World Online Piping & Drumming Championships – April 2013 Official Results

Champion Pipe Band (or Team) with Most Points
The top six bands or teams with the most combined points from solo and band events.

1. St. Andrew’s College Pipe Band – New Zealand (1024 points)
2. NZ Police Pipe Band – Australia (496 points)
3. Dunedin High School Pipe Band – USA (385 points)
4. BGRibeseya – Spain (294 points)
5. Owltown Pipe & Drum Band Peine – Germany (282 points)
6. Keith Highlanders Pipe Band – USA (257 points)
7. The Pipes And Drums of Thunder Bay – Canada (243 points)
8. CDF Firefighters Pipes & Drums – USA (224 points)
9. carinthian pipes and drums – Austria (220 points)
10. Canberra Burns Club Pipe Band – Australia (184 points)

Champion Country with Most Points
The top countries with the most combined points from solo and band events.

1. USA (2282 points)
2. Canada (1632 points)
3. New Zealand (1378 points)
4. Australia (1119 points)
5. Germany (458 points)
6. UK (408 points)
7. Austria (321 points)
8. Spain (294 points)
9. England (232 points)
10. Luxembourg (182 points)
11. Russia (88 points)
12. South Africa (25 points)

Champion Association with Most Points
The top six piping or pipe band associations with the most combined points from solo and band events.

1. EUSPBA (812 points)
2. Royal New Zealand Pipe Band Association (778 points)
3. Australian Pipe Band Association (496 points)
4. Bagpipe Association Of Germany (458 points)
5. RSPBA (414 points)
6. CPA (408 points)
7. The NSW Pipe Band Association (346 points)
8. Midwest Pipe Band Association (321 points)
9. WUSPBA (312 points)
10. BCPA (208 points)
11. Atlantic Canada Pipe Band Association(126 points)
12. Austrian PBA (81 points)
13. Victorian Pipebands Association and Victorian Pipers Association (38 points)
14. Saskatchewan Pipe Band Association (38 points)
15. Pipe Bands Australia (38 points)
16. APBA (25 points)

Individual Champion with Most Points Overall
The top six overall individual winners across all categories.

1. Eoin Aitken – Australia (496 points)
2. Ben Gibbons – UK (408 points)
3. Josh Smith – New Zealand (374 points)
4. Bill Peters – Canada (344 points)
5. Charlie Martin – USA (312 points)
6. Ray Morrison – USA (311 points)

Overall Winners in Each Category

Piping Grade 1
1. Bill Peters – Canada (344 points)
2. Ben Gibbons – UK (320 points)
3. Stephen Ross – Australia (56 points)

Piping Grade 2
1. Josh Smith – New Zealand (318 points)
2. Liam Allan – New Zealand (238 points)
3. Ramsey Bissex – USA (175 points)
4. Reuben McDonnell – New Zealand (88 points)
5. Graham Durant-Law – Australia (80 points)
6. J David Hester – USA (56 points)

Piping Grade 3
1. Charlie Martin – USA (312 points)
2. Jan Belak – Germany (176 points)
3. William Bennie – Canada (136 points)
4. Kirsten Deal – USA (136 points)
5. Linda Weis – Luxembourg (94 points)
6. Alexander Radionov – Russia (88 points)

Piping Grade 4
1. Karina Huber – Austria (220 points)
2. Matthew Fleek – USA (201 points)
3. Dagmar Pesta – Germany (170 points)
4. Noah Clarke – New Zealand (126 points)
5. Ray Morrison – USA (88 points)
6. Chris Tabram – Australia (81 points)

Piping Grade 5
1. Ray Morrison – USA (223 points)
2. Christopher McBride – Canada (214 points)
3. Noah Clarke – New Zealand (176 points)
4. Mark Maguth – USA (94 points)
5. Tom Torda – Austria (56 points)
6. Tim Riddle – USA (56 points)

Piping Beginner
1. William Whyte – Australia (176 points)
2. Charne Pattrick – Canada (176 points)
3. Lewie Broadhurst – New Zealand (56 points)

Side Drum Grade 1
1. Eoin Aitken – Australia (264 points)
2. Diego Puron – Spain (112 points)

Side Drum Grade 2
1. Eoin Aitken – Australia (232 points)
2. Devin Paynter – Canada (126 points)
3. jake broadhurst – New Zealand (72 points)
4. David Spotswood – Australia (38 points)
5. Eric McLean – Canada (35 points)
6. Sam Davis – Australia (25 points)

Side Drum Grade 3
1. Eric McLean – Canada (264 points)

Side Drum Grade 4
1. Michael Theriault – Canada (232 points)
2. Nicholas Shropshire – USA (88 points)

Side Drum Grade 5
1. Tury Rodriguez Buenaga – Spain (88 points)
2. Olivier Thielen – Luxembourg (88 points)
3. Samuel Ordieres – Spain (56 points)
4. Lety Cernuda – Spain (38 points)

Side Drum Beginner
1. Paul Connolly – England (232 points)
2. Anael Hester – USA (200 points)

Tenor Drum Grade 3
1. Leslie Stankiewicz – USA (88 points)
Tenor Drum Beginner
1. Sophia Melcher – USA (88 points)

Pipe Band Grade 3
1. Dunedin High School Scottish Highlanders Pipe Band – USA (88 points)

Pipe Band Grade 5
1. Williamsburg Pipes & Drums – USA (88 points)

P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March Age Group Winners
1. Reuben McDonnell – New Zealand (age 15 to 17 years)
1. Graham Durant-Law – Australia (age 21 and older)

P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March Overall Champion and Scholarship Winner
Reuben McDonnell – New Zealand (age 15 to 17 years)

Best Dress & Deportment: Graham Durant-Law – Australia

Best Quality Video: Digeo Puron – Spain

Best Video Background: Lauree Palmer – USA

Best Video Background: Chris Tabram – Australia

Individual and Band Event Competitors with Videos and Judge’s Comments

Solo Piping Events:

Event 01. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: 1. William Whyte – Australia Highland Cathedral (video) Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Very well done. Not much to fault in this performance. Steady tempo, very clean fingering for almost all of this. The only piece of technique that needs a bit of attention would be the grips on C in the second part. A grip should have a 1-2-3 rhythm – 1 hit the low G, 2 play the D grace note, 3 return to C. Your D grace note is just a bit early – listen for the G first and then I think these grips will be great! Well done.

Event 02. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) – 3/4 or 4/4 March (2 or 4 parts) Placing: 1. William Whyte – Australia Wings – Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: William, Excellent presentation for beginner – played at the correct speed for now. The main things to concentrate on are the movements and technique – doublings, grips, birls, etc. The birls seem to be missing the correct technique – speak to tutor/book and get the double ‘tap’ of hole to create the birl. Taorluath movement was very impressive.  Overall a very good performance and the musical presentation will improve when the tune speeds up – but only do this when you are comfortable full with the movements in tune and that they remain as clear when speeded up.  well played!

Event 03. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Charne Pattrick – Canada Cutting Bracken – Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Very well done!
I would like to see you actually play a 4 parted tune rather than repeat a 2 parted tune twice but satisfied the requirements nonetheless!

Overall your tempo was appropriate and your timing is generally very good. Try to ensure you are playing doublings and birls right on the beat eg. G grace note to B is the beat on B doublings which I felt you rushed to causing them to sound unclear and at times missed!

Keep up the good work and you do show excellent promise!

Event 03. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Lewie Broadhurst – New Zealand Miss Delicia Chisholm (video) Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Very well done!

I like this tune for your development and will certainly move you in the right direction!  Great tempo and pretty consistent however you are pushing the beat (playing ahead of it!) especially right at the endings on the D Strikes. Relax and put the G grace note to the D on the beat. I noticed you were not beating so this may be the answer and maybe play to a metronome at first to allow you to see how long you actually have to place grace notes right on the beat. I love your left hand position but would like to see you roll your right wrist out more and not let your hand sit on your lap while you play as this will provide you with greater freedom to fly over the chanter and not get caught in sticky holes!!  Show excellent promise keep at it!

Event 04. Beginner Piping (practice chanter) – 6/8 March (at least 2 parts) Placing: 1. Charne Pattrick – Canada Big Don MacDonald – Judge: Iain MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Nicely played, Charne.

You launched into the tune a little quickly, and throughout the tune it’s not 100% fully expressed on the beat. I would pull the tempo back a little, give more weight to the beat notes, and pull a little off the shortest notes in the 3-note groupings, and you should get a tune with more definition and swing.  That approach will also give you a little more time to fully articulate the technique in the tune. The grips and biros sound a little rushed and not fully/cleanly played, and a little less tempo might help you there.  Having said that, your hand positioning and overall fingering is excellent, and very clear for the most part. There is the very odd little catch between hands, but really the big picture is very good.  A little emphasis on the technical and musical elements as described above is all that’s needed here. Look forward to hearing your tunes on the pipes!

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: 1. Noah Clarke – New Zealand Nurse Edith Cavell – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Very well played. Pipe very well set and very well blown. Technique is clear, deliberate and precise. Steady tempo throughout. I’m afraid I have very little criticism for you – this was excellent. Thank you – I enjoyed this thoroughly.

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: 2. Tim Riddle – USA When the Pipers Play – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Instrument superbly tuned and set up. Very steady. Tempo maybe a bit brisk, but it’s a triumphant type tune so not inappropriate. Technique very good – G grace notes maybe a tiny bit big, but nothing bothersome at all. Excellent job.

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: 3. Christopher McBride – Canada Dark Isle – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played! Pipe well set, and fairly well blown/squeezed. A few minor wobbly moments, which come in the transition from squeezing to blowing. Most birls are outstanding! A little squeak early on. Very well expressed – you capture the emotion of this tune very well! Not an easy tune – well done!

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: 5. Ray Morrison – USA Hector the Hero (video) Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Pipe well set – E just needs a little touch of tape. Solid and steady tempo all through – very nice expression, drawing out the emotion of the tune. Technically quite good – a few little catches from E to C and C to E. The odd time you play a tiny E before the G grace note of E doublings. A strong performance!

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: 6. Markus Pack – Austria The Pipe Song (by Robert Watt) – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Pipe very well set. Technically quite clean and accurate. Timing very good all though. My main concern is evenness of pressure on the bag – there are a few small instances of a dip in tone, but the general tendency you have is to squeeze harder than you blow – you’re blowing at the right pressure but I think you’re squeezing too hard, and almost overloading the reed. Well done!

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: none
Alfred K. Graf – Austria scots wha hae (video) Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Your timing is excellent – great flow. Pipe set fairly well but drones just a bit flat to the low A. Technically quite strong – be sure to play the very first grace note the same as all the rest – it was quite big! D throws could use a bit more low G to start. Blowing/squeezing quite good; just a few small dips. Well done!

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: Brian Harrison – Canada Gin I were a Baron’s Heir – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Excellent timing all through. Technically sound as well. One small catch going to high A starting part 2. Drones set well together but the chanter isn’t quite balanced – the top hand is fairly flat in relation to the bottom hand. Pushing the reed in a wee bit will improve the balance of the chanter. The flatness on top caused a few surges in your blowing – especially on the high G in part two. Well done!

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: Jamey Turcic – USA Mist Covered Mountains – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Pipe fairly well set, but drones not completely locked with each other. Steady blowing/squeezing. In general I think you could hold the dotted notes a little bit longer to let the melody shine – also gives you more time to be very accurate with your technique. Taorluaths could use a bit more low G. Technique quite good – main thing to improve on is consistency. You’re hitting an E before the G grace note of the doubling in part 2 bar 2. Watch for C to E crossing noises. Overall well done!

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: Margaret Hackett – Australia Highland Cathedral – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Pipe set fairly well, though top hand a little bit sharp – maybe add a little hemp? Fairly steady blowing but some fluctuations in the transition between blowing and squeezing – and surging a little bit on the top hand notes as the tune went on. Technically quite strong. On the few doublings that weren’t as clear as the rest it’s because the G grace note is a bit too big. Steady tempo all through. Well done!

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: Mark Maguth – USA Going Home – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Pipe fairly well set but the drones are not quite locked with each other. Chanter well balanced though the top hand is verging on sharp as you began to blow harder as the performance went on. And conversely be sure not to ease off on the low As at the end of parts. Technically quite good – clear and deliberate. Steady tempo. Well done!

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: Tom Torda – Austria Sarah’s Song – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Pipe fairly well set – steady drones. B, C, E and high A in particular are a bit sharp. Blowing/squeezing fairly steady, though some small dips on low As at times. Stately tempo – just right. Technically quite strong. Keep the G grace note distinctly separate from the D strike at the end of parts. A strong performance.

Event 06. Grade 5 Piping – Slow Air (at least 2 parts) Placing: Tristan Hillyard – Canada Mist Covered Mountains – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Technique is fairly strong – good, accurate fingering. Timing is very steady all through. The set up of your pipe is the main thing to address. Your chanter reed is very sharp on the top hand – I would suggest adding some hemp and raising it in the reed seat to balance it better. Your drones sound like they are taking too much air and are unsteady. The bridle should come down the tongue of the reed a bit to close it down – a tiny bit will make a big difference. Well done overall.

Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Noah Clarke – New Zealand The taking of Belmont Hamel – Judge: Peter Aumonier
Judge’s Comments: Very well played Noah! Excellent control of tempo and phrases. Good strong fundamentals – technique consistent and full. Watch to ensure the taorluaths are always clear. Nice pipe, well blown (small choke) . good solid playing in time /on the beat. Very enjoyable! Lot’s of potential!

Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Ewan Lawson – New Zealand John McColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage. (video) Judge: Peter Aumonier
Judge’s Comments: Well played Ewan! an ambitious tune which was handled well for this grade level. good control over phrasing and tempo. The next thing to do is to increase tempo by 3-4 beats per minute. Watch to keep technique very clean by ensuring each grace note is clearly sounded. Also make sure each G grace note is right on beat. Pipe good, quite well blown with a couple small chokes. Ensure that you blow right though the chanter at all times. Well done!

Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Garrett Hillyard – Canada King George 5s Army (video) Judge: Peter Aumonier
Judge’s Comments: A musically played tune Garrett. Good flow and good tempo. Phrasing was nice/musical. Watch to ensure steady blowing of instrument at all times. Also, you can move on to 3 drones now. Technique full and clear. Just need to work at making sure it is always played consistently without missing grace notes on occasion. Well done!

Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Ray Morrison – USA Captain Norman Orr-Ewing (video) Judge: Peter Aumonier
Judge’s Comments: Very well played Ray. Good lively tempo and good musical flow with nice phrasing. Some crossing sounds in technique. Watch to have clarity in technique at all times. Pipe well blown and nicely in tune. If you focus on getting each grace note in technique always articulate it will make for an even stronger presentation. Well done!

Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 5. Jamey Turcic – USA Prince Charles Welcome to Lochaber – Judge: Peter Aumonier
Judge’s Comments: A nice lively tempo Jamey with good musical flow and expression. Pipe well blown. Drones not quite in tune / chanter well balanced. Good technique, especially grips. Ensure all doublings are consistently clear. Well done!

Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 6. Alfred K. Graf – Austria terribus (video) Judge: Peter Aumonier
Judge’s Comments: Excellent control of tempo with good musical flow. Good control of instrument. Watch not to overblow on top hand resulting in surges in sound. Good bottom hand technique. Strong D throws. E doublings on top hand could be more articulate by making each grace note more separate and clearer. Nicely done Alfred!

Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: none
Brian Harrison – Canada Prince Charles Welcome to Lochaber – Judge: Peter Aumonier
Judge’s Comments: A nicely played tune Brian. Watch to keep tempo consistent. Pipe blown well/steady. technique can be improved with attention to clear separation between grace notes. good musical flow. Focus on 2 bar phrased to get more consistency in expression.

Event 07. Grade 5 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: Mark Maguth – USA The Dundee Military Tattoo – Judge: Peter Aumonier
Judge’s Comments: A good tune Mark which was played with nice musical expression. Tempo well controlled. Could bring tempo up 2-3 beats per minute. Technique quite good. Need to focus on keeping each grace note clear and distinct. Pipe had full sound. drones not quite in tune with chanter. really need to focus on steadiness of blowing. This will improve / enhance the overall presentation. Well done!

Event 08. Grade 5 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 2 parts) Placing: 1. Christopher McBride – Canada Bonnie Dundee – Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pace and feel ok. Pipe ok at start. Blowing could be more consistent. Grips not consistent.

Event 08. Grade 5 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 2 parts) Placing: 2. Mark Maguth – USA Bonnie Dundee – Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe not in tune at start. Relaxed tempo. Phrasing and feel not consistent.

Event 08. Grade 5 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 2 parts) Placing: 3. Ray Morrison – USA John D. Burgess – Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe not 100% at start. Consistent wrong note in ending phrase. 6/8 feel not consistent.

Event 09. Grade 5 Piping – Jig (at least 2 parts) Placing: 1. Christopher McBride – Canada Beth Lyall – Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Very good tempo to start. Be sure to hold all note values to their full value, as some notes just a bit short. Good, strong fingers overall. In the first part, be sure to try to make all your strikes from B to Low G the same every time, getting down to the Low G solidly on each strike. Excellent birls in the second part. The second part just seemed to be a bit less fluid than the first. Try to get the flow of the triplets to be the same shape every time. Overall, a very well played tune. Keep it up!

Event 09. Grade 5 Piping – Jig (at least 2 parts) Placing: 2. Ray Morrison – USA Cork Hill – Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Excellent, lively tempo to start. Nice triplet flow and phrasing overall.  One element of technique that you should focus on refining is the elimination of crossing noises, where you are getting a very slight extra blip when transitioning between notes, especially when switching between hands. Some specific spots are when you are going from E to C before the strike on C, and when going to the High A’s from the bottom hand in the 4th part. These should be clean, sharp transitions with no extra noises between the notes. You have a very musical feel, and the whole performance would be enhanced even more with these spots looked after. Well done.

Event 09. Grade 5 Piping – Jig (at least 2 parts) Placing: 3. Mark Maguth – USA Drops of Brandy – Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Very nice control of the triplet flow, although tempo might be just a shade of the slow side. Very good, strong technique overall. Very good clarity to doublings and throws.  Something to be vigilant and pay close attention to are crossing noises, where you are getting a slight extra blip transitioning from one note to another, and especially when switching between hands. Some examples are from B to the E doubling going into the repeat of Part 1 and the top hand work in Part 2. There is good music there, and eliminating the crossing noises will only enhance the playing more. Well done.

Event 10. Grade 5 Piping – Piobaireachd (Ground Only) Placing: 1. Ray Morrison – USA The Red Speckled Bull (video) Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: Nice sounding bagpipe. Good, consistent phrasing throughout the Ground. Technically well played with good grip movements, however, some crossing noises evident, particularly on the cadences when going from the ‘E’ to ‘C’ or ‘B’. I also felt that you had a tendency to jump off the theme note of the cadence too quickly and it became rather clipped. I would prefer a bit more weight on the ‘C’ or ‘B’. The last 2 bars I also felt were a bit rushed, perhaps more weight on the LA preceding the F in 2nd last bar would help this.  Overall, this was a good performance of a difficult tune for this level.

Event 10. Grade 5 Piping – Piobaireachd (Ground Only) Placing: 2. Tom Torda – Austria MacIntosh’s Banner – Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: Nice sounding bagpipe.  The ground was well phrased and consistent throughout. However, you played the 1st line 4 times instead of twice and there were some grace note errors. Some grace notes on ‘E’ were missing at various places and in line3 some extra grace notes were played on ‘E’ and ‘F’.  Also, the very last note, ‘B’, of the Ground was missed out as you finished on the ‘C’ Grip.  This was quite a musical performance but was spoiled by these errors. I would advise you to check the music, particularly with regards to the grace notes. If this was to be corrected then it would improve the overall performance.

Event 11. Grade 4 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Karina Huber – Austria Donald MacLean’s Farewell to Oban (video) Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: This was a musical performance and the tune was played at a nice tempo, which was maintained throughout.  The technique was good apart from one or two crossing noises from C-E.  I also felt that your ‘tachum’ from B – Low A in bar 4 of each part could have been a bit better. The B was played a bit short at times and needed to be a bit clearer.  This was an enjoyable performance and with some work on the tachums and crossing noises the tune would improve even more.

Event 11. Grade 4 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Dagmar Pesta – Germany Glen Caladh Castle – Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: This was a good, performance and I was impressed with the technique throughout the tune.  The tune was played slightly on the slow side, however, this enabled you to be accurate with all your doublings and other movements so did not detract too much from the performance.  There were on or two minor crossing noises in Parts 3 and 4 but that aside, the technique was good.  With practice the tempo will increase slightly and the tune will improve even more.  An enjoyable performance.

Event 11. Grade 4 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Noah Clarke – New Zealand The Taking of Beaumont Hamel – Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: This was a nice, steady performance.  The technique was generally good although there were on or two doublings missed at various points. Your taorluaths and birls were correctly played and will continue to improve with practice.  There were a couple of chokes in Part 1 and Part 4 which detracted slightly from the performance.  I liked the way you played at a nice steady tempo which enabled you to make the most of your technique. The tempo will increase gradually with regular practice.  It was an enjoyable performance and a good effort.

Event 11. Grade 4 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Chris Tabram – Australia Prince Charles’ Welcome to Lochaber – Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: A nice musical performance, although I wouldn’t want it to get any faster as I felt there was a tendency to rush it in parts.  The tune tends to lose the music when it is played a bit fast and I felt that at times this was the case. Some good technique coming through, although I felt the throw on D could have been a bit clearer at times. Doublings sounding clear with nice distinct grace notes being heard. Overall, an enjoyable performance.

Event 11. Grade 4 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 5. Truth McCraney – USA The Burning of the Pipers Hut (video) Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: This was a decent performance, played at a nice steady tempo throughout. The technique was generally good although there were a couple of doublings and grips which didn’t come out clearly. The bagpipe sounded good but there were some chokes, particularly towards the end of the tune which spoiled the performance slightly. The technique will improve with regular practice. A good effort.

Event 11. Grade 4 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 6. Max Middleton – New Zealand Atholl and Breadalbane Gathering – Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: This was a musical performance and the tune was played at a nice steady tempo throughout. The technique was generally good although I felt that you were missing out some doublings at times. There was a mistake both times through Part 3 where you are playing a wrong bar. In Bar 3 you are going up to High A instead of down to Low A. Apart from the above the tune was well played and I enjoyed your performance.

Event 11. Grade 4 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: none
Brendan Nicholls – Australia The Atholl And Breadalbane Gathering – Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: The tune started at a nice tempo and this was maintained throughout.  The technique needs a bit of work in some areas, particularly with regards to your doublings. Try to ensure that 2 distinct grace notes are heard clearly. I felt that some doublings were not clear enough.  As the tune progressed there were some notes missing or ones which were not sounded clearly. Although the tune was played at a nice tempo, I feel that you would benefit from perhaps slowing the tune down a bit to ensure all the notes are heard clearly. This would also help with doublings.  Overall, a musical performance but with some work on technique required.

Event 11. Grade 4 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: Matthew Fleek – USA Atholl and Breadalbane Gathering (video) Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: This performance started off very well and was played at a nice tempo.  The technique was stronger at the start of the tune than at the end and some doublings were missed as the tune progressed.  Unfortunately, you also missed the repeat of the 4th part and only played it once!  The tune would improve with a bit of work to ensure that all the doublings are clearly heard.  Overall, this was a strong performance and I enjoyed your musical playing.

Event 11. Grade 4 Piping – 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: Rob Gebhart – USA Mrs. Christine Lee (video) Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: This was decent effort at a very difficult tune.  The basic technique was good although one of the tricky parts in this tune is the crunluath at the end of each part and I felt you didn’t quite get this right.  The tune was played at a good tempo although there was a tendency to rush some phrases, particularly in the 3rd part.  I would suggest perhaps a less demanding tune for this level of playing would help.

Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Noah Clarke – New Zealand Mac n Irish and Beck Ewan – Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: Noah  Enjoyable performance  Good phrasing in strathspey however watch the d throws and birls which needs some attention – once these become clearer this will improve overall presentation. Excellent understanding of strathspey rhythm. Reel was well played and again good understanding of the music. Tachums seemed very tight and would suggest practice chanter work to open these up and make nice and clear. Pipes came across very nice however there were a couple of small ‘chokes.’ Very promising playing – keep it up!

Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Ewan Lawson – New Zealand Mac An Irish
Becky Ewen (video) Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: Ewan,  Good tempo in strathspey and understanding of tune. Keep working on the doublings as this will help the flow of the tune. Remember the three pulse rhythm (strong/weak/strong) in a strathspey – this will enhance and bring out the music.  Well played reel and very promising playing here – well done.  Bagpipe although sounded good but did seem like it may have been on the strong side with a choke in the reel? Make sure you are not having to blow too hard as this will detract from your playing.  Well played..

Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Karina Huber – Austria Captain Colin Campbell and The Sound of Sleat (video) Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: Karina, A good bright tempo in strathspey and controlled – don’t increase tempo from this.  Watch the taorluath movements in the strathspey as these were being rushed over and were missing in some instances. I would recommend slowing these down on the practice chanter and making the grace notes nice and big. Also doublings were generally tight in places – open these right up as this will help the flow of the tune when they are bigger and heard properly.  Reel was again a nice tempo but watch the b doublings as some were missing / very tight – practice chanter work will help these.  Nice bagpipe,  Well done

Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Matthew Fleek – USA Caledonian Canal
Kalabakan (video) Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: Very nice playing here at a good standard – I thought you found a good rhythm for strathspey. Watch all the runs are clear and being heard properly – I thought some were being rushed – also watch for crossing noises which were evident.  Reel was again very nicely played however required a bit more memorisation as a couple of times there were errors in 2nd / 3rd part. Possibly slow down tempo in the reel to make sure all the movements and technique are clear.  Pipes sounded good.  well done – keep it up!

Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 5. Truth McCraney – USA Blackley of Hillsdale, Molly connell, Jock Wilson’s Ball, A Harris Dance (video) Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: A good understanding of tune type and rhythm here. The main things to look out for here are getting all the technique in – i.e., doublings, throws, grips etc. as these were being rushed over and missing in places. Slow the tune down and practice all these movements slowly on the chanter until you can hear all the individual notes.  Good tempo for reel and musical – again some technique missing. Watch 3rd part of reel as timing was being lost – slow down tune until this is comfortable.  Good musical playing and very promising – pipes sounded good (maybe slightly strong?) Keep it up!

Event 12. Grade 4 Piping – Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 6. Dagmar Pesta – Germany Maggie Cameron / Kalabakan – Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: Dagmar,  A well presented performance, memorised and a good understanding of tunes.  Strathspey – I was picking up a few crossing noises in the tune so I would make sure you do lots of practice on the chanter and make doublings nice and big to get clear and strong doublings. Watch for the 3 pulse strathspey rhythm (strong/weak/strong) which will help musical presentation and once you can increase tempo it will help presentation.  Reel was well played – keep this tempo until you get comfortable with overall technique and rhythm for type of tune. Bagpipe sounded good. Keep it up!

Event 13. Grade 4 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Matthew Fleek – USA PM Donald McLean of Lewis (video) Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Lively tempo!

Technically watch the E doublings at the end of the lines and you had slight chirps in 3rd part of tune.  Overall I like your 6/8 swing and your playing is quite accurate. Your bagpipe could be tuned a little better but I like your chanter sound and believe that if the drones were in tune with the chanter a bit better, your chanter projection and enjoyment will improve this performance. Also ensure that you play the birl at the end of the tune as it is written and in the first part you had Low G doublings and in later parts, only G grace notes to Low G. If that is the music you have and it is written that way ensure that your source is a reputable piece of manuscript and not an alteration from a band.  You show excellent promise so keep at it and look forward to hearing more from you with the above points taken care of!

Event 13. Grade 4 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Karina Huber – Austria Farewell to the Creeks (video) Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Nice stuff!  Lovely tempo and fingering is very good. Watch you don’t have any slight catches (crossing noises) in your C tachums down to low A. Keep your grace notes small (not tight) and loose in order to allow you the time to play the rhythm flying over the chanter (not sticking due to pressing!). Your bagpipe is very solid and well blown throughout and your marching is allowing a nice steady flow from start to finish!  Show excellent promise keep up the good work!

Event 13. Grade 4 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Brendan Nicholls – Australia Margaret Ethel MacDonald – Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Good Job!  I like your tempo in this tune and for the most part you are playing very well and on the beat.  Watch the C doublings at the end of the 1st line in the parts as they sound like they are missing the G grace note and you are slightly pushing the beat. The combination up to the Double F with the 2nd F with G grace note that goes to Hi A is also a little pushed and clipped. G Gracenote right on the beat (not early and not late!).  Your pipe is a little flat but robust and tuned quite well. Watch you don’t ease off on Hi G.  I really enjoyed your performance and believe that not rushing to certain notes and smoothing out your 6/8 lilt a little bit more will allow you to move along the chanter easier. If your pipe is a bit hard, it will also deteriorate your enjoyment and the overall performance. Keep up the good work!

Event 13. Grade 4 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Tom Torda – Austria Farwell to the Creeks – Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Great Tempo!  Watch you don’t step out of the 6/8 rhythm by pushing the beat as in the Low A, D grace note to C and then to E combination at end of 1st line in first part for example – Need a little more Low A and a little pop with the C finishing on E but remember to keep your D grace note small to the C!  I think you are ready to start marching with this tune also which will give you that natural cadence. Take another listen to your video and see if you can pick out what I heard. I did think you got better as you went!  Pipe was good however I think the drones could have been tuned a little closer to the chanter to optimize your sound quality.  Keep up the practice and enjoyable performance!

Event 13. Grade 4 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 5. Rob Grant – Canada Big Don MacDonald (video) Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Overall an enjoyable performance!  I thought your tempo was a bit aggressive, your pushed the beat and some of your short notes were too short. This combination of events distorts the 6/8 Lilt (1…2,3 rhythm) making the music seem a bit forced. I would like to see you take the music apart a bit more such as the ending phrase where your C Grip or C to D exchange to E can be clearer and more relaxed. Try a metronome and break down the tune bar by bar ensuring that you are staying true to the Lilt in a 6/8 where all notes are played with their correct value (not clipped or too short) at a tempo that you can make all this happen in. I realize this sounds confusing but I can tell by your hands that this is very capable for you which will make your performance stand out more.  Also make sure not to grip the chanter which can cause little crossing noises also however I believe the above remedy will improve your performance. Nice bagpipe! Keep up the good work.

Event 13. Grade 4 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 6. Dagmar Pesta – Germany Angus MacKinnon – Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Nice start! Solid tempo.  In the first part watch the Tacchum from Hi A, F, G Gracenote to E combination as you are ahead of the beat and rushing almost missing the F which is important when trying to play the G grace note to E (You have more time to execute and could use a more dominant F). Nice endings here so apply this method to above.  I think you forgot the 2nd part but good into the 3rd part which was played solid!  A slight hesitation going into the 4th and a slight choke. Thought the end of the 2nd timing was a bit rushed again but generally better in playing on the beat!  Lovely bagpipe with a nicely pitched and tuned chanter and drones locked! Make sure you review your recordings as you will learn a lot and ensure that all the parts are accounted for. Keep up the good work!

Event 14. Grade 4 Piping – Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation) Placing: 1. Ray Morrison – USA The Munros’ Salute (video) Judge: Iain MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Strike-in a little unsettled, but good pipe sound.  Very nice playing in the urlar. Persistent crossing notes every time you go from Low A to C with a D grace note. Little finger is closing too soon. Same with Low A to D in the variation. This happens on every occasion of A to C.  Very nice treatment of melody and phrases throughout, showing very good form in this manner. The urlar and the variation were well paced, nicely phrased and very musical.  I also enjoyed your bagpipe sound. Lovely, warm drone sound with a nice bass presence. The biggest thing to explore is ways to get rid of the crossing notes. It happens so often in this tune.

Event 14. Grade 4 Piping – Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation) Placing: 2. Chris Tabram – Australia Fields of Gold – Judge: Iain MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Great location! Pipes sounding good up there, despite wind. My feeling is that you are playing the joining notes, or what Donald MacLeod would call the little AND notes too much the same. For example, in Bar 1 the 1/16 note B and the 1/8 note A sound too much the same. The B should be significantly shorter. This pattern repeats throughout the urlar.  Your approach squares the melody off, and removes some of the song and the interest. Same with the double echoