nice tempo — controlled, but still very lively and musical. Great job of the tricky embellishments in the two-bar ending phrase! Every now and again you're rushing off a long note that's on an off-beat — for example in part 3 (not so much in the 2 bar ending phrase) there's a grip from C to E and you're getting off the E a little early. NIce subtle hints of pointing throughout. A very well played march on a great-sounding pipe — thanks!
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Event 33. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 12 years or younger
Competitor: Anthony Song 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: John McColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: A very bold choice of tune — and you're playing everything very well, good phrasing and great embellishments. Unfortunately the tempo was so slow that some of the musicality was lost — still, it did enable you to fit everything in very cleanly and within the rhythm that you set, and there's something to be said for that, and you didn't waver from that cautious tempo. A very mature, controlled performance — thanks!
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Event 33. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 12 years or younger
Competitor: Cameron Sharpe 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: John MacColl's March to Kilbowie Cottage      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: Very cautious tempo — appropriate for this rather large tune though. A few little execution misses here and there — watch especially your birls — sometimes they're not quite making it over the hole twice. Very well played third part - good dot/cut technique — nice contrast without being clippy. Some grace notes missing out of the fourth part — be sure to lift your fingers high enough off the holes so that everything is heard. Despite the few technical misses, you played this tune quite well, on a nice-sounding pipe. Thanks!
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Event 33. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 12 years or younger
Competitor: Charlie A Gregg 🇳🇿      Place: 4      Tunes: John Mcoll's march to kilbowie cottage      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: I found the tempo of this tune quite slow — it lost some of its musicality. I understand the desire to make sure you play everything accurately but there needs to be a bit better balance between fitting in all of the embellishments and keeping the tune a "march." Having said that, you chose the tempo, you held it steady, and you did fit most embellishments in quite well. There were a few small gracenote misses, and a few crossing noises (notably from C to E), but otherwise it was a very strong performance played on a well-tuned pipe. Thanks!
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Event 33. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 12 years or younger
Competitor: Cadell Merritt 🇳🇿      Place: 5      Tunes: Siege of Delhi      Judge: Ann Gray      Judge's Comments: A very quick start to this tune & a small stumble going into the repeat of part 1. Your execution and embellishments are very good. Nice grips F to E. Despite the quick tempo, it was consistent and only wavered a few times when you had small stumbles. The third part, which is the trickiest, unfortunately suffered a bit because of the tempo. You show great potential — great hands and a good sense of musicality, but your performance suffered somewhat due to the speed at which you played the tune. Still a strong performance — keep it up! Thanks.
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Event 34. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 13 to 14 years
Competitor: Sam Foote 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: John McColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: A bit on the slow side, but musical and steady. Instrument: Excellent drone tuning! Quality pipe sound with great stability. The F# is sharp, otherwise a well-set chanter. Technique: Excellent. A muddy birl at the end of part 2 and part 4, both times through. The odd tight E doubling to open up. Overall: Well done, Sam. This was musical and steady throughout! Great bagpipe sound as well. Stable pressure control and precise chanter intervals but for the sharp F#. Very strong technique. Work on birl consistency. Lots of potential here, just keep it going!
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Event 34. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 13 to 14 years
Competitor: Rylan Cliff 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Glenfinnan Highland Gathering      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Slow but steady with good dot-cut expression! Instrument: Solid drone tuning to start. E is sharp at times, when at an increased pressure. F# is sharp. D is flat. High A is on the flat side. The odd pressure spike. Technique: Excellent! Just watch C to E transitions, that you don't get crossing noises. A few indistinct birls coming through. Watch the grip to high A in part 4, as you are getting a Low A crossing after the grip, between the Low G and the High A which follows. Keeping your little finger on the chanter longer will sort this out. Overall: Very well done, Rylan. You have excellent 2/4 march expression and steadiness. You can start to increase the tempo provided your technique can handle it. Very good bagpipe overall. Watch that you don't get any pressure spikes. Crisp and clear technique. Watch out for crossing noises and work on birls. Best of luck this season!
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Event 34. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 13 to 14 years
Competitor: Zygmunt (Zyggy) Gray 🇦🇺      Place: 3      Tunes: Allan Dodd's Farewell to Scotland      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: On the slow side, but steady and well-expressed. You added a G gracenote on the final birl of the tune. Instrument: Nice drone tuning and overall bagpipe sound! The C# is slightly sharp and the D is a bit flat. Some pressure surges are creeping in by part 3. Technique: Excellent overall. Watch a slight catch from Low A to C in measure 1 of part 2, and also into the pick-up note C at the beginning of part 3. Overall: Very good standard of play here, Zyggy. I think you are ready to let the tempo increase a bit, so long as you maintain good technique. Solid bagpipe, but be careful to not be unsteady with your arm. Excellent technique!
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Event 34. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 13 to 14 years
Competitor: Craig Mitchell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 4      Tunes: Mrs MacDonald of Dunach      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Solid musicality from beginning to end! Make sure not to rush off any downbeat 1/8 notes, such as at phrase endings. Instrument: Drones close but not locked. Some sharp chanter intervals: C#, E, F#, and High A. Be careful not to spike the pressure on High A. Technique: Excellent technique in a deceptively difficult march. D to E crossing in part 3. Late strike at the end. Overall: Musical playing, Craig. You could work to get the drones closer in tune. The instrument tuning and stability would be the biggest area for improvement of this performance. Very strong and clear technique overall! Well done.
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Event 34. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 13 to 14 years
Competitor: Leon Lee 🇬🇧      Place: 5      Tunes: The 79th Farewell to Gibraltar      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Good, expressive delivery of the dot-cut rhythms. Hesitant into part 4. Instrument: Drones out from the beginning, unfortunately. Sharp B. Technique: Strong and clear technique! Impressive delivery in part 3. A slight fumble on the repeat of the part. Delayed birl in part 4, measure 8, first time through. Overall: Very good playing, Leon. Great musicality overall. There were a couple of areas where you hesitated, but that's likely due to technique more than a musical issue. If you can improve your drone tuning, this performance would be greatly improved. Excellent technique overall. Well done.
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Event 34. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 13 to 14 years
Competitor: Kane Gordon 🇳🇿      Place: 6      Tunes: Siege of Delhi      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Music: Good tempo and expression overall. Losing some poise in part 3. Instrument: Unfortunately, your drones are way out of tune here. D slightly sharp at times, F# is a bit flat. Nice balance overall. Technique: Make sure that all your doublings have G gracenotes to begin the embellishment (such as the C doubling in measure 8 of each part). You are sometimes moving your B finger off the hole when playing a birl. Try to eliminate any tension from the birl movement. You had a very open D gracenote-strike movement in part 2, line 2. Not all G gracenotes are coming through, such as all the G gracenote on Low A in measure 2 of part 3. Overall: Good effort, Kane! Great musicality overall. Work to get your drones in tune. It's so important as it is the only part of your performance that is constant. Good balance. Solid embellishments and overall technique. Work on relaxed birls and getting full C doublings, beginning with a G grace note as mentioned above. Well done.
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Event 35. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 15 to 17 years
Competitor: Mackenzie Loudon 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Allan Dodd’s Farewell to Scotland      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi there, thank you for your submission. Boomin pipe! Great hands, the odd wee bobble or near miss. Work to strengthen the consistency. Great idiom with forward motion — like Alasdair played. A really great tune. Thank you, David.
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Event 35. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 15 to 17 years
Competitor: Connor Eckert 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: John MacDonald of Glencoe      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi, thank you for your submission. Great pipe and recording. Tempo good. Phrasing is on the right track and so very close, however at times there is just a wee bit of jumping off some notes and some cut notes not quite cut enough. Be brave. End phrase consistency is needed here to move to the next level of play. Wee correction — it is Alasdair Gillies — he was a legendary MSR player. Thank you, David.
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Event 35. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 15 to 17 years
Competitor: Eala Niamh McElhinney 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 3      Tunes: The Abercairney Highlanders      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi, Thank you for your submission today. Really good strong hands. Idiom is 90% you could really pull out the theme notes and cut the cut notes to get the contrast required. High A is sharp and at times over blown — a very good pipe otherwise. The tempo is pleasing and musical. Thank you, David.
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Event 35. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 15 to 17 years
Competitor: Seumas Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 4      Tunes: Miss Elspeth Campbell      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi, thank you for your submission. A good pipe overall. Hands good, going well here. Tempo good. Watch some short notes are coming through a wee bit big causing some round phrasing at times. Try and pull out the contrast with bold theme notes and short notes. Thank you, David.
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Event 35. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 15 to 17 years
Competitor: Max Busboom 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: Lady Lever Park      Judge: David Hilder      Judge's Comments: Hi there and thank you for your submission. Tempo is ok.Your drones are really out of tune and wild, taking away from the musical performance. Chanter seems to be well set. Double time marching here and this is taking away from a good strong idiom. Idiom is ok and on the right track, however would be greatly enhanced by marching half time correctly. Your hands are quite good. Once again the double time takes away from the music. Thank you, David
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Event 36. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 18 to 20 years
Competitor: Hamish Reade 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Major Mansons Farewell to Clachantrushal      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Hamish and thanks for taking part in this event. Tone: A well refined sound and well done. By the way your mic pickup kind of cuts in and out that little bit. Pretty good overall however. Well balanced instrument. Execution: Good hands are evident early. I feel your G grace notes could be slightly stronger and I am being super picky with this comment. Room to strengthen that a wee bit. Music: Really like your deliberate approach to the music. It is well controlled and yet not dull. Flowing well overall with careful thought to musical style. Summary: A really musical player full stop. Really enjoyed this and,. . . . Thank you.
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Event 36. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 18 to 20 years
Competitor: Edon Abbot 🇦🇺      Place: 2      Tunes: The Abercairney Highlanders      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Edon and good to see you taking part here. Tone: A good instrument. The chanter is a little on the flat side. Good balance to instrument however. The odd small choke and so watch the blowing (or the squeezing). Generally it is a loose left arm on the bag that can cause underblowing (or uneven). Execution: Fingers are pretty good, thanks. Grace noting could be that little bit clearer/stronger yet. Watch the bottom hand fingers are firm on the chanter. Small slipping at times. Last part needs an E from beat 1 to beat 2 in bar one (so HA/E/C is the combo in this connecting note section). You have a double C thing happening. Music: A musical flow to your playing. Could cut short notes a tad harder at times. This creates drive and attack to playing overall. Summary: You are a musical player. I think I would lighten the strength of your instrument/reeds a little for more ease and comfort level. This could make it more enjoyable for you and help you take another step. Thank you!
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Event 36. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 18 to 20 years
Competitor: Friedrich Christiansen 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: The Highland Wedding.      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Friedrich and many thanks for doing this! Your backdrop is . . . well, insanely great! Tone: Pretty good sound. Low A is sharp and therefore the drones are flat. I would tape the low A and then see if the drones improve. Execution: Nice finger technique. Doublings are somewhat tight however and gracenotes could be opened for clarity. C and E are the main culprits for doublings. Music: Pushing a little in tempo I feel. Quite band-like in delivery. Could pull back and express the music more. Summary: A good tune and just pushing too hard in tempo which is hurting the musical delivery. Thank you.
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Event 36. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers age 18 to 20 years
Competitor: Jack Lang 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 4      Tunes: Arthur Bignold of Lochrosque      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Jack and good to see you today. Tone: A big sound and (by the way) overloading the mic a little. I would look at the settings for less coarseness to mic pickup. Pipe is a little flat but pretty good overall. Execution: Pretty good hands overall. C doubling is very open. Doublings in general are quite even/square. Watch to tighten the double grace notes that wee bit. Music: You are pretty unsteady in tempo - speeding up and slowing down bar to bar. Settle in on one and try to stay well. Started at the repeat of 1st part (when marching). Otherwise, quite musical but it is hard to get past this surging, jerky kind of feel. Summary: A pretty good tune overall and just somewhat scrambly in delivery. Try to work on keeping an even tempo to each bar and then phrase. Thank you.
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Event 37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers 21 and older
Competitor: Abraham McCarty 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: Mrs HL MacDonald of Dunach      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Excellent pipe. Lively tempo. Technically strong start. Phrasing well executed. Be careful not to overcut any notes that are cut on a beat or an offbeat — a bit severe here. Very solid performance. I enjoyed this a great deal.
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Event 37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers 21 and older
Competitor: Graham Durant-Law 🇦🇺      Place: 2      Tunes: MacLaren’s Farewell to Blairgowrie      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe fairly well set. Take care on beats that have an eighth note followed by a cut (tachum or otherwise) — hold the beat note for all it is worth! Lively tempo, well maintained. Technically quite good — just a few light places. Overall a very strong performance.
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Event 37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers 21 and older
Competitor: Joseph Gallagher 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: Donald MacLean's Farewell to Oban      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe fairly well set. A bit on the reserved side for tempo. Technically quite good. Take care when you have two cut notes in a row not to make the first one bigger than the second. Try to keep them even. Some increase in tempo in part three and four in the middle of lines. Very strong technique. Well done.
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Event 37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers 21 and older
Competitor: Jürgen Christiansen 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Miss Delicia Chisholm      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe fairly well set. Top hand a bit flat. Clear technique. Tempo well maintained for the most part but at times a little bit jumpy — wait before the birls, and some doublings (esp B doublings in part 3) are ahead of the beat. Well done.
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Event 37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers 21 and older
Competitor: Andrew Hill 🇨🇦      Place: 5      Tunes: Major Manson at Clachantrushal      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe fairly well set but drones not quite settled down. Pretty brisk! Faster than I'd play it. I'd soften some of the cut notes that land on beats/off-beats so it comes across a bit smoother. Technique fairly clear but also a bit tight. Phrasing coming across well — just ease back a bit on tempo and relax on the cuts!
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Event 37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers 21 and older
Competitor: Vincent Guinnane 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: The Duke of Roxburghe's Farewell to the Blackmount Forest      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set. Lively tempo. Be careful not to jump ahead when you have a cut on a beat or an offbeat. Getting a bit pushy in part three — use the dotted notes to hold you back and carry the melody. Good technique. Good recovery in part four. BIt overcut in part four — keep the cut notes clear. Well done.
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Event 37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March - for pipers 21 and older
Competitor: Carsten Christiansen 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Atholl and Breadalbane Gathering.      Judge: James MacHattie      Judge's Comments: Pipe fairly well set, though not quite settled down. Lively tempo and good 2/4 feel. In beats where you have an eighth note then a cut, be careful not to be a bit short on the down beat. Good technique, but some doublings a bit tight. A few slightly untidy spots but well played overall.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Dr Brendon Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: The Clan MacColl, Maggie Cameron, The Little Cascade      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hello Brendon. Thanks for being part of this today. Tone: A sweet pitch and pipe overall. Clarity to the chanter is very good. Technique: Good stuff. Watch E doublings for consistency. Music: M) Bold. Stylish playing right through with nice touches here and there. S) Excellent lift here. Class. R) Entry is excellent. Flowing extremely well here. Really enjoyed this, thanks Brendon.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: John Dew 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 2      Tunes: The Glasgow Caledonian Fiddle Orchestra Lunan Bay Colour Sergeant T Lindsay      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi John and welcome here today. Tone: Lovely pipe. "F" is touchy/peaky. Drones very nice. Technique: Hands are very good overall. Music: M) Lovely flow to your March playing. A nice tune. Nice triplet sections. S) Nice entry to tune Musical and a touch careful at the same time. R) Sitting in the pocket very nicely here. Class playing and music today John Thanks.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ian K. MacDonald 🇨🇦      Place: 3      Tunes: P/M John Stewart/Maggie Cameron/Mrs. MacPherson of Inveran      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Ian. Thanks for being part of this today. Tone: A really solid sound. Technique: Cut C doubling in Strathspey lacking clarity at times. Music: M) Bold start. Well played. S) Steady and well delivered. R) The F and HA not as pleasant by this point. Nice drive to this tune. A very good set. Thanks.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jack Williamson 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: John MacDonald of Glencoe, Susan MacLeod, Alick C MacGregor      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Jack and thanks for doing this today. Tone: A very fine instrument and at a sweet pitch. Well done. Lovely HA. Technique: Good hands right away. Gracenotes could be cleaner in quick short-note work (ie.3rd part March). Music: M) Quite bold but excellent. Steady to end. S) NIce, stylish playing here. Good lift and attack. R) Break to reel seems a bit unnatural. Also, you are pushing hard here in tempo. Due to this, the triplet work lacks accent (very round). A bit of a pull-back could enhance in my view. Steady to end however. Really musical set Jack and most impressive. Well done.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Liam MacDonald 🇨🇦      Place: 5      Tunes: Inveran, Fiona MacDonald, John Morrison of Assynt House      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Liam and welcome here today. NIce soundproofing in your room? Tone: A nice sound and quite deep. Well balanced and at good pitch. Technique: Good hand technique. A bit tight on top hand doublings. Cut B doublings in Strathspey could be opened. Music: M) Pushing pretty good but a nice, driving tempo. A musical style to your march playing. In my view, you could pull back just a little and stretch the strong accents longer. S) Nicely started. Musical here. R) Going for it at this point. Again, maybe pull back a hair and I think the effect could be quite powerful. A very good set. Thanks.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: James MacHattie 🇨🇦      Place: 6      Tunes: Donald MacLellan of Rothesay, The Bob of Fettercairn, The Sheepwife      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi James and thanks for doing this. Tone: A fine pipe sound. Chanter seems very good. Perhaps check HG. Technique: Solid as expected. Nice HA grips in March. Music: M) Bold opening. Musical playing. Could extend pulses longer before grips in 4th for me. S) Nicely started. Excellent drive and lift here. Excellent. R) Rushed into it and pushing very hard now. Lacking some anchor accents. A fine set James and thanks for this.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Brieuc Colleter 🇫🇷           Tunes: Dr EG MacKinnon (PRMacleod) - Caledonian Society of London - John Morrison of Assynt House (Peter R. Macleod)      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Brieuc and welcome here today. Tone: A well set instrument. Drones are set a little sharp to the chanter or blowing under a bit. Technique: Good hands. Watch clarity on C doublings. 4-note groupings in March are unclear. Overall fingering could just be a little clearer. Music: M) A touch sleepy at the start. S) Rushed into start. Nice style to this tune. Pulsing well with good lift. R) Pushing tempo here and quite round in effect. Driving the pace pretty hard for a solo competitive feel. A good run with a musical edge to your playing. Not holding back. Thanks.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Charlie Morris 🇺🇸           Tunes: Corriechoillie’s Blend, Blackley of Hillsdale, and Sandy Cameron      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Charlie and good to have you here today. Tone: A nicely set instrument. HA is a little flat. Technique: NIce hands early, Open the birls a bit if you can. Clarity is very good right through. Music: M) Opening seemed cautious but gains in momentum as you go on. S) Nicely started. Very good lift to your Strathspey approach. R) Pushing too hard straight away in Reel for my taste. Very aggressive. Quite shocking to come off that excellent, controlled Strathspey to shoot out of a cannon reel. Playing well however. A fine set Charlie and just too much contrast from Strathspey to Reel. Thanks.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: David Stulpner 🇦🇺           Tunes: Inveran, Inveraray Castle, Bessie MacIntyre      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi David. Thanks for doing this today. Tone: A pretty good sound. Chanter is a hair blasty it appears but with pretty good balance. Your blowing is excellent. Blowing through the sound well. Technique: Pretty good hands. Some G grace noting could be more distinct. Music: M) Quite cautious in tempo. Would benefit from a push. S) Careful as well. Musical feel. R) Nicely started. A fine MSR and just sleepy is all. Thanks.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Graeme Glass 🇳🇿           Tunes: The Marchioness of Tullibardine, The Caledonian Society of London, Sandy Cameron      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Graeme and thanks for taking part in this. Tone: A pretty good instrument with some dullness to chanter pitch. Improved as it went on. Technique: Good hand technique is evident. Very open/even doublings (C stands out). Very steady right through. Music: M) Good flow yet the style is very round with the "open" short notes coming through. This includes tachums. Still very pleasant flow to your music. S) Quite round here. Unusual to not cut the HA's in part 3 (to distinguish from part 1). R) An awkward break here. Flowing well and yet speeding up by latter parts. Most enjoyable. Thank you.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: James Feeney 🇺🇸           Tunes: Glengarry Gathering/ Delvinside/ Stornoway Castle      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi James and great to have you here today. Tone: A good sound with the chanter being a little on the flatter/thicker side. A little blasty from this recording, Technique: Good hands are evident early on. Music: M) A musical approach. A fine tune. S) Nicely opened. Triplet runs are very good with nice snap. Could use some back thumb grace notes to LG in this tune. R) Transition excellent. Nice pace and flow here. Really good stuff thanks James.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: John Partanen 🇺🇸           Tunes: Balmoral Highlanders, Susan MacLeod, Mrs. MacPherson if Inveran.      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi John and really good to see you doing this. Tone: A good instrument. HA is pretty flat with the top hand sounding flat overall. Technique: Pretty good hands. Triplet grace noting is quite loose. Music: M) Well started at good tempo. Quite round in patches (especially in difficult technical bits) but setting into a musical style. S) Pretty careful here. See if you can push a little. R) NIcely started. Drones have moved out of tune at this point. A good MSR John thank you.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Julie Blue 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿           Tunes: John MacDonald of Glencoe, Maggie Cameron, Alick C MacGregor      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Julie and good to see you here today. Tone: A strong pipe sound. Drones seem slightly sharp to chanter. A good balance overall. Technique: Solid fingers. E doubling could be opened and clearer. Music: M) Lovely tempo here and flowing well. Ending phrases are on the round side and rushing that wee bit. S) Could stretch beat one E's in general. Not sitting on pulses there. A lovely, steady musical style here. Slowing a tad in 3. R) Lovely transition. Settling in nicely at this point. Drones right on now. A solid run and really enjoyed this. Thanks.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Mark Elliott 🇺🇸           Tunes: Arthur Bignold of Lochrosque, Maggie Cameron, Roderick MacDonald      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Mark and good to have you today. Tone: A well set instrument. Technique: Pretty good hands. Watch to open E doublings. Cut doublings in Maggie could be cleaner. Grace noting is loose through the set. Music: M) A bit cautious but well opened. Could hold first bar beat pulses longer for more musical affect. Try to hold LA longer before the taorluaths. S) Musical. Triplet runs could have more attack. Lovely HA here. R) Quite round here in musical style. Steady right to end. A good MSR Mark. Watch loose fingering. Thanks.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Peter Skae 🇺🇸           Tunes: Braes of Castle Grant, Susan MacLeod, Brown Haired Maiden      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Peter and good to have you with us today. Tone: Quite a good bagpipe with drones not quite settled in. HA is on the flat side. Technique: Hands are really good overall. Rushing to the birls at part endings. Bottom hand work in Strathspey is very strong. Music: M) A brisk, driving tempo. At times, especially in part 3 you are increasing in tempo. S) Nicely opened. Steady right through. R) Too fast for solos for me...and gaining in speed. A good set that just got edgy by the end and run out of control Thanks.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Scott Armstrong 🇳🇿           Tunes: Benderloch Bay, Tulloch Gorm and Lt Col. DJS Murray      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Scott. Thanks for taking part in this today. Tone: A lovely instrument. Well balanced and sweet. Minor sharpness from C. Technique: Good hands. C doublings could be clearer. Music: M) Good drive to March. Rushing to birls at part endings. Strong beat accents could have more attention . .. kind of pushing through phrases a little. S) Nicely started. Better lift and phrasing in this tune. Classy treatment of this great tune. R) Very good break. Nicely played - could sit back a hair and let music really come through. A really good set and just needing a little more polish in phrasing at times. Thank you.
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Event 38. Open/Pro - Piping - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Tom Glover 🇳🇿           Tunes: The Knightswood Ceilidh, Maggie Cameron, The Brown Haired Maid      Judge: Terry Lee      Judge's Comments: Hi Tom and thank you for doing this today. Tone: A nice sound with lovely drones. Technique: Good hands are evident. E doublings could be opened. Watch cut C doublings in Maggie (clarity). Music: M) Quite open/round at start. Very nice tempo chosen. Slowing in 3rd. Seems to me you could be giving beat 1's "more mustard" (accent). S) Tempo again a little uneven. Falling asleep musically in moments. Keep it going. R) Needing accenting here. Pretty round. Steady and nice . . . but lacking style. Enjoyable and many good things happening. Just watch musicality and certainty to tempo. Thanks again.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: James MacHattie 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: Dunrovin Farm, The Old Wife of the Milldust      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Lovely well set pipe with a great ringing chanter. Hornpipe. I loved this arrangement of the tune. Tune played at a great tempo giving the tune a lot of drives and energy throughout. Tune very well phrased. Nicely into the jig which was very well played and phrased. Great flowing jig playing. Overall a terrific musical performance on a great pipe.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ian K. MacDonald 🇨🇦      Place: 2      Tunes: Colin MacKay/John Patterson’s Mare      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: A beautiful sweet sounding pipe. Hornpipe. The tune was very well played and phrased throughout. Great lively tempo again maintained throughout the tune. Smoothly into the jig. Great rhythmical jig playing again at a good lively tempo. Tune played with perfect phrasing. Overall a lovely musical display of Hornpipe and jig playing.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Dr Brendon Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: Jimmy Blue, Cridhe ur Annag      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Lovely well set pipe. Hornpipe was very well played and phrased. Slightly on the cautious side tempo wise for my taste. Nicely into the jig. Lovely contrast from Hornpipe to jig. Tune played very well with lovely phrasing. Great flowing jig playing of a demanding tune.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: John Dew 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 4      Tunes: Lucy Cassidy Simon McKerrell's Jig      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Lovely well set sweet pipe. In the Hornpipe the F to E doubling needs to be cut slightly more throughout the parts. It was on occasion slightly too open which is affecting the overall flow of the tune. Otherwise the tune was very well played at a good tempo. Lovely flowing musical jig playing. Nice tune technically very demanding and handled and played very well. Overall a great performance.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Julie Blue 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 5      Tunes: Sandy's New Chanter, Millie's Jig      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe very well set. Nice tempo for this tune. Lovely rhythmical playing showing good phrasing. Nicely into the jig. Lovely contrast from the Hornpipe. Great flowing jig playing. Lovely phrasing and expression. Overall a great musical performance.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: David Stulpner 🇦🇺      Place: 6      Tunes: John MacKenzie's Fancy, The Curlew      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Well set pipe. Hornpipe played at a good tempo. Tune well played and phrased. D strikes in 2nd part need to be played slightly quicker to keep the tempo consistent and the flow of the tune consistent. Nicely into the jig. Lovely jig playing with the tune very well phrased.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Brieuc Colleter 🇫🇷           Tunes: Lucy Cassidy (trad.) - D.W Donald (John Lee)      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Lovely well set pipe. Hornpipe was overall well played however there were some erratic passages in the first part that affected the flow of the tune. Some inconsistencies with birl movement. Nicely into the jig. Pleasant tune which is slightly different from the normally heard competition-jig. Tune very well played and phrased. Lovely jig playing overall technique was good.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Charlie Morris 🇺🇸           Tunes: Arthur Gillies and The Brides Jig      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipes well set nice tone. Hornpipe played at a good steady tempo. Tune well phrased and played. Some D throws on the heavy side which was affecting the low ofthe tune. Nicely into the jig. Tune well played and phrased. Tune played at a good tempo. Tunes well played.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Graeme Glass 🇳🇿           Tunes: Pipe Major G S Allan , Hammer on the Anvil      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set. Hornpipe well played overall. Some top hand doublings played on the open side. They all need to be played with identical weight throughout the tune. Jig was well played and phrased. The tune tempo was on the cautious side for my taste.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jack Williamson 🇺🇸           Tunes: Man from Skye, Alex MacDonald      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Lovely well set pipe. Hornpipe played at a good tempo and overall well phrased and played. However the phrase which has a B Tachum to low G throughout the tune was not consistent. The B needs cut more to keep the flow in the tune. Nicely into the jig. Lovely flowing jig playing with good phrasing throughout.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: James Feeney 🇺🇸           Tunes: Bee Street Fiddlers/ Aroostook War: The After Party      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Nicely set pipe lovely tone. Hornpipe played at good lively tempo. Tune very well played and phrased. Nicely into the jig. Lovely lyrical jig playing at a good steady tempo. Good phrasing throughout. A good performance.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: John Partanen 🇺🇸           Tunes: Duncan Johnstone, The Seagull.      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipes quite well set. Chanter slightly high pitched. Hornpipe played at a good steady tempo and technique ok. Tune quite well played and phrased. Some birls were on the heavy side at the end of parts which was occasionally disrupting the flow of the tune. Jig was well played, but overall I am not sure about this setting. I would stick to the original setting of the tune.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Liam MacDonald 🇨🇦           Tunes: Connor's Debut, Lark in the Morning      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipes well set with a nice tone. Hornpipe was played at a good tempo with good phrasing overall. Some D strikes were inconsistent. High G becoming sharp. Nicely into the jig again good tempo. Some D throws inconsistent which was upsetting the flow of the tune. Overall a good performance.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Scott Armstrong 🇳🇿           Tunes: Tam Bain's Lum and Atholl Cummers      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe very well set. Great projection from the chanter. Hornpipe. Good lively tempo. Tune well phrased overall however D triplings have to be consistent throughout the tune. Some were heavier than others which was impacting the flow of the tune. Jig. Nicely into the jig. Technically very good. Tune well played if a little on the cautious side tempo wise.
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Event 39. Open/Pro - Piping - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Tom Glover 🇳🇿           Tunes: The Streaker, The Seagull      Judge: Gordon McCready      Judge's Comments: Pipes well set. Hornpipe was overall well played. In the 2 nd part the tune was slowing slightly which was affecting the tempo and flow of the tune. High G becoming slightly flat. Nicely into the jig. Steady jig playing. Jig nicely played and phrased.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Dr Brendon Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Lament for Donald Duaghal Mackay      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Lovely pipe. Stayed the course. U. Nice musical playing. Var 1. Lovely. Possibly could push this variation on a little bit more. TS - CD. Lovely musical playing. Singlings - don't pull out the last theme note before the cadence any more than you are - can affect the flow of the melodic line. Perhaps dial them back a bit, especially end of Lines 1 and 3. Overall, lovely tune on a superior pipe.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Ian K. MacDonald 🇨🇦      Place: 2      Tunes: Lament for King George III      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe, well set. U. Lovely. Could do with a little more on 1st pulse each 2 bar phrase. Linking note end of 2 bar phrase mid line a little thick for me. Otherwise, lovely playing. Var 1. 1st pulse weight again as for Urlar. I feel you are clipping the last theme note before the singling note end of 1st 2 bar phrase each line - you were getting there slighty ahead of when I was ready for it! Dbl. Nice. Ist pulses again could do with a fraction more. Var 2. Good. Getting on to singling notes nicely here. Dbl. Good. TS. LA after tar movement a little thick for me - could take some wieght off it. LG after closed tar end of lines also a luittle thick for me. TD. Good. CS. E after Crun movement a little thick - need to come off it slightly sooner. CD. As for CS. 1st pulses need a bit more. CAM. Good - 1st time through Line 1 not quite consistent, better line 1 repeat onwards. Overall, lovely listening. Perhaps more of a style thing, but I feel 1st pulses in the 2 bar phrases throughout could get a bit more.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: James MacHattie 🇨🇦      Place: 3      Tunes: Glengarry's March      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set. U. - Siubhal. Nice playing. Occasional hint of blowing fluctuation. TS. Good. Dbl. A little straight for me. Need a little bit of weight start and finish of 2-bar phrase. CS. Wee blip line 2 bar 2. CD. Again, a little straight for me. Very nice tune James. Confidently presented on a good pipe.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: John Dew 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 4      Tunes: Beloved Scotland      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set to start. U. Nice - very consistent. Perhaps could swell first note each bar a little more (bars 1,2,3, and elsewhere where this occurs) - you were a bit black & white here. Otherwise, nice. TS. C link to E 2nd bar - overdone a bit, and same with B to D bar 4. Same for the rest of the variation where this occurs. Linking notes between phrases also a little fat for me. TD. Need to show a little bit more at the end of the 2-bar phrase — good at the end of lines. CS. Similar to TS — getting onto the E or D for the singing was a bit overdone/laboured. CD. A little straight for me. Watch execution of D Crun — need to ensure there are 2 low G grace notes in there! Overall, a fine tune on a well presented bagpipe.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: David Stulpner 🇦🇺      Place: 5      Tunes: Flame of Wrath For Squinting Patrick      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set. Lasted well. U. Nice. E quaver bar 3 line 1 - could slice a bit more off this, and where ever else it occurs. Watch E's before harin - could pull out a little more. Bottom hand part of Hiharin not always 100% clear. Var 1. Good. Hiharins again. Dbl. Nice, if a litle straight - came across as one continuos line of music. CS. Good. Hiharins again. CD. Good - but a little straight. Overall, very confidently played on a good pipe.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Liam MacDonald 🇨🇦      Place: 6      Tunes: Hector MacLean's Warning      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set and lasted well. U. Nice playing. Watch you don't dwell mid bar / mid phrase and draw the tempo down - it is a warning tune. Dithis. Good. Watch link to doubling - don't be too heavy on the last pulse of the singling Dbl. Good. Link again as for singling. TS. Watch low A after tar movement doesn't get too fat - it is a little heavy just now. TD. As for TS. CS. Good. CD. Good. CAM. Good - need to push the tempo up a bit relative to the CD tempo. Good tune Liam - technically and musically competent and on a good pipe.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Charlie Morris 🇺🇸           Tunes: Cabar Feidh Gu Brath      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Drones not 100% together and not quite with LA. HA and C a little flat. U. semi-quaver linking notes (e.g. F in bar 1, LA bar 2 etc) tending to be a little bit fat for me. OK as they are, but not more! Nice playing. Var 1. a little stilted interpretation of the second half of each bar. TS. Make a little bit more of the last theme note before the singling note. Otherwise, nice playing. TD. Good - perhaps a little bit straight overall. CS. Nice. CD. Nice playing. The occasional chip on C with a HG gracenote. Enjoyable tuune overall, good stuff.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Graeme Glass 🇳🇿           Tunes: The Lament for the Harp Tree      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Pipe sounding well to start. U. Ok, perhaps pushing the tempo along a bit much. C linking note Line 3 bar 5 omitted. Overall, a little bit cut for me. Var 1. Nice. Again, the C linking note end of bar 5 line 3 omitted. Var 2. Tempo a little quick for me — sacrificing some of the melodic line of the tune. Got a wee bit choppy, especially Line 2. E in cadence line 3 bar 4 clipped. Dbl. Rushed through this variation - needs to be up a bit from the singling, but still needs pulsing to bring out the melody. Given the singling was quick, didn't leave you anywhere to go for the doubling. TS. Again, a bit quick. Theme note without tar movement on it a bit short throughout — unbalanced things a bit for me. Line 3 bar 4 E in cadence clipped again. TD. Again, the theme note without the tar embellishment too short for me — unbalancing effect. CS. Breabach notes need to be played more evenly (notwithstanding how they are written in either the Kilberry or PS books). Wee slip end of line 3. CD. Odd pause end of first time through line 1. Crun movement getting a little tight — a couple of misses. Breabach notes again. Pipe held pretty well, Overall, tune was a bit quick for me — I could only ever get it down to about 27 mins! A very enjoyable listen!
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: James Feeney 🇺🇸           Tunes: Lament for Donald Duaghal Mackay      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Perhaps give me a few bars of something before launching into the tune. It's always good to get a wee listen to the pipe before you start the tune. Drones not quite 100% together. Bass moved a bit during the performance. F perhaps a little on the flat side. U. Competently played. Hard to describe, but there was some flow/structure missing for me in the ground. Make sure you are thinking about the tune in 2 bar phrases and how they link together. Var 1. Similar story here - some structure missing. e.g. 2nd last bar line one, you stayed on the C after the grip (4th note) too long, effectively stopping the flow of the music before you got to the end of the line (which is the end of the next bar). Both the ground and Var 1 of this tune need a lot of thought about structure (2 bar phrases ) and how it is delivered. TS. Nice playing. TD. Execution of tar movement not aways 100%. CS. and CD. Ok. Crun movement (top hand part) not always executed 100%. Overall, I enjoyed listening to this tune.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: John Partanen 🇺🇸           Tunes: Clan Campbels Gathering      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Drones good together, but not quite set with Low A. U. Need more weight at the beginning and end of the 2 bar phrase, otherwise it becomes a little bit unbalanced and lacking in structure. Var 1. HA a little flat. Watch that E's in cadences are not clipped. Var 2. Too much weight on the dotted E quavers. Weight needs to go on the preceeding note (a la binneas is borreraig). TS, TD, CS and CD - need more weight on the theme note before the tar / crun movement. These variations became quite unbalanced. Drones held well together. Technically very competent. An interesting listen!
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Mark Elliott 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Desperate Battle from Binneas Is Boreraig      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Nice pipe. U. Note before grips pehaps a little too drawn out (relative to the length of the note following the grips). Error line 2 last bar (and repeat of it) - you played to E from F instead of going up to HA. Var 1. Nice. Dbl. Good. Var 2. and Dbl. Good. Watch changes bottom to top hand are 100% clean. Var 3. and Dbl. Good. T. Tar movement miss, otherwise good. TAM. OK - E theme note with the standard Tar movement was cut too short - each pulse should be the same length C. Minor wee finger clarity blips at times. CAM. As for TAM - E theme note with the standard crun movement was cut short. Overall, an enjoyable listen on a good pipe.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Peter Skae 🇺🇸           Tunes: MacKenzie of Applecross      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set. U. Nice music. Query style of cadence to B, LA, then LG in bar 2 Line 1 (and elsewhere). Binneas is Borreaig has it written as a Donald Mor rundown (i.e. the B and LA are shorter). Then you play it conventionally in Bar 4. Reference? Watch cleanliness of throws to HG from LA lines 2 and 3. Var 1 and Dbl. Nice. Same query with the cadence from E through B and LA to LG. Not played conventionally or as a Donald Mor rundown. (same for remainder of tune in singlings) Var 2 and Dbl. Tar movement not always solid, especially in doubling. Doubling a litle straight and lacking in expression for me. CS.. OK. CD. E after crum movement a little fat for me. Variation a little straight overall. Overall, a very nice listen.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Scott Armstrong 🇳🇿           Tunes: Lament for the Children      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Drones well set and lasted the distance. U. Watch throws to F from D (bar 7). Ist pulse in each 2-bar phrase needs a little more - overall effect was a little square. Linking notes mid-phrase were a little soft - could move through them a bit more. Swing off these notes. Otherwise, very pleasant listening. Var1. Throws to F from D again. Otherwise, nice playing. Var2. B semi quaver linking note bar 4 too fat. Overall, this variation was a little unbalanced for me. TS. Tar movement a little crushed at times - not consistent. Watch LA after movement does not get too fat. Linking notes in singling line 1 last bar and line 3 bars 4 and 6 (LG and LA respectively) too fat. TD. Nice playing. Tar movement not always 100% clear. CS. Crun movement not always coming out cleanly. E after crun movement a little fat. Linking notes bars 4 and 6 line 3 again a little fat. CD. Clarity of crun movement again. Tempo perhaps a little too similar to CS. A little straight overall - 1st pulse each phrase needs a fraction more - 4th pulse generally fine. Overall, a very pleasant listen on a good pipe.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Stuart Robinson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿           Tunes: Lord Lovat's Lament (Kilberry)      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Drones not quite 100% locked together, but lasted the distance ok! U. Nice playing. Dbl. Nice again, just watch that you consistently get the low G grace notes in the dbl echo on B (first strike). Var 1. Nice. HA dbl hard to hear — make them a bit more obvious (without overdoing it!). TS. Low A after the Tar movement was a bit fat for me. Has a dragging effect on the melodic line. Otherwise nice. TD. Low A after the Tar movement again. CS. OK. Crun movement a little tight — lead to a couple of misses. E after the crun movement — no fatter than that. CD. A little straight for me — need a little more pulsing on theme notes. This would be easier to achieve if you shortened up the E after crun movement Overall, a very presentable tune, enjoyed this.
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Event 40. Open/Pro - Piping - Piobaireachd
Competitor: Tom Glover 🇳🇿           Tunes: Lament for Donald Duaghal MacKay      Judge: Greg Wilson      Judge's Comments: Pipe well set. U. Nice music. Sometimes dwelling mid phrase a bit, eg Bar 7 lines 1 and 3, a bit much on the B before moving on to the next bar. Passing notes are perhaps a little heavy/thick, especially given the weight you are putting on most meoldy notes. Having said that, Line 1 bar 3, second E a little light in weight. Same in bar 6 line 1, bar 2 line 2 and bar 6 line 3. Var 1. Bar 3 line 2 a little unbalanced. M accent a little clipped. Tempo ok, but no slower than this. TS. A little quick here. A couple of tar movement misses. Line 2 theme note before the cadence needs a bit more weight. TD. OK. Tempo pretty similar to the singling. Watch low A after tar movement doesn't get too fat. CS. Line 1 bar 2 and line 2 bar one - need to pull the theme note before the cadence out - in other places you are fine. CD. Ok. Crun movement not always consistent - a little redundant/extra gracenote coming through at times. Overall, tune pretty well set out on a good pipe.
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Event 50. Colin MacKenzie Memorial Piobaireachd Challenge - for pipers 18 years and younger
Competitor: Duncan Winters 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: Lament for the Little Supper      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Ground: Lovely playing with nice subtle phrasing and excellent bagpipe. Watch blowing on High G just commit as you did 90% of the time. Taorluath: Solid and nice pace; light E strike at end of repeat of Line 1 Singling. Doubling: Again solid here and nice increase in drive maintaining phrase structure. Crunluath: Solid and nice consistent theme notes with accurate technique. Doubling: Well done! Overall a very solid and mature performance played on a bagpipe that was tuned and maintained throughout the entire tune. You have a great feel for the music and you have great command of all required technique. Very enjoyable presentation and show excellent promise!
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Event 50. Colin MacKenzie Memorial Piobaireachd Challenge - for pipers 18 years and younger
Competitor: Seumas Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Macleod's Controversy      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Ground excellent played with lots of confidence and maturity! Lovely pipe with nice clear, clean chanter projection. High G a tad inconsistent with blowing at times. Ground: Opening run-down a little pushed and then a little inconsistent following. Eventually you settled down. Good into Taorluath and solid delivery of technique and nice contrast within the variations from start to finish with a marginal feeling of push toward the end of the Singling. NIce doubling Crunluath variations solid as well in both the Singling and Doubling. Overall a very mature performance played with lots of poise and confidence on a beautiful bagpipe. Only little area to be mindful of is the blowing on the High G (coming across a little sharp or wavering at times) and maintaining the pace in bar 6 in both the Taorluath and Crunluath Singling but really not a big deal but will provide more contrast when driving through your doublings like you are. You show excellent potential and I really enjoyed your musicality! Well done!
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Event 50. Colin MacKenzie Memorial Piobaireachd Challenge - for pipers 18 years and younger
Competitor: Abby Long 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: The Glen is Mine      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: Ground was pretty good — I would prefer a not so "cut" approach to the short B UP to C in the opening phrase and wherever else this occurs however I loved the way you swell the short notes DOWN (Cut UP and Swell DOWN). The way to do this is to just loosen up a bit which will actually thicken the CUT note ever so slightly to make it right (of course in my opinion!). You were consistent from start to finish so not a real factor in terms of competition! Good into Var. 1 and well played with nice pace. Good into Var. 2 and nice contrast with subtle increase in pace. Good into Var. 3 well played Good into Leamluath Singling and nice pace here. Doubling a light Leamluath at start and then another light one at end on F. Good into Taorluath Singling:- solid Good into Doubling: Aggressive but fits nicely in terms of contrast from Singling. A little pushed going into the Crunluath and you have a few options here but would suggest swelling the final E themal note and lengthening the beginning Low A themal note before starting the first Crunluath just to give it a bit of space especially when you are driving the Taorluath Doubling; You could also very subtly restart the last couple of bars of the Taorluath Doubling to ease into the Crunluath Singling. Try both and speak with your teacher. -Keep pushing out the theme notes before starting your movement to get into the nice rhythm where everything is easy. There are some pushed movements where you are not releasing from the Low G to the Low A with a nice clean E grace note which could be the result of coming off the theme notes a tad early. Crunluath A'mach pretty good but try not to cut the grip portion too much and there is a bit of a push going into the G grace note to the Grip in the movement and playing in a nice consistent beat (I actually beat my feet in this variation) which may give you a little more space to avoid "snatching" at the movement. Wait, relax and just stay in rhythm here utilizing your talent to really bring out the beautiful rhythms inside piobaireachd. The rest of the tune had the appropriate contrast within variations which demonstrates your knowledge of piobaireachd and that you are being taught correctly! You have excellent potential and I really enjoyed your musicality with your performance. Well done!
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Event 50. Colin MacKenzie Memorial Piobaireachd Challenge - for pipers 18 years and younger
Competitor: Mackenzie Loudon 🇳🇿      Place: 4      Tunes: Hector MacLean’s Warning      Judge: Ian K. MacDonald      Judge's Comments: -Ground: maybe a tad brisk but phrasing accurate. Keep working on ensuring your Hiharins and Run-downs are consistent from start to finish which can be achieved by staying relaxed especially on the D finger with both of these pieces of technique as you have the hands to do it. -Var 1 was okay but again with the ground being a tad brisk there was not a lot of contrast between the two variations. More importantly is doubling of Var. 1 where you could definitely have increased the pace a bit more to really show the contrast between these variations. -Consistent Taorluath variations -Crunluath very good but remember to keep on the theme notes as long as you can to stay in rhythm and will prevent some of the early/forced sounding movements (pushing the rhythm can create tension and then a feeling of "flinging out" the movement not articulating the E grace note to release you from Low G to Low A [at end of Taorluath movement or start of Edre depending upon your thought process] accurately. Part of the reason I feel there is tension is related to the entry back into the ground to finish where you missed the Hiharin (fatigue). Overall a very enjoyable performance on a nice bagpipe with drones pretty close to being right on. You had complete control of your pipe from start to finish and you show excellent potential! Well done!
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Event 103. Beginner Drum Pad 2/4 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Tristan Chong 🇸🇬      Place: 1      Tunes: The Piper's Cave      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good steady uptake and mostly timing consistent throughout the performance. You got a bit tied up on some technique at times, more particularly accuracy in triplet work execution and overall could benefit from attention to flow control. Might pay to look at your hand position on the pad — you are playing high and low hands and they should be brought together. Overall pretty good job with good promise.
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Event 103. Beginner Drum Pad 2/4 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: William Tan 🇸🇬      Place: 2      Tunes: 2/4 Utility      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Performance lacked tempo control and appeared to focus more on playing the music sheet than the delivery. Some good technique development throughout but lacked delivery control and flow. Awareness of the beat and playing to it will benefit overall going forward. Some good signs but need to focus on playing to the beat to better your performance.
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Event 103. Beginner Drum Pad 2/4 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Zou Wenxuan 🇸🇬      Place: 3      Tunes: 2/4 Utility      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Felt the performance lacked attention to timing mostly. From the introduction rolls to the end it was very hard to define the beat. Some good technique shown throughout particularly with roll development. It would benefit the performance a lot if you focused on timing control and accuracy. Good luck with your drumming development.
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Event 103. Beginner Drum Pad 2/4 March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Joel Phua 🇸🇬      Place: 4      Tunes: The Piper's Cave      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Introduction not accurate to the beat and tempo control throughout was inconsistent. Some of the technique needs more control and refinement to execute accurately in the drum score. Rolling is quite pulsy and needs more development. Seems you are gripping a little tight with your right hand and could benefit from loosening your grip and letting your fingers soften on the stick. Well done.
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Event 104. Grade 5 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Lillian Scott 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: The 79th's Farewell to Gibraltar      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Good Intro. Nicely into 1st part and playing with precision here. Single work is open and clear. Slight slip 2nd part, but recovered well. You are showing a good range of movements for this grade and all well played and presented. Good show!
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Event 104. Grade 5 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Sam Gordon 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Siege of Delhi      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: 1st roll seemed a little bit long. Showing good control generally and displaying a good technique. Losing integration with the melody in the 2nd part and some small errors creeping in at this point, but neat and tidy execution for most of the performance. Well done!
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Event 104. Grade 5 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: David Onks IV 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: The Lovat Scouts, Third Highland Light Infantry      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Rolls open in pulse, but good duration. Keeping good time with the melody for most of the way. 2nd Part sounds a little disjointed at times, with flams not coming very cleanly. Overall well done.
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Event 104. Grade 5 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Michelle Haysom 🇦🇺      Place: 4      Tunes: Prince Charles welcome to Lochaber      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Both rolls slightly longer than the command. Playing well enough but make sure to keep with the melody. Some slightly sticky passages in the 2nd part, but this is a challenging score for this grade, which you have coped well with. Well done .
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Event 104. Grade 5 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Isabel Chapman 🇦🇺      Place: 5      Tunes: 2/4 March      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Intro rolls a little uneven. Try to keep your flam work more open to get a 'thicker' sound. You are generally playing well, but dropping behind the beat at times, especially in the 2nd part. Overall good potential.
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Event 104. Grade 5 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Aarya Madan 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: 2/4 Massed Bands      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Good intro. Tempo dropped after rolls. There is no melody for you to follow, so it makes it difficult to judge against the rest. Having said that, you have a really good technique, and your flam work is impressive. I can't wait to hear you in the future as you have a lot to offer in all departments. Keep up the good work, really well played. Your technique is excellent!
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Event 105. Grade 5 Side Drumming 4/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Isabel Chapman 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: 4/4 March      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good confident rolls and uptake to tune. Performance mostly well controlled throughout. Odd timing lapse in execution of dot and cut technique. Felt you are pressing at your rolls a bit heavy at times and need to balance the weight for a smoother delivery. Closing down on some flam embellishments inconsistently. Overall pretty good job and looks as though you might be ready for a step up in composition challenge. Best of luck.
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Event 105. Grade 5 Side Drumming 4/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Sam Gordon 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Scotland the Brave      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good rolls and steady to uptake. Felt as though your performance was a little inconsistent in timing control and accuracy although you managed to keep on task. Lacked control into 4th part and more attention to accuracy would enhance here. Most technique development is sound although a little stiff on execution delivery of the demi semi work. Think tempo surges took a little away from the flow of the performance and tempo and execution accuracy would help overall. Good job.
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Event 105. Grade 5 Side Drumming 4/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Michelle Haysom 🇦🇺      Place: 3      Tunes: Scotland the Brave, Old rustic Bridge      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good intro rolls. Bit rushed to uptake and played a little in front of the beat to end of first part. Steadied from here and mostly good to tune end. 2nd march tune lacked accuracy in execution and will benefit from more playing more particularly control of your dot & cut playing. Tempo control and accuracy detracted from the flow of tune here. Mostly it is about controlling the technique accurately to the beat to improve overall performance. Well done.
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Event 105. Grade 5 Side Drumming 4/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Aarya Madan 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Mairi's Wedding and Wings      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: good rolls and tempo uptake. Some good roll technique shown more particularly with use of accented rolls .Seems your control of the sticks is a little loose at times more particularly through dotted and cut note execution. Timing quite inconsistent through 2nd tune and as such performance lacked flow. Mostly for you it is about controlling your sticks accurately and being consistent with your execution. Lots of promise and wish you well on your drumming journey.
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Event 106. Grade 5 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Lillian Scott 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: Pipe Major Donald MacLean of Lewis      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Well sustained intro. Nice lively tempo and integrating and interpreting the melody with good rhythmical effect and musical flow. Good understanding of your demonstrated rudiments but flams not always cleanly executed. Ensure correct hand positioning at all times. When executing the crescendo rolls, in the last part, try not to come off your snare but use weight control to create the crescendo volume effect. Demonstrating good tempo, rhythm and musical ability and the potential to progress your playing capability to a higher level. Tone: Nicely pitched tone with good snare response
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Event 106. Grade 5 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Isabel Chapman 🇦🇺      Place: 2      Tunes: 6/8 March      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Good duration but pulsation texture could be smoother. Nice lively tempo to begin with. Opening part nicely played to the melody with good rhythmical effect. In 2nd/3rd parts you were playing slightly ahead of the melody losing the natural flow you had in the first part. In the last part the tempo varied especially after the crescendo roll where the next phrase was played at a slower tempo which caused you to lose integration with the melody. Right flam work not always clean and work at the musical integration. Otherwise a very competent player and have the ability to take your drumming to the next level. Tone well set with good snare response.
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Event 106. Grade 5 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Sam Gordon 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: One Hundred Pipers      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Well sustained but try to achieve a smoother roll texture. Controlling the tempo quite well throughout and overall execution of rudiments are cleanly presented. Trying hard to create the rhythmical effect for this idiom. Score content very repetitive and needs a wider range of rudiments and phrases to make it sound more creative. The ability and confidence is there to develop your ability and take it to the next level. Very promising potential Tone: Well set with bright top snare response projecting your playing well.
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Event 106. Grade 5 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Michelle Haysom 🇦🇺      Place: 4      Tunes: PM Sam Scott      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Well sustained intro with nice roll texture. Tempo on the cautious side. Playing of first part was a bit stilted and needed more relaxed rhythmical flow. Losing integration in 3rd part 1st/5th bars where you are over rolling the closed 6 roll movement and losing integration with the melody. try to be a little more precise here. A very clean and precise player and with work on your confidence, tempo control and musical integration you have the ability to become an accomplished player at a higher level. Tone: Well set with a clean top snare response
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Event 107. Grade 4 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jack Still 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: P/M Donald MacLean of Lewis      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good rolls and steady to uptake. Steady execution through 1st part. 2nd part some fingering getting a little loose in control. 3rd - some timing accuracy issues through here. 4th - quite good with good use of dot & hold timing execution. Little loose on timing to end. Overall good variety of technique. Some of the fingering is a little loose at times and not always note value accurate. Performance a little flat throughout and lacked dynamics. More 6/8 dot cut execution would enhance. Good job.
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Event 107. Grade 4 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Kevin Stone 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 2      Tunes: The Glendaruel Highlanders      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good confident rolls and uptake. 1st part mostly steady through here. 2nd - Forcing ahead of the beat a little and some technique control issues roll work. 3rd - better here forcing demi semi note values a little. 4th - most ok through here and better control. Overall lacked good 6/8 dot and cut feel and performance was mostly round in impact. Stick height and weight was a little full and more attention to dynamic weight presentation would help presentation along with consistency of technique note value accuracy. Good job.
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Event 107. Grade 4 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Dylan Buller 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿      Place: 3      Tunes: the 10th HGL crossing the rhine      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good confident rolls and uptake to tune. Showed good tempo awareness throughout although lack of some execution accuracy detracted overall. Most particularly demi semi work and some roll work at times. Composition was a bit stiff at times and lacked true 6/8 dot cut impact. More dynamics would enhance with more varied use of roll weights and accents. Consistency of execution to the note value and beat would enhance overall. Well done.
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Event 107. Grade 4 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ron Flanagan 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Glendaruel Highlanders      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Pushing a bit hard into 1st pulse on opening rolls. Bit unsteady to uptake but settled in ok after this. Performance was a little push pull and felt you searching for the beat at times rather than controlling it. Not giving dynamic 6/6 dot cut interpretation throughout. A little light on technique in composition and not always note value accurate in execution. Good promise but needs more polish with flow and confidence. Well done.
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Event 107. Grade 4 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Maddy Roberts 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: Glendaruel Highlanders      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Pulsing through intro rolls. Steady to uptake and mostly controlled through 1st part. Performance started to get a little inconsistent in control from here. Felt as though you were searching for the beat at times and not always accurate in your tempo control. Some technique is being pushed at and this is also contributing to lack of flow. Might help to think about bringing your elbows in a little and straightening up left hand — this looks a little turned in. Work here may help you in smoothing delivery of performance. Looked a little uncertain throughout as overall performance control and delivery.
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Event 107. Grade 4 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Christopher Welch 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Duncan McGillivray, Chief Steward      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Intro rolls a bit pulsy. Steady to uptake but starting to clip note values and getting ahead of the beat. This carried on through performance and a bit short on some roll technique forced tempo as well. Some surging 3rd & 4th parts through dot cut work. Overall looks as though you are gripping down a bit low on left stick and fingers look a little tight on right hand. This combines to muffle the stick and not help the technique flow. Little more loose in the grip would help along with tempo accuracy throughout. Well done.
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Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Eric Sennett 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: Captain Norman Orr Ewing      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Well sustained intro. Nice relaxed tempo maintained throughout. Playing is relaxed and interpreting and enhancing the melody with effective and subtle use of phrasing and expression. Just feel it needs more dynamics to add definition to the melodic structure. Accented single movement needs to flow better; most endings are clipping short of the melody. Overall a confident and pleasant musical presentation. Tone: Well set and balanced.
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Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jack Still 🇦🇺      Place: 2      Tunes: Duncan MacInness      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Duration good but polsations sound very open and need to be closed to create the roll buzz effect. Lively tempo maintained for the duration.The scores are interpreting the melody quite well but also giving a forced feel to your playing and losing their natural rhythmical flow. Also losing some phrasing and expression.Try for a more composed and relaxed effect with the use of execution and dynamics to make to score sound more musical. Good level of technical content and balance in the score and executed with quite good ability. Your rolling pulsations sound open and need to be closed down to create depth to the roll buzz sound. Good confident playing, just work at a relaxed and musical approach. Tone: nicely pitched with good snare response.
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Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Dylan Carlin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 3      Tunes: The Liberton Pipeband, PM William Ross      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Good duration to your rolls. Roll texture could be smoother. Nice steady tempo and playing with a relaxed approach and effective phrasing and expression. Score well constructed with good technical variety. Clarity of playing is not always evident, eg., flams, accented singles and Swiss Army Triplets but with practice this can be rectified. Also work to make the score sound and feel more relaxed. Finally, it would have been better if the melodies were present to assess your integration to them. Tone: Nicely pitched but requires more top snare response.
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Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ron Flanagan 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Captain Norman Orr Ewing      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Well sustained into. Tempo a little unsteady throughout. Confident playing and good range of phrases and rudiments. Work at controlling your tempo better and listen and play to the melody. Some phrases are being played ahead of the melody and you are losing togetherness and musical integration at times. Most of your rudiments are cleanly executed but need to work at the control of your left handed accented singles and make them flow with ease. Good future ahead of you with great potential and capability to learn and take your drumming to the next level. Tone: a little dull but good snare response.
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Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Christopher Murray 🇨🇦      Place: 5      Tunes: 79th Farewell to Gibraltar      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Well sustained intro. Lively tempo and maintained for the duration. Confident playing and endeavouring to create expression and rhythmical effect. Playing is not always clean and precise and requires better control and phrasing of score rudiments. Work at creating a more relaxed flow to the score and also try for more variation of phrase and rudiments, as it sounds a little repetitive. The potential is here to develop this score and make it come alive and also to progress in your own technical ability. Tone: Sharp with nice snare response.
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Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Christopher Welch 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: King George V Army      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Duration good. Roll pulsations need to be smoother in texture.Tempo steady and maintained throughout. Playing is clean and clear but rolling work sounds open and not always creating the buzz pulsation sound. The 1st/2nd parts are very round and lack phrasing, expression and losing musical interpretation and punctuation. Part 3/4 have better phrasing but again lack execution and dynamics. Work at creating a pleasing rhythmical and musical effect, to this score, with expression, phrasing and weight variation to interpret and complement the musical and melodic structure better. The score will flow much better. Tone: Sharply pitched but with good snare response.
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Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Chloe Ong Jingwen 🇸🇬           Tunes: Piper's Cave      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Well sustained Intro. Controlled and maintained the tempo throughout. Playing was clean and precise and using phrasing and expression to good effect. Good use of subtle dynamics and light and shade. Quite well structured and balanced score, however, sadly you only played 2 parts when the requirement was at least 4 parts. For future competitions it would also be of assistance if the melody was also present for your accompaniment. Very clean and competent player with a good future and potential to progress to a higher level. Tone: Very flat with no snare response.
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Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Christine Christiansen 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Siege of Delhi      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Good duration of both rolls. Pulsations require you to be closer to create the smooth textured roll sound. Cautious tempo but maintained steady throughout. You are working at phrasing this score to the melody but it is quite tense and needs to sound relaxed. Work at creating weight variation to your triplet phrases to make them sound more creative and dynamic. Roll phrases are not creating the natural roll buzz effectand the accented roll movements are not being presented cleanly. The potential is evident but attention and practice is required to your basic rudiments to ensure they are delivered clearly and cleanly and with confidence. Tone: Dull off the top but snare response evident.
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Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Lincoln Reed 🇺🇸           Tunes: The Hills of Perth      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Roll duration good. Pulsations are uneven and roll texture requires to be smoother. Tempo sounds rushed and unsteady throughout. You are rushing your playing and this is creating an integration problem and subsequently the score is not enhancing the melody. Relax and endeavour to be at one with the music and not to play as an individual. Work at improving the clarity of your open work, flams, etc. You show good potential to improve and take your drumming to the next level. Also, make sure that you always play on your snares as you can hear that you are playing off them at times. Tone: Nicely pitched with good snare response.
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Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Maddy Roberts 🇺🇸           Tunes: Captain Norman Orr Ewing      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intr: Duration good but roll texture requires to be smoother. You controlled the tempo well throughout. The phrasing of the score is evident but you need to work at the clarity and control of your open work. Keep it relaxed and let it flow from your wrists and not your arms. Also work at weight variation for triplet movements to make them sound more dynamic.When executing roll movements your left stick is not buzzing the drum but playing a single beat. Work at ensuring even buzzes on both hands when playing rolls. Also your left stick is not playing on the snare. Ensure both sticks are on the snare and forming a "V." You have demonstrated that you can play and maintain a tempo to the melody, just work at ensuring your basic rudiments are executed cleanly and correctly. Given time and practice you have the ability to progress and become an effective player. Tone: nicely pitched with good snare response.
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Event 109. Grade 4 Side Drumming Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Christopher Murray 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: Brest St Marc, Kesh Jig      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Good tempo for 1st jig. Some single 5s are quite closed and don't sound fully. Playing is quite straight and needs more light and shade to help the overall dynamic. Fixing this would help your performance greatly. Well done.
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Event 110. Grade 3 Side Drumming March Strathspey & Reel (M at least 4 parts S & R each at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Lachlan MacDonald 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: March - Don McLean's Farewell To Oban Strathspey - Dora McLeod Reel - Lexi McAskill      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good rolls and tempo uptake. March - 1st part good control 2nd- rushing some technique in here 3rd - ok. 4th - got a bit tied up to end. Overall march was a bit flat although controlled throughout. S/Spey a little round at times. good use and execution of crescendo rolls 2nd part. Nice hold on the note into 3rd part. Feels as though triplets consistently too big and stifling dynamic through here. Reel - mostly ok although composition is a bit clippy and lacking flow at times. Racing to end and not controlled. Overall pretty good show played with good tempo. some good technique but the little notes and subtlety would enhance. Good job
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Event 110. Grade 3 Side Drumming March Strathspey & Reel (M at least 4 parts S & R each at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Stuart Walker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 2      Tunes: Athole of Breadalbane, Dornie Ferry, Murdo Laments Spree      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good intro rolls and uptake. March 1st part - a little stiff thru triplet work causing timing control issues. 2nd - ok. 3rd - Timing issues again thru triplet work and appears you are playing these too big consistently. some roll accuracy issues as well. 4th - little inconsistent 1st time bars but better control double ff. S/Spey Not consistently on the beat through here and rounding out the dynamic. Reel - Nice entry with flow and some good execution of technique throughout although some overplaying of softer notes detracted. Overall looks as though you are playing some more difficult technique well but performance flow is interrupted by overplaying of intermediate note. Triplets and dot cut notes need more subtlety to improve listening appeal. Well done.
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Event 110. Grade 3 Side Drumming March Strathspey & Reel (M at least 4 parts S & R each at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Michael Recio 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: Athollt Brgadalbang Gathering, Lady MacKenzie of Gairloch, Colonel MacLeod      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Intro rolls and uptake good. March - 1st part clipping dot & cut values. 2nd - rushing demi semi work. 3rd - some timing issues through roll work. 4th - rushing triplet execution. S/Spey - Good entry. Not controlling note values to tempo. Racing the beat throughout and dynamis is a little rounded at times. Reel - Good to reel. A little technique tied at times and some inconsistent timing issues throughout. Overall mostly good run but need to always be aware of note value execution and tempo control. Looks as though your left hand is turned in a little and may help to think about hand positions. Good promise and well done.
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Event 110. Grade 3 Side Drumming March Strathspey & Reel (M at least 4 parts S & R each at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Robert Perry 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Clan McColl, The Ewe with the Crooked Horn, Caber Feidh      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good rolls and tune uptake. March - mostly ok through here although a bit flat dynamically and not always flowing due to short technique phrasing. 4th part clipping some technique and racing ahead of the beat. S/Spey - unsteady entry and searching for the beat. A bit round at times and big triplets contributing. Not accurate throughout. Reel - nice entry. Not always controlling technique and timing issues throughout. Overall needs more improvement in note value accuracy and flow. Triplets and intermediate notes when controlled and substantially increase dynamics of performance. Well done.
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Event 110. Grade 3 Side Drumming March Strathspey & Reel (M at least 4 parts S & R each at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Jake Otto 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band, Caledonian Canal, Capt. Lachlan MacPhail of Tiree      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good intro rolls but a little unsteady to uptake. March 1st part mostly ok but watch ending phrase not controlling technique and over holding causing timing issue. 2nd - timing issues 1st time bars. 3rd - Not executing triplet work accurately causing timing issues and disrupting flow. 4th - inconsistent demi semi control. S/Spey - Good tempo. Not always executing technique with control and disrupting flow as a result. Reel - Racing tempo through here and clipping technique. not controlled last part of performance. Overall it's about timing and flow and ensuring smooth consistent technique execution to enhance listening performance. Well done.
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Event 110. Grade 3 Side Drumming March Strathspey & Reel (M at least 4 parts S & R each at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Ethan EM Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 6      Tunes: John McColls March to Kilbowie Cottage, Maggie Cameron, Brown Haired Maid      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Pulsing intro rolls and steady to uptake. March - 1st part clipping note values demi semis. 2nd - note value accuracy issues. 3rd - timing control issues thu roll movements 4th- behind the beat into 4th part. small slip 2nd time bars. There are accuracy issues thru the whole tune in ending phrase - clipping roll value into demi semis and ahead of the beat. S/Spey - struggled to control technique throughout and significant timing and flow issues throughout. Reel - Good break - got technique tied again and behind the beat with flow and control issues. Overall it seems you are just pushing the technique limit and not always in control of note value accuracy and performance flow. This is a good set of tunes and continued work will enhance.
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Event 111. Grade 3 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Lachlan MacDonald 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: Mrs. Lily Christie      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Good Intro.Nice lively tempo and playing with good depth to your expression and execution. Well structured technical score interpreting the melody and defining the rhythmical pattern for this idiom. Clean relaxed playing with effective use of phrasing and subtle dynamic. Nice presentation. Tone: A bit dull off the top but good snare response.
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Event 111. Grade 3 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Jake Otto 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: Old Adam      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Well sustained intro Slightly cautious tempo restricting the natural rhythmic flow for this idiom. Part 1 -3 played with confidence, good expression and integrated quite well with the melody. However, the opening bars of 3rd part lacked clarity in the openwork phrase. Bars 3/4 of 4th part lost integration with the melody in the execution of the open phrase and finished short of the beat. A well structured and technical score. Just watch the execution of the last part. Tone nicely pitched with good snare response.
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Event 111. Grade 3 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ethan EM Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: Bill Boyle      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro of good duration but pulastions could be smoother. Nice relaxed tempo and playing part 1-2 with good expression and rhythmical flow. Hesitation in 5/6 bars of 3rd part unsettled your playing through to the end. A well structured technical score interpreting the melody well. Keep your focus through to the end.Tone: well set with good top snare response.
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Event 111. Grade 3 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Robert Perry 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Glendaruel Highlanders      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Well sustained intro. Cautious tempo, giving the feeling that the score is overcontrolled and losing the expression and rhythmical flow for this idiom. The score is well structured but it needs more execution and dynamics to make it integrate better with the melody. I got the impression that the 3rd part lacked in confidence, especially in the 5/6 bars. Work at a livelier tempo to create the rhythmical flow for this idiom and to help the score to flow with ease. Tone: Well set with good snare response.
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Event 112. Grade 3 Side Drumming Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Lachlan MacDonald 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: Paddy's Leather Breeches      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: A useful introductory phrase to the jig, which gets you comfortably into the 1st part. Some flams not coming over cleanly. Some passages are slightly sticky at times and some that could be cleaner, but overall staying closer to the melody throughout. A good score to compliment a good show.
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Event 112. Grade 3 Side Drumming Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ash van Wering 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Lt McGuire's Jig      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Initially sounds a bit on the slow side. Single 5s are quite closed and clipped, try and open these up. Keeping a good control throughout and some nice phrasing/light and shade in 3rd and 4th parts especially. A musical performance — well done !
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Event 112. Grade 3 Side Drumming Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Robert Perry 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: Inspector Donald Campbell      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Playing well with the melody 1st part. Some of the open work sounds a bit stretched out, making it sound mechanical at times. Maybe a bit more tempo would help.
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Event 112. Grade 3 Side Drumming Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Christopher Murray 🇨🇦      Place: 4      Tunes: Brest St Marc, Kesh Jig      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: A lot of the single work played is very unclear. Using some exercises to tighten this up would help your performance greatly. The 2nd jig was much better in this respect. Some more weight variation would also enhance your performance.
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Event 112. Grade 3 Side Drumming Jig (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ethan EM Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 5      Tunes: Archie Beag      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Slightly late on entry to 1st part. you are struggling to keep time with the melody here (1st & 2nd parts). The 3rd and 4th parts sound much more comfortable and you have a much better connection to the music. Possibly a bit too much content in the early parts which gives you very little room to breathe, also affecting your execution.
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Event 113. Grade 2 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Hollie Chalmers 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 1      Tunes: The Links of forth, Maggie Cameron, John MacKegnie      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Tidy intro. Drum sounds choked on the top snare. Straight down to business. Nice musical feel for the melody picking out the important accents that builds up some excellent passages of phrasing. Some minor things not 100% clear, but no big deal. Good break to S/S. Playing well again here, but I'd like to hear a bit more drive if possible. Not a fan of the accent coming off the roll movement at the start of the third part (just my preference). Some flams towards the end are quite open and slack. Solid change to reel. Again your accentuation here is spot on, and brings out a very musical sound. Triplet buzz 5th part is a bit stiff and sticky. Light and shade here is also very well documented and really adds to the overall performance. Enjoyable to listen to — well done!
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Event 113. Grade 2 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Connor J S Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Balmoral Highlanders, Blair Drummond, John Morrison of Assynt House      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Confident intro. Starting to drift from the melody 2nd part. Watch ratamacues in the 5th part, they are being clipped, you need to give them their full value. Good change. There is a lot of good playing here, but make sure you stay in touch with the melody. Better towards the end of Blair Drummond. Rushing the break to reel. Again, work on keeping a close connection to the melody as you are dropping behind the beat a lot. This is making some phrases very difficult to execute.
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Event 113. Grade 2 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ethan EM Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: John McColls March to Kilbowie Cottage, Maggie Cameron, Brown Haired Maid      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Try for a smoother roll, your drum sounds to be lacking in top snare sound. Some of your single and flam work in the march needs to be more accurate. Good break to S/S, watch timing after this though. Needs more swmw here — it all sounds very straight. Reel. The melody sounds too fast and you are struggling to keep up. Overall try and work on keeping closer to the beat to get the best out of the time and adapt the score accordingly if required.
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Event 114. Grade 2 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Hollie Chalmers 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 1      Tunes: Heights of Cassino      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good rolls and uptake to tune. 1st part - nice steady playing with good appreciation for 6/8 rhythm. 2nd - good, watch you don't race off ending phrase. 3rd - good. 4th - watch control and clarity of all note values in drag demis semi grouping so all notes are cleanly executed. Bit picky maybe as overall I really quite liked your performance. Nice variety and use of technique with good control of the stage. Steady tempo control throughout and to be enhanced with more dynamics overall. Good job.
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Event 114. Grade 2 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Connor J S Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Bill Boyle      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good intro rolls and uptake. Good appreciation of 6/8 rhythm throughout. 1st part - open ruff note values and bit short on roll length into demi semis forcing timing. 2nd - Swiss group a bit clipped. 3rd - some timing issues and ahead of beat. 4th - Drag demis a bit clipped. Overall nice understanding of rhythms but clipping some technique which causes slight timing issues. Need to open up tight groupings. Good technique overall. Well done.
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Event 114. Grade 2 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ethan EM Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: Bill Boyle      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Pulsing intro rolls. Good uptake. Pushing note values of ruffs. 2nd - OK through here. 3rd- Rushing off rolls to demi semi groups. timing issues to end of part. 4th - Quite flat dynamically. Overall a good appreciation of 6/8 rhythm but some technique being pushed at which sense of timing issues. Looks as though you are rolling your left hand over when rolling causing a pulsing effect. Well done.
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Event 115. Grade 2 Side Drumming Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Hollie Chalmers 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 1      Tunes: Rhonda Blair The old wife of the Milldust      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Good Intro H/P: Nice lively tempo and playing with effective execution, phrasing and dynamics. Good rhythmical content to this technical score and enhancing the melody structure well. Nicely presented. Jig: Good driving temp and playing is relaxed and with good rhythmical presentation. Score working and interpreting the melody well. Effective use of expression and dynamics throughout. I enjoyed this. Tone a bit dull off the top.
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Event 115. Grade 2 Side Drumming Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Connor J S Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Tune Names: Willie Bishop, Donald Cameron’s Powder horn      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Good intro rolls H/P: Lively tempo and playing with effective phrasing and expression. Just needs more depth to your execution and dynamics. Overall quite nicely played but openwork in opening bars of 3rd part was indistinct and needs better control in distribution. Good integrated technical score. Jig: Nice structured score played with feeling but I feel the tempo is on the slow side. Score playing is mainly clean and clear, however, you lost integration with the meloy in the opening bars of the last part. Again better use of dynamics would enhance this score. Tone: Well set with good top snare response.
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Event 115. Grade 2 Side Drumming Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ethan EM Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: The Moving Cloud, Archie Beag      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Intro: Well sustained. Roll texture could be smoother. H/P: Tempo on the cautious side for a H/P. Good technical score but i think you are overplaying at times and causing slight hesitations. Openwork not always coming over as controlled or clear. Good attempt at your execution of this score. A livelier tempo would make the score flow easier. Jig: Tempo too slow for a jig and you seem to be struggling to execute the score to the melody. Especially the 2nd Part. A technically structured score that you are not comfortable with. Work at creating a livelier tempo and remember this is a dance. You have a very good technical ability, just work at your tempos. Tone: Nicely pitched with good snare response.
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Event 116. Grade 1 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Hollie Chalmers 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 1      Tunes: The links of forth Maggie Cameron John MacKegnie      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Good Intro. M) Nice relaxed tempo and score integrating well with melodic structure. Effective use of phrasing and expression used throughout this score. Good rhythmical content to your playing. Strath: Again a relaxed feel to your playing 4th bar of 2nd part, your playing becomes round and loses the strath effect. Apart from that, this was well presented. Reel: Good confident break. Nice swing to this score interpreting and lifting this melody well. Effective use of expression and dynamics in this technical constructed score. Tone: A bit dull off the top.
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Event 116. Grade 1 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Gary wray      Place: 2      Tunes: Balmoral highlanders, Susan mcleod Major Manson      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Good Intro M) Nice lively tempo and a well constructed technical score. Playing is clean and clear but it needs more depth to your expression and subtle use of dynamics to add punctuation to the score. Strath: Score is very full and not always defining the Strath idiom. This could do with more poise, phrasing and rhythmical expression to define the score structure. R) Good break. Nicely presented score and creating effective lift and light and shade Good rhythmical swing and well constructed technical score. A better musical assessment could have been achieved if you had the melodies playing along with you. This would have given a better insight to how effective your strath score was to the music. Tone: Nicely pitched with good top snare response.
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Event 116. Grade 1 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Connor J S Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 3      Tunes: Balmoral Highlanders, Blair Drummond, John Morrison of Assynt House      Judge: Gordon Craig      Judge's Comments: Good Intro. M) Nice relaxed tempo and good uptake to march. Losing integration with melody in 3rd part. Good control of phrasing but this needs more depth to you execution and stronger use of dynamics to define the melody structure better. S) Good break and good score content. You didn`t use the strath idiom in the 2/3 parts and the execution and expression were round here. The crescendo accented roll movement could be executed strong with starting quieter and a stronger climax. Also you require stronger accents in your single phrases. they are not pronounced enough. Reel: Not a confident break and opening bar but settled and presented the reel score with effective musical and rhythmic precision. I feel that you play within yourself, at times, and you have the ability to drive and execute your score more. Be confident in your ability Tone : Nicely pitched with good snare balance.
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Event 117. Grade 1 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Hollie Chalmers 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 1      Tunes: Heights of Cassino      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good rolls and steady uptake to tune. Nice control of rhythm and technique throughout. Your hand to hand technique looks well balanced, although possibly a little elbow high on right side. Good variety of technique and quite musical overall. Maybe a bit more dynamics would enhance and I'm not necessarily saying on the high hands. More of the low technique to test and add dynamis. Overall a good job and I enjoyed the listen. Well done.
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Event 117. Grade 1 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Connor J S Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Bill Boyle      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good rolls and tune uptake. 1st part - clipping some technique — rolls to demi semis. 2nd - ok. 3rd - racing triplet groups and coming off ahead of beat. Small slip on repeat bars. 4th - closing down drag demi semi group. Overall good 6/8 appreciation but feels as though tempo is a little down and you are struggling to control accurately. Watch you don't clip some technique and ensure you giving true note value throughout.
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Event 118. Grade 1 Side Drumming Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Hollie Chalmers 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 1      Tunes: Rhonda Blair The old wife of the Milldust      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Confident Intro. Playing nicely 1st part. Sometimes ratamacues are not fully clear. Effective use of light and shade 3rd part. Solid change to jig. Slight loss of integration with piper first time through the 1st part. Again, good use of accentuation to add to the musical effect. Clean and precise playing for most part.
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Event 118. Grade 1 Side Drumming Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Connor J S Higgs 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Willie Bishop, Donald Cameron’s Powder horn      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Good intro. Generally playing well, but dropping behind the beat a bit at times. Some open work not 100% clear in passages ( the 4 drag tap for example). H/P Quite musical overall. Good to jig. Again, watch your integration with the melody. Last part is quite disjointed. Your technique is quite good overall, just be careful with the integration.
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Event 120. Open/Pro - Side Drumming - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Grant Maxwell 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: Donald MacLean’s Farewell to Oban, Arniston Castle, Alick C. MacGregor      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Solid intro. Confident start to march. Excellent tempo for this tune and playing close to melody, creating a nice swing. Good change to S/S Displaying a strong S/S feel here with good use of accents. Slight loss of integration end of 2nd and into 3rd part. Confident break to reel. Playing well for the majority of the reel, but just dropping ( very slightly) behind the beat at times which disrupts the natural flow of the tune. Overall still well presented and showing a musical approach with effective dynamics.
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Event 120. Open/Pro - Side Drumming - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Alex Kuldell 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: John MacColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage, Duncan Lamont, Mrs. MacPherson of Inveran      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Smooth introduction with confident uptake to march. Your drum sounds pretty flat off the bottom. You are showing precise execution and an effortless style. A very musical march. Solid change to S/S. Hitting the ground running here with effective use of light and shade 2nd part. Score goes well to the melody but feels a little repetitive at times. Good to reel. Again the same relaxed playing here. Triplet buzz 3rd part well handled and a nice round sound from this phrase. I'm hearing some closed flams at times bringing a false sound from the drum. Dynamics in the latter stages of the rell help the overall effer.
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Event 120. Open/Pro - Side Drumming - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Harvey Dawson 🇨🇦      Place: 3      Tunes: Sinclair Scott, The Ewe Wi' the Crooked Horn, John Morrisson of Assynthouse      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Solid intro. 1st part uptake good. Slightly disconnected from the melody half way through the 3rd part of the march. 3rd part could also do with more variety to enhance. Controlled entry to S/S. Strong S/S idiom here, enjoyable tune. Strong break — execution is generally very clear and precise, but a couple of suspect phrases parts 4-6. Just small concentration lapses. Overall a musical performance and entertaining - well done!
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Event 120. Open/Pro - Side Drumming - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Tyler Boydstun 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: The Young Macgregor, Shepherds Crook, Mrs MacPherson of Inveran      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Good intro. Playing reasonably well at start of march, but the lack of melody does not make it easy for me to make a full assessment. Some small execution errors creeping in from time to time but overall a good march. Break and uptake to S/S is very slow and deliberate, this needs more drive! Watch 4 stroke ruffs in S/S, they need better execution. Better break to reel. There are still minor execution problems here and there, and it can sound a bit straight at times. try for more weight variation in the reel to brighten it up a little. The lack of melody makes it difficult, it would help your actual phrasing to have a tune to accompany.
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Event 120. Open/Pro - Side Drumming - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Gary wray      Place: 5      Tunes: Highland wedding,Cameronian Rant, major manson      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Solid intro. Excellent drum for clarity. Playing well enough, but I think that the tempo is a little too fast to fit comfortably. Also try for a bit more light and shade to lift the overall performance. Solid change. Playing more closely to the melody here and generally making a good job of it again. Just needs more dynamics to soften things occasionally. Good break, but falling behind the beat after entry. I think the tempo is the biggest problem here again. It's just a bit fast to enable you to execute cleanly and produce a more musical sound. This is easily fixed for next time. Good show overall and a very good effort at CR. Excellent drum.
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Event 121. Open/Pro - Side Drumming - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Grant Maxwell 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: Debbie Toth’s Hornpipe, Callum Magee      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good intro rolls and accurate uptake to H/Pipe. This is a nice rhythmic opener with very clean playing and accurate control throughout. Very good transition to Jig and nice rhythm throughout. Maybe bit technique rushed 3rd/4th bars last part 1st time bars. Overall I really enjoyed clean performance with accuracy. If anything, maybe played a little within yourself without pushing the limits but that would be maybe a thought for you because I thought it was a really good run and I enjoyed it a lot. Well done.
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Event 121. Open/Pro - Side Drumming - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Harvey Dawson 🇨🇦      Place: 2      Tunes: Helen of Dunoon, the Fiddler's Rally.      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Accurate rolls and uptake. Felt rolls were for mine a little grainey. Aggressive uptake to tune and nice twist with dot and cut transition. This H/Pipe was full on technique and full of risk (and fun by the look of it) Think there were the odd timing inaccuracies throughout because of the risk no doubt. Your hands are clearly good enough to pull this off but felt it was not always on point. Good transition to Jig and this also was a big full score but this was consistently well played throughout and I enjoyed it. Good aggressive tempos in both tunes and full of technique although performance was not always clean it was clearly written for good hands. Well done.
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Event 121. Open/Pro - Side Drumming - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Alex Kuldell 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: Duncan Johnstone, Donella Beaton      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good rolls and steady to uptake. Nice rhythms through H/Pipe but always a challenge dynamically when playing round tunes. Good use of technique in composition. Some v.minor inaccuracy to melody at times but good control all the same. Good break to Jig but dynamically a little flat at times. May be a stick height consideration as not always a lot of range in low to high. Odd small inaccuracy but overall a very competent performance executed with good technique. Well done.
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Event 121. Open/Pro - Side Drumming - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Tyler Boydstun 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Piledriver, Lark in the Morning      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Good rolls and steady to uptake. H/Pipe 1st part good through here. 2nd - starting to clip some technique — small slip 3rd — some minor timing inconsistencies 4th - not always controlling note value accuracy. Overall it is more difficult to dynamically enhance round tunes but was further complicated by small technique and timing inaccuracies throughout. Jig - didn't settle early and was a bit push-pull throughout. There were inconsistent timing issues and was a bit flat also. Without the melody it was also a bit difficult to understand rhythmically as well. Clearly you have the hands to play the technique but need more thought around presentation and consistent control.
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Event 203. Grade 5 Tenor Drumming - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Violet Haysom 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: Men Of Argyle, Greenwoodside      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Not accurate to tune uptake. Not dynamically variable and lacking 2/4 rhythmic pulse. lacking uplift on the off beats and mis-timing throughout. Flourish various but not always consistent. Quite a good basis to work from but needs further polish and consistency.
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Event 203. Grade 5 Tenor Drumming - 2/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Laurene Merritt 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Siege of Delhi      Judge: Scott Mitchell      Judge's Comments: Flourish 2nd roll is out of time and not sure why you are not playing the intro beats. Not always accurate in timing and clipping triplet notes. Lacking dynamic uplift and not always controlling sticks. Good appreciation of basic flourishes with plenty of scope to improve.
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Event 204. Grade 5 Tenor Drumming - 4/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Violet Haysom 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: PM Sam Scott, Old Rustic Bridge      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Well executed Intro roll beatings. Timing and weight even and steady. Great intro into tune. Beating weight excellent and even playing throughout the tune. Very good dynamic accurate playing in the end phrases of each part of the tune. Flourishing fits tune well and is well controlled. The double up swing(pt 1 bars 2 and 6) are a little uneven and could be slightly more symmetrical. Break into 2nd tune great but just losing the time a little in bar 4 of the first part. The basic arm sequences (playing for time combo) are not 100% even and weight fluctuates slightly but improves in the 2nd line of the part. Beatings leading into part two are a little heavy. Flourishing in part 2 is beautifully put together and compliments the tune well. Some of the beatings are not quite accurate and a bit rushed at times but a bit of work on your rudiment technique will help with this. Control from flourish to drum is excellent. End flourish fits nicely. Wonderful deportment with beautiful posture maintained throughout the performance. The only improvement I would suggest in this area is having your heels together at attention. Overall, a very nice, polished performance. Keep up the excellent work.
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Event 204. Grade 5 Tenor Drumming - 4/4 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Laurene Merritt 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Scotland the brave & Flett from Flotta      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Intro roll flourishing nice just slightly out of time in the second set. For solo performances it is best to hit the drum as there is no bass drummer. Great steady positive beating intro into first tune. Holding the tempo well throughout tune but just coming off beat slightly in the 4th bar of 2nd part. A little more variety in the weight of the beatings would add to the dynamics of the score. Break into 2nd tune very nice and holding tempo with piper well. Just losing a bit of control at the end of the first part particularly the beats played while also flourishing in the last bar of the 1st part. 2nd part mostly nice and steady but lost a bit of positivity in beating in 4th bar and what looked to be a small error in flourishing in the last couple of bars of tune. Flourishing throughout the performance well put together. Swings are mostly well controlled with good speed and snap highlighting the tune well. Just need to work on transitioning from flourish to flourish a little more smoothly. Some of the stalls need a little work to ensure you stop/catch them straight up and they are not falling behind toward your back, however they are executed with great sharpness and expression. Very nice deportment with lovely posture maintained for the duration of the performance. Overall, a very well put together performance. Most enjoyable to watch and listen to.
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Event 205. Grade 4 Tenor Drumming - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Rowan Shaw 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: The Heights of Cassino      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Well executed intro roll beatings. Just a little rushed in second set. Accompanying flourishes very nice. Nice confident intro into first part demonstrating great 6/8 swing. Just need to watch that you are not coming off tempo in the piano forte. Flourishing in double forte very nice here but weight on drum is fluctuating a little when flourishing. Maintaining tempo better in 2nd part. Beatings also a little off tempo when combined with flourishing in double forte. Flourishing combos in 3rd part look good but some of the catching loses control at times particularly the below waist side drops which are a tad floppy. Sharper execution here could add to the visual expression of the tune. Beating coming off tempo a little in part 4. Very well constructed flourishing combos in this part. Some work on catching technique will help with keep you in time. Very nice finish to tune. A very well put together performance with great visual variety that reflects the music well. Beautiful tone off drum. Playing weight throughout the performance is excellent and not overpowering. A very enjoyable performance.
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Event 205. Grade 4 Tenor Drumming - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Helen Flood 🇦🇺      Place: 2      Tunes: Bonnie dundee 4 parts      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Well executed intro roll beating and flourishes. Great confident intro into tune with excellent 6/8 swing demonstrated. Just need to watch that you hold tempo when beating through the basic arm combos (playing for time). The beats are slightly out of time here. Very nice score played in 2nd part maintaining the swing of the tune well. Some of the beats are not quite striking the drum with correct technique in the center of the drum skin when coming out of flourishes. Demonstrating some lovely dynamic beating in 3rd part. The technique of the roll into 4th part is a little stiff. Just need to relax into this a bit more. Lovely expressive flourishing in 4th part. Losing a little bit of control and timing in the beating in bar 3 and 4. Double forte has a very nice stall combo but there are a couple of dead beats here that break the flow of the tune a little however the visuals show excellent expression and complement the tune nicely. Wonderful dynamic playing of the score in the final bars of the tune. Overall, a fantastic performance. Great swing and expression of the tune shown. Very nice deportment throughout. Very enjoyable to watch and listen to.
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Event 206. Grade 4 Tenor Drumming - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Helen Flood 🇦🇺      Place: 1      Tunes: March -Prince charles, Strathspey -Mcphedrans Strathspey, Reel -Sound of Sleet      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Nice confident intro, roll beatings and flourishing. March: Intro into first part a little tentative but confidence starts to show as you get further into tune. Very well played and consistent end phrases played in each part. Very nice visuals throughout tune the cross-body stalls in part three could use a bit more height but are executed well. Very nice combo in part four but just losing a little control in Bar 4 combo. Excellent weight on drum maintained throughout tune. Strathspey: Excellent break into tune. Well put together visuals. Lacking the Strong Weak Medium Weak dynamics or swing required for the strathspey idiom. This can be improved by matching your playing and flourishing expression to that of the piping more closely. Last bar of the tune played a little tentatively. The beating is well timed, just needs a little more confidence. Reel: First beat into reel was clean and confident but lost some assertiveness which may be due to having a more complex flourish at the start of the tune. Very nice dynamic playing throughout the tune. The flourishing for this tune is very complementary. The forward crosses in the last part could be a bit more symmetrical and are a tad rushed and look a little frantic. Relaxing a little will help with this. Overall, the flourishing throughout the performance is very good. A bit more height in places would improve the visual range.A small suggestion would be to shorten the excess string on your sticks as you can hear this brushing on your drum ever so slightly. A very nicely put together performance with just a few minor things to work on. I very much enjoyed it.
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Event 207. Grade 3 Tenor Drumming - March, Strathspey & Reel (M at least 4 parts S & R each at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Erin McRobbie 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 1      Tunes: Alan Dodds Farewell to Scotland, Atholl Cummers, Mrs McPherson of Inveran      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Controlled introduction. Clear and precise beating for most of the march. S/S Good accurate timing again here with some smart flourishing also. Reel. More of the same — accurate beats, sharp flourishing, and a pleasant long note from the drum. Well done!
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Event 207. Grade 3 Tenor Drumming - March, Strathspey & Reel (M at least 4 parts S & R each at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Gale Walker 🇨🇦      Place: 2      Tunes: The Conundrum , Maggie Cameron, Sandy Cameron      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: Timing is on point for the most part of the march, although the tempo is on the fast side. Drum is resonant but sounds on the flat side. S/S A good effort at Maggie Cameron. Reel Timing solid. Again here your volume variation is very evident. Maybe flourishing could be more complex. Well done!
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Event 207. Grade 3 Tenor Drumming - March, Strathspey & Reel (M at least 4 parts S & R each at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Lexie Shaw 🇦🇺      Place: 3      Tunes: Lord Alexander Kennedy, Susan MacLeod and Charlie's Welcome      Judge: Keith Orr      Judge's Comments: First impressions are that the drum is very tight on the top head, this needs to be more subtle. Watch the timing of the ending bars especially. S/S try to keep your SWMW beats going and lengthen the duration between the 1st and 2nd beats. Reel. Again keep your concentration on the timing and you'll be fine.
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Event 208. Grade 3 Tenor Drumming - 6/8 March (at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Erin McRobbie 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 1      Tunes: John Barclay      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Great intro rolls. Clear and confident beating with sharp flourishing. Great intro into first part with well executed flourishes showing wonderful control that does not impede accuracy of playing of drum. Nice confident weight of playing on drum that is not overpowering. Playing of score is well timed and accurate throughout the performance. A bit of variation of playing weight in places to match the dynamics of the accompanying snare could enhance the musicality of the tenor score however the technique and accuracy of playing some of the more intricate note groupings is very good. Beautiful smooth transition from flourish to flourish balanced with nice sharp stops resulting in great visual expression. Very impressive flourishing technique displayed throughout this performance. I very much enjoyed watching and listening to this performance. Well done and I look forward to seeing more of your drumming in the future.
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Event 211. Grade 1 Tenor Drumming - March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Christine Christiansen 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: Hugh Kennedy, Susan MacLeod, Mrs. MacPherson of Inveran      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Intro rolls very good. Timed well and played clear and confident. March: First part starting well but starting to rush a little as you get into the part but settles again into the 2nd part. End phrases of each part played clear and consistently each time. Controlling catching out of flourishing well getting to the drum with good timing. A little bit more dynamic weight variation in part three would enhance the tenor score here. Playing a little lighter in the first bar would match the expression of the piping a bit better. Great expressive flourishing in last part of tune just a little light on the very last beat of tune before going into strathspey. Strathspey: First beat of tune played slightly early and a little separation from the piper’s tempo at times throughout part. Playing through part two is very nice just a little off in first bar coming down from flourish. 2nd line of part played nicely. Some good controlled playing coming through in part three. Very nice flourishing combo in 4th part but losing a bit of confidence when coming back to the drum to play. A few timing issues in playing in the last few bars but recover well to get into reel. Reel: first beat hit well just loosing the timing a little through first line and starting to rush by 5th bar. Also rushing a little through 2nd part and losing a bit of control in the flourishing which looks a little frantic here and playing accuracy is getting lost a bit in places also. Started to settle a bit more by third part staying steady for the most part for the reminder of tune. Just a few minor glitches coming out of some flourishes. Very nice performance. Excellent deportment throughout. Flourishing very expressive and sharp. Well done. .
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Event 212. Grade 1 Tenor Drumming - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Ishbel Eade 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Stevie's First Bar, Kenny Gillies of Portnalong      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Very good intro roll beatings and flourishing. Played confidently and in time.Good clean intro into HP with great balance of playing and visuals to get into the tune. End phrase execution excellent setting standard high for the tune. Very nice flourishing combo in 2nd part of HP. Good sharp execution that matches the expression of the melody. Backward cross swipes in in 3rd part are nice and controlled in the flourish there are just one or two beats on the drum that are not hit with the right weight during that combination. Beautiful dynamic playing through the rest of part. This carries through the final part of tune also. Very good HP Playing. Excellent score executed very well. Outstanding consistency of end phrase beating through all parts of the tune. Break into the jig nice and clean but could hit the first bar a little more assertively. Tempo kept nice and steady throughout first part. Really enjoyed what you are doing with the 2nd part of the jig. Dead sticking adding some colour to the score and good technical skills to the performance. Fabulous visuals in the 3rd part that express the tune well. Lovely combination in the last part also. Great control from intricate flourishing to drum that does not at all hinder the accuracy and expression of your beating. I thoroughly enjoyed this performance. Very musical with lovely dynamics and expression. Weight of playing on drum was excellent throughout and not overpowering. Beautifully constructed flourishing from start to finish that does not detract from your playing. A very well put together and polished HP & Jig.
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Event 212. Grade 1 Tenor Drumming - Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts)
Competitor: Christine Christiansen 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: Sandy's New Chanter, The Curlew      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Excellent intro roll beatings. Nice confident intro to tune but becomes a little unsettled for some of the part then recovers well by end. Some very well executed playing in opening tune, just losing a bit of accuracy at times. A bit of attention to playing accuracy of beats that follow some of the more difficult flourishes in your repertoire is needed in places. Playing with great feeling in this tune. Fell off tempo a little in the last two bars of the tune. Break into jig a bit unsettled and carried through the tune never quite managing to get a steady settled tempo for the remainder of the jig. However, there is some very complementary well executed visual construction in this tune. The expression here is really coming through. Lovely playing weight throughout performance that does not overpower the pipes. Well done on this performance there is some excellent playing and flourishing being displayed. Excellent posture and deportment throughout. Overall, a very promising package.
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Event 301. Novice Bass Drumming (Grade 4 & 5) - Any March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Paul van Wering 🇳🇿      Place: 1      Tunes: Siege of Delhi      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Great intro roll beating. Nice weight played with good timing. Good entry into first part of tune just coming off tempo from time to time in first part but settling down going into the 2nd part. Very nice dynamics adding to the expression of the tune. Great transition from 2nd part into 3rd and 3rd part repeat. Accented and timed well and hit with confidence. Very nice scoring in 4th part just coming off the beat a little at times again and rushing into the end phrase beating a little in the first time through the part but a great confident finish to the tune. Overall, a great performance. You have a very nice touch to your playing technique and have great expression and feel in your playing. I very much enjoyed listening to you play.
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Event 301. Novice Bass Drumming (Grade 4 & 5) - Any March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Nick Haysom 🇦🇺      Place: 2      Tunes: Men of Argyle, Greenwoodside      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Well executed intro rolls into performance. Nice flowing action and playing technique to open tune. Falling off the beat slightly at times in the first part but end bar phrases are executed well and in time Very good steady playing into 2nd tune. Some very nice syncopation in the score. This is not executed as well in the last part of the tune as it is in the 1st but still adding some great colour and variation to the performance. Overall, A very good performance. You have a nice touch to your playing which results in a lovely tone /note from the drum giving great musicality to the tunes. A very enjoyable listen.
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Event 301. Novice Bass Drumming (Grade 4 & 5) - Any March (at least 2 parts)
Competitor: Terry Carter 🇦🇺      Place: 3      Tunes: Teribus and Corriechoille      Judge: Nicola Cairns      Judge's Comments: Nicely timed entry into the tune. Just falling off the beat a little in the first part but settling back into time in the 2nd part. The speed of this recording makes it very difficult for you to incorporate dynamics and weight variation into the performance however this is a great score to play when on parade with a band and your steady positive playing would keep a band in time very well. Very positive striking of the drum consistently through the tune but not overpower which is giving a nice tone/note off the drum. A good positive finish to the tune. Overall, a well played lively performance which I very much enjoyed. Keep up the good work.
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Event 401. Pipe Band Style Musical Ensemble
Competitor: Oriental Pipes & Drums 🇭🇰      Place: 1      Tunes: March: Liberton Pipe Band Strathspey: Molly Connell Reel: Molly on the shore      Judge: Panel A      Judge's Comments: Judge: Brendon Eade (Piping) — Place: 1 — Impressive intro and tone, well balanced band, relaxed but confident march playing — clean to Molly Connell, tidy from all corps. Nice to reel, sound falling away a little. A very pleasant set of simple tunes played well. Entertaining and enjoyable. Judge: John Dew (Piping) — Place: — Very good intro E here. Drones and chanters well set, one or two sharp high Gs. Drums a tad on the flat side. Also, try not to use music for the performance. Tune 1 - Lovely playing here, musical and swinging well, great ensemble as well. Tempo spot on! 2 - Great lift into the strathspey. Slight rushing off the beat in the second part of the strathspey. 3 - Lovely reel playing here, a lot of good unison playing here. There seemed to be a wee editorial splice between the march and the strathspey which disturbed the overall performance a little. On the whole this was a great performance with huge potential. Keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing this ensemble in the future! Judge: Keith Orr (Side) — Place: 1 — Impressive introduction from all sections. Bass section sounding solid. Playing well as an ensemble unit for most of the set. Things starting to deteriorate slightly towards the end, but overall a good show. Judge: Nicola Cairns (Midsection) — Place: 2 — Good steady well timed intro beats from bass. Great dynamics coming through in opening tune with good technique from bass. Break into s/p very good. Strong and positive playing from bass drummer. A little separation from pipe section at times in this tune. Good break into reel holding tempo well through tune. Very enjoyable performance with all three sections playing well together.
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Event 401. Pipe Band Style Musical Ensemble
Competitor: Calgary Highlanders Pipes and Drums 🇨🇦      Place: 2      Tunes: At Long Last, Alan Mcpherson, Tripping, Findlay McRae, Foiler, Sleepy, Dimitri, Red Fox      Judge: Panel A      Judge's Comments: Judge: Brendon Eade (Piping) — Place: 2 — Impressive unit, spectacular surrounds. Bright opener, sides behind a fraction. Cool to jig but then some intercorps separation, untidy from pipers 2nd part ending, B and T work quite dominant 2nd jig. Grand air, harmonies lagging. 2nd part, strathspey, round interpretation and some untidiness from pipe corps. Into maggie with gusto! Dimitri a little untidy — happier coming into the Red Fox. Again slightly untidy 2nd part — climactic finish. Entertaining set of tunes — some execution issues distracted but well done team. Judge: John Dew (Piping) — Place: 1 — Good intro E here, tempo dipped after the 3 pace rolls however. Great musical playing here with lovely harmonies and a great tempo. Nice jig playing here. The first jig lost a little composure but the second was much better, nice jig ending. Nice break to the slow air, nice tight playing here. Make sure the harmony players are playing in the exact same time as the melody, they were a little untidy at times. Love the choice of strathspey, cracking break into this tune. Nice composure in Sleepy Maggie, the second reel is really well played, losing a little bit of unison between pipes and drums in the second last reel. The last reel is really well played across the board. Perhaps there could be a little more harmony in the last tune. Bass and Tenors well set. There were a lot of positives from this performance, a lot of great playing and a few untidy parts here and there. Lots of potential, keep up the good work. Judge: Keith Orr (Side) — Place: 2 — Excellent intro by all sections. Side drums sound great, bass and tenor need more resonance, however the bass and tenor scores fit well with the band ensemble. Drum corps in general playing with flair and expression. Excellent finish — well done ! Judge: Nicola Cairns (Midsection) — Place: 4 — Great use of tenor tones in opening tune. Great positive playing from bass holding tempo well. Good break into the jig bass maintain tempo well. Some very nice work from the tenors particularly in the 2nd Jig. Good rolling from B&T in the slow air. Very dynamic and powerful. Well timed break into slow air. Tenors playing a little heavy throughout this tune and into reel. A bit more splitting of the score across the tones would prevent section volume overpowering the band. Some nice expression coming through in parts just a bit heavy from B&T section which is detracting from the pipes and melody. Nice use of tenor tones in last line of tune to finish of set. Very nice performance with enjoyable tune selection.
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Event 401. Pipe Band Style Musical Ensemble
Competitor: Alliance Pipe Band 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: Centennial March, Campbelltown Kiltie Ball, Chick 'n Bug, In Limbo Face Yo Shit, Galician Jig, Tickling Stick.      Judge: Panel A      Judge's Comments: Judge: Brendon Eade (Piping) — Place: 5 — Some interesting tune names in there . . . Attack - not 100%, chanter intonation issues from outset — errors creep in early from pipers. Solid to strath, again those errors, separation between pipes and sides 1st part. Reel ok, SA nice at start, errors end of first part, and then into jig. Galician a nice touch — bouncy hornpipe to finish, lost impact in the closing bars (derailed a bit). An interesting collection of tunes well arranged, however the high error rate did distract throughout your performance. Thanks for the entry. Judge: John Dew (Piping) — Place: 4 — Good intro E and 3PR. Nice bright tempo and a love tune, very well played until bar 8 of the first part, a few wee errors slipping through here and there. Decent break to the strathspey with a lovely bright tempo. Nice break to reel here, Low As dipping in the tone. A few errors here and there. Good break to the slow air, nice drum support and good harmonies. Good change to jigs and for the most part the jigs were very well played together in unison with good ensemble, just a few wee errors slipping in and out. Hornpipe is very controlled and musical. For the most is played very well. Generally speaking each tune was well played and musical but the ends of the parts had errors, keep the concentration right until the end of the tune. Lots of wonderful unison playing from the pipers at times, aim to keep this consistency level up throughout the performance. Keep up the good work. Judge: Keith Orr (Side) — Place: 3 — Bass drum sounds very tight and has little resonance (tenors the same). Side drums sound solid. Drum corps need tighter execution but pipes and drums playing well as a unit. Judge: Nicola Cairns (Midsection) — Place: 1 — Good confident intro rolls from Bass. Nice dynamic playing throughout from bass. Very nice tone coming off Bass Drum. Break into S/P excellent. Very expressive playing complementing snares and pipe section. S/A some very nice playing again complementing tune and other sections well. Good Entry to Jig positive entry and driving the band well with some well executed intricate beatings. Great expression evident in last part of jig leading into final tune. Again, very good break into last tune holding tempo steady. Very enjoyable performance.
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Event 401. Pipe Band Style Musical Ensemble
Competitor: St Andrews Caledonian Pipe Band 🇦🇺      Place: 4      Tunes: Men of Argyle, Greenwood Side, The Drunken Piper, The Earl of Mansfield      Judge: Panel A      Judge's Comments: Judge: Brendon Eade (Piping) — Place: 4 — Thanks for taking the time to enter team. Opening rolls falling away with tempo, Some chanter intonation issues early. B and T good work early, once tempo established pipe corps playing well together. Effective harmonies. Clean stop. Well done. Judge: John Dew (Piping) — Place: 3 — Intro rolls could be a little tidier. Decent intro E from pipers. Tune 1 - Well played at a good tempo 2 - Again, good playing so far from the first part. Make sure all players are confident with which pick-up note is correct (E or F) 3 - Another very well played tune here. 4 - Very confidently played with some lovely harmonies coming through. Very good cut-off here. Generally a solid performance here with a few wee slips here and there. Keep up the good work, this has lots of potential. A minor point, try putting the camera to landscape to fit the entire band in the frame. Judge: Keith Orr (Side) — Place: 4 — Off to a good start. Good side drum sound. Maybe bass and tenor could be a bit heavier to add more dynamics. All units playing quite well in unison. A few tonal issues. Overall a good show. Judge: Nicola Cairns (Midsection) — Place: 3 — Lovely tone from Bass drum. Tempo dropping slightly on entrance to first tune after intro rolls. Nice playing weight from tenor and keeping with snare section well. Good steady beating from bass holding tempo throughout performance. A good dynamic range from both Bass and tenor drummer. Nice consistent playing of each parts end phrases throughout the set and good transition from tune to tune. Some lovely tenor flourishing displayed in the performance. Very enjoyable performance.
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Event 401. Pipe Band Style Musical Ensemble
Competitor: South Park & District Pipe Band 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: Teribus, Flett From Flotta, Jack's Welcome Home, Drunken Duncan      Judge: Panel A      Judge's Comments: Judge: Brendon Eade (Piping) — Place: 3 — Good attack, classic opener. Chanter intonation not 100% , especially top hand. Tenor drifting 2nd part. Side corps integration issues 1st part 2nd tune. 3rd tune solid. Good playing from pipe corps throughout, together well with plenty of lift. Again sides separating in final tune. Pleasant set of tunes well delivered — chanter tuning accuracy would greatly enhance this performance, thanks. Professional video, well done. Judge: John Dew (Piping) — Place: 2 — Good intro E. Good, composed playing in the marches. The ensemble at the start of the first march going into the tune could have been more solid, after that it was great. There were a few bits of rushing off the dotted quavers from one or two individual pipers at times. This causes a lack of unison in the band as a whole. One piper also stopped a little late. All in all a solid performance, well done. Judge: Keith Orr (Side) — Place: 6 — Side drums sound quite flat, some more tension would help here. Bass is helping well. Good tempos first two tunes although lots of errors slipping in from pipers. Well done. Judge: Nicola Cairns (Midsection) — Place: 5 — Great Bass playing with nice embellishments from tenor. Tenor visuals fitting nicely to music. Timing across all sections good with minimal separation. Playing weight from tenor good and not overpowering the band. Lovely selection of tunes and most enjoyable to listen to.
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Event 401. Pipe Band Style Musical Ensemble
Competitor: Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: The Siege of Delhi, Captain Colin Campbell, Alick C. MacGregor.      Judge: Panel A      Judge's Comments: Judge: Brendon Eade (Piping) — Place: 6 — THanks for taking the time to provide your entry video. Introduction not together, bass is tuned well below the pipe corps. Reasonable tempo — pipers not together, and sides dragging the tempo especially parts 3 and 4. Piping errors in 3rd part. OK to strath, squeal distracts. slightly round interpretation throughout, again separation issues 3rd and 4th, errors creeping in. Break to reel not together, piping errors more obvious and the squeal has come back. Clean stop. B and T section - perhaps looking at scores and avoiding playing at the same time may help the ensemble. Great effort team in a grand setting — thanks for the listen. Judge: John Dew (Piping) — Place: 6 — Pipes not quite in unison for the intro E. March - Nicely composed march here, well played with confidence. Next stage, brighten the tempo ever so slightly. A few slips here and there but generally really well played. Strathspey - Great break into the strathspey and lovely first part. The second and fourth parts are a little untidy in places. First and second parts are much better. Reel - The break could have been a little cleaner here, aim to make this as clean as the strathspey. I feel there are a few players who aren't as confident with this tune as the other two. Chanters well set, drones a little out to the low A from the beginning. A chanter reed is a little squealy at times. Overall a most enjoyable performance here. The March was lovely, strathspey was very good at times and the reel was good in places as well. My advice would be to work on the weakest tune first and aim to make it as excellent as the march. Lots of potential here, keep up the good work. Judge: Keith Orr (Side) — Place: 5 — All sections not starting as one. Tempo could be a little faster. Bass drum sounds good. Watch break to reel, takes all sections some time to settle down again. Try to find a way to conduct this to make it easier. Judge: Nicola Cairns (Midsection) — Place: 6 — Nice volume from tenors. Losing timing with snare section from time to time in march. Good volume and tone from bass. Break into s/p nice and clean. Tenor score complementing snare line well. Nice flourishing displayed here. Break into reel a bit unsteady. B&T settling back into the tempo by 2nd part and holding steady for remainder of the tune. A few beatings are not in time in the final line of the tune. A very enjoyable performance.
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Event 401. Pipe Band Style Musical Ensemble
Competitor: Kern County Pipe Band 🇺🇸           Tunes: Campbell's are Coming, Bonnie Dundee, Carles Wi' the Breeks, Campbells are Coming.      Judge: Panel A      Judge's Comments: Judge: Brendon Eade (Piping) — Place: — Thanks for the entry. A pipe band start would be more effective here. Classic 6/8 set - chanter intonation a real issue for me, reasonable 6/8 rhythm established, sometimes interpretation rounding out. Playing pretty well together throughout the performance — this would have been greatly enhanced with more accurate chanter tuning. Judge: John Dew (Piping) — Place: 5 — Good intro E however the drone strike could be a little cleaner, slightly out of place. Good opening tune here, a few of the embellishments are missing however. Second tune is flowing really nicely. Ditto the second tune. Drones starting to drift out of tune a little here. A little more pointing in the second would benefit though. Good reprise of the last tune. As good a trio as this was, there could have been a little more dynamics in the arrangements, perhaps include some harmonies, or an arranged break. There was a little more room for creativity here. On the whole though, great playing. Judge: Keith Orr (Side) — Place: — Judge: Nicola Cairns (Midsection) — Place: — Great tune selection. Very enjoyable to listen to.
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Event 402. Freestyle Musical Ensemble
Competitor: Calgary Highlanders Pipes and Drums 🇨🇦      Place: 1      Tunes: Showacho, Mannix Stag      Judge: Panel B      Judge's Comments: Judge: Ann Gray (Piping) — Place: 1 — You did an awesome job of this performance! Everything was in place — the beautiful room, the dancer for the added visual, the full uniforms — very enjoyable from every perspective. Musically the tunes were well chosen and played at reasonable tempos — controlled without being dull — and well played throughout My only concern throughout this performance was the excessive volume of bass and tenor, and for most of the selection all mid-section drummers seemed to be playing everything in unison, until toward the end of the jig where there were some split parts which really added to the performance — but I would have liked to have heard more of that. Nice job on the snare break in between hornpipe and jig. Most enjoyable — thanks! Judge: David Hilder (Piping) — Place: 1 — Hi there and thank you for your submission. What a great overall band performance along with a strong dancer to add some flair. Great drum scores adding such great depth of music. The set is at a good tempo and idiom and the pipes are well set and blown. An overall really good performance! Thank you, David. Judge: Gordon Craig (Side) — Place: 1 — Intro: Rolls well sustained by snare and a collective intro and uptake by all units. Integration/ Interpretation: Nice lively uptake by all units albeit tenors are too dominant . Creating a melodic presentation by pipers with good phrasing and expression with good enhancements by snare section, however, the tenor dominance is again evident throughout here. Melody is such that it’s giving lift and assistance to dance. Effective bridge break by drummer setting the tempo for the next piece. Piper integration required to be more precise here but again giving effective rhythmical presentation to aid the dancer. Snare drummers are complementing this melody line but again tenors spoil the overall sound effect. INTONATION: Chanter drones not in full harmony. Snares nicely pitched to pipes. Bass tone lacked resonance. Tenors are too highly pitched for balance to pipes and all lack resonance. The overall band balance is being spoiled by overdominant tenors. They need to be more subtle. All they need to do is break up their score as there’s no necessity for them all to play the same thing all the time. Also they can then apply different tonal ranges to their drums and give a better musical effect. Judge: Nicola Cairns (Midsection) — Place: 1 — Great positive playing from tenors. A little loud and overpowering at times. Splitting more of the score across the three tones would help this. Fantastic drum break the Mannix stag. Very nice complementary visuals from tenors. Some great tenor work in this tune especially where the beats are split across the three tones. Excellent finish. Very enjoyable set with fantastic selection of tunes.
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Event 402. Freestyle Musical Ensemble
Competitor: Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums 🇺🇸      Place: 2      Tunes: Killicrankie, The Panda, Paddy Carey, She Moved Through the Fair, The Fiddler’s Joy, The Famous Ballymote, Kalabakan (Borneo).      Judge: Panel B      Judge's Comments: Judge: Ann Gray (Piping) — Place: 3 — Nice intro tune — the harmony in the opening tune was nice for the most part although I would have chosen slightly different chord structure for some of the notes — for example, playing a B against the last D of each part turns the chord into a B minor chord, when in fact the tune is very much in D major. The two-notes-up or two-notes-down rule doesn't always apply. Other choices would be to play low A or else F (or both!) against that D to turn the final note of the part into a full D major chord, which is comprised of D, F, and A. The Panda was quite well played — a touch cautious, but kept under control. I'm finding the bass and tenors a bit overpowering throughout. With so few snares, it's important to gauge the volume of all drums so that nothing is too loud. I really enjoyed the selection of music — all great tunes! Some breaks weren't quite together, but it was a very bold performance of some great music. My biggest concern was the overpowering volume of bass/tenor which took away somewhat from the music itself. Still very enjoyable — thanks! Judge: David Hilder (Piping) — Place: 3 — Hi there and thank you for your submission to the contest. What a fantastic backdrop for a band recording. I bet the acoustics in there are outstanding! First tune is a cracker! Watch the ensemble on the initial three paced rolls, not all together here. Harmonies are coming through strong and well composed. Lovely set up with the band in concert formation also. Good to jig, pipe corps is really locked into the tempo here, could let it go a wee bit and let the music flow. Some slight ensemble issues here. Break to Slow feels a bit abrupt here, maybe an extra beat or two on the end of the jig? Overall a good set with drones coming through in the recording well. All sections coming through on the recording to fully show the depth of the instruments. Some ensemble integration issues at times, could have a look at some of the drum scores, some are quite literal. Thank you again, this is great to see a full band up and going! David Judge: Gordon Craig (Side) — Place: 3 — Intro: Not a confident uptake by all sections. Not a clear E from pipes and drums were very stilted in their roll presentation Integration/interpretation: 1) Phrasing and expression not being controlled in this march and losing musical integration. Snare drummer playing behind the tempo in 2nd part and losing band unity. Some nice subtle input from tenors. 2) Jig tempo too slow and deliberate and again pipers are having integration problems. More phrasing required as playing is very round and expressionless. Snare accompaniment simple but effective. Tenors too dominant in this measure and not always presenting their phrases on time. Bass drummer searching for this rhythm and needs a more confident contribution. 3) S/A better break by pipers here. Some blowing issues in this measure. Roll texture from snare drummers could be smoother. 4) Confident break to strath. Need for more extension to the bar beat note. Again integration issues in creating the rhythmical pattern of this idiom. Bass not creating the SWMW rhythm required by a strath. 5) Pipers not together at break. Tempo slow and deliberate for this time signature. Playing is very round and expressionless here. Need to work at the phrasing, expression and execution of these melodies. There is potential for improvement to this medley with practice. Intonation: Chanter and drones not fully balanced. Snare drummers very timid and quiet in the overall band balance. Bass also very quiet and needs to dominate the variety of time signatures and break. This will improve with practice. Judge: Nicola Cairns (Midsection) — Place: 2 — Nice playing from bass in opening tune. Tenor playing not quite in sync with snare section. Good break from bass into jig. Tenors losing the tempo a little at start of jig but settling as the tune goes on. Nice roll from B&T in slow air but losing a little bit of impact as it is held a little long. Break into strathspey good but tempo dropping around 3rd and 4th bars. Some nice flourishing being displayed throughout strathspey. Break into reel steady bass keeping tempo well. Some great tunes played in this set. Very enjoyable to listen to.
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Event 402. Freestyle Musical Ensemble
Competitor: Alaska Celtic "B" Trio 🇺🇸      Place: 3      Tunes: The 1976 Police Tattoo, The Banks of the Lee, The Banjo Breakdown      Judge: Panel B      Judge's Comments: Judge: Ann Gray (Piping) — Place: 4 — Nice sound coming from the electronic chanters! The unison wasn't quite there off the start — the three of you just not quite playing everything exactly together at the same time — but it definitely settled in much better when the harmony came in which helped stick things together. A few of the harmony notes don't seem to quite match what's going on in the melody (not just discord — but simply notes that don't match). Very pretty slow air! Good break to jig, and nice lively tempo in the jig. A few small note errors in the first part. Nice clean playing for the most part — an enjoyable performance — imaginative and well carried out. well done - thanks! Judge: David Hilder (Piping) — Place: 2 — Hi there, thank you for the submission. I love this idea of just sitting around the table and having a session. Lovely overall sound coming through. Great set of tunes and some great integrated harmonies. Looks like you had a blast putting this together. Thank you! David. Judge: Gordon Craig (Side) — Place: 2 — Nice march tempo and playing is clean and precise albeit some minor issues in 2nd part. Although the use of harmonies is very effective I feel they are overly used here. S/A Well structure and played with good rhythmical control throughout but with minor errors. Jig: Not together at the break and tempo nice and relaxed some phrasing issues in 5/6 bars of 2-3 parts. Not integrated as a unit in last part. Judge: Nicola Cairns (Midsection) — Place: 4 — Love the cool mellow tone from the electric chanters. A lovely selection of tunes to listen to. I very much enjoyed this performance.
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Event 402. Freestyle Musical Ensemble
Competitor: Kern County Pipe Band 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Maxwells Bonnet, The Geese in the Bog.      Judge: Panel B      Judge's Comments: Judge: Ann Gray (Piping) — Place: 2 — Nice lively tempo in the hornpipe! I think your chanters could have been tuned just a bit more closely together — it's hard to hide small discrepancies when there are only two of you playing. Still, the tune was very well played - great unison—- just a few small places where you weren't quite together. The unison certainly improved as you went through the tune. Break to jig not 100% together, but again the unison improved as you went through the tune. Very good playing through this tricky jig — you especially did a good job of the ending each time with the difficult grip from D to A. 3rd part was also impressively well played. Nice tune selection - very enjoyable performance. Thanks! Judge: David Hilder (Piping) — Place: 4 — Thank you for your submission here. A couple great tunes you have chosen to play! Drones out at start and were a wee bit distracting. Playing quite well together in both idioms. Chanters are quite well set with a few wee chirps. Playing well together, though the drones are distracting, with a little more attention to the drones the set would be crackin. Thank you, David. Judge: Gordon Craig (Side) — Place: 4 — Complex melody to this H/P and not integrating as a team with many errors throughout. Tone not balanced here and some blowing issues. Phrasing needs better control throughout here. Jig: Not together at the break and 1st bar.Tempo slow and deliberate for this idiom. Again losing musical integration as a unit. Playing needs to be more precise and a livelier tempo to create the excitement of the jig rhythm. Judge: Nicola Cairns (Midsection) — Place: 3 — A lovely selection of tunes to listen to. Very cheerful and lively. I very much enjoyed this performance.
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Event 403. Piping Duet
Competitor: Mark & Charlotte Elliott 🇺🇸      Place: 1      Tunes: Highland Harry, The Earl of Crawford's Strathspey, Broderick's Bodhran, The Terror Time, Oft in the Stilly Night, Rocking the Baby      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Excellent attack! Great tone overall. Drones are solid. Some overblowing on High A in particular. Interesting setting of Highland Harry! One piper's F# going a bit sharp. Good unison and expression in the Strathspey. Smooth transition from Strathspey to Reel. Great transition with good tone into the slow air. Some sagging on long notes in the slow air. Love the harmonies. Unison is tight. Another great transition into the first jig. Wee note mistake. A bit of separation in the final phrase of each part in Rocking the Baby. Strike unison in part 2 is strikingly good!! A slight loss of unison in the coda. What a great performance overall. Great tone and unison throughout. Controlled tempo. Terror Time is the highlight for me. Creative arrangements throughout. Thank you!
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Event 403. Piping Duet
Competitor: Mackenzie Loudon & Nigel Escott 🇳🇿      Place: 2      Tunes: Flett from Flotta, Molly Connell, Campbeltown Kiltie Ball, Alick C MacGregor, The Field of Gold, Paddy Carey      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Solid attack. Didn't start Flett quite together. Some instability of F#. Good unison overall. Birls locked together! Chanter intonation separating in places in the march. More settled in Molly Connell, first part. Some unison separation at the beginning of Campbeltown Kiltie Ball. Great, lively tempo. Interesting transition into Alick C MacGregor. Some great unison in the reel, but the pressure isn't steady. The sound is very well set overall though! F# is a tad flat. Lovely to such good unison in the piob ground. Personally, I don't think the High Gs work in the harmony of line 3 in the piob but High As would work instead. A nice quick blast of jig at the end! Creative medley. You have a very well set-up sound that just isn't blown consistently steady, causing the tonal definition to get fuzzy for a measure or two and then come back into focus. Strong unison throughout!
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Event 403. Piping Duet
Competitor: Robert McDonald & Craig Herbert 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿      Place: 3      Tunes: Sweetmaid of Glendaruel, Brownhaired Maiden, High Road to Gairloch, Captain Norman Orr Ewing      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Squealing tenor, but otherwise solid attack. E overblown. Drones aren't quite locked in. Some chanter intonation issues on E, D. B to E squeal (false fingering, make sure to close bottom hand ring finger). Chanter intonation by part 2 (watch overblowing attack). Good unison overall. D strikes not together at the end of B.H.M. Playing well in High Road. C doublings not together though, one piper playing them ahead of the beat. Some overblowing in part 2 of Norman Orr Ewing. Late drones at the end. Solid performance overall! Nice to hear simple tunes played well. Unison is a strong point. Accurate placement of certain embellishments (like C doublings) and overall pressure control could be improved. Great job.
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Event 403. Piping Duet
Competitor: Bill Zadra & Paul Savereide 🇺🇸      Place: 4      Tunes: Gardens of Skye; Bells of Dunblane; Smith's a Gallant Fireman; Campbelltown Kiltie Ball; Cabar Feidh      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Good unison on the attack. Drones are not locked in tune. Some technical separation, such as with strikes, doublings, and grips. Good tempo control overall, just work on more precise placement of embellishments (particularly E strikes). Good transition to Dunblane. Some pressure fluctuation in part 2. Drones sounding better at this point. Well-set chanters overall. Good transition to Smith. Short 1/16 notes aren't together. Nice tempo. Better unison in Campbelltown. Work on B taorluath unison. Unison wandered in part 2 of the second strathspey. Solid tone in Cabar Feidh! Inconsistent approach to dotted 1/8 notes here, causing the beat after dot-cut rhythms to be rushed into by one piper. The sound coming and going at times. Nice lively tempo to finish! Pipes are not out perfectly together, but no late drones and solid tone. Well done overall!
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Event 403. Piping Duet
Competitor: Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums 🇺🇸      Place: 5      Tunes: Sandy’s New Chanter, The Hens’ March, The Duck.      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Pipes are not quite up together. Squealing tenor. Not starting Sandys together. Playing different notes in part 1. Much better unison by part 2. A mistake on repeat. Some good technical unison, such as strikes and birls. Drones close but not locked in together. Good tempo control. Rough break to jig. Unison is not as good in the jig. Slowing down the tempo should help. Top hand intonation issues. Squeal and some unison separation in part 3 of Hen's March. Better in part 4 but unison issues again in the second ending of part 4. A couple of small cut-outs/chokes. Wrong note into part 3 of the Duck. Solid unison in the Duck until the final measure of each part. The Duck is flying fast by the end of the tune! Good effort here. The pressure control seems fairly steady so just work to tune chanters closer together, particularly on the top hand. These are difficult tunes to play and you're making a good job of them. Slowing down will help both technical accuracy and musical unison. Well done!
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Event 403. Piping Duet
Competitor: Jayne Ferlitsch & Shara Maikranz 🇺🇸      Place: 6      Tunes: Dawning of the Day, Battle of Waterloo, Cutting Bracken, HeghlumeH QaQ jajvam      Judge: Nick Hudson      Judge's Comments: Good start overall. Howling tenor. Drones close but not locked. Some unison issues when harmony begins in Dawning of the Day. Lovely harmonic line in this first march. The harmonic arrangement of Battle of Waterloo sounds a little random to me, how it abruptly goes in and out of unison. Moody harmonies in Cutting Bracken, very nice. Good bottom hand intonation. A few unison issues in the Klingon symphony. Effective harmonic treatment overall in this final tune. One piper out early. Well done! This was a nice arrangement of marches. You have harmonies in every tune, so I don't think this set necessarily needs the harmonies in Battle of Waterloo. Nice to hear an original tune in this too!
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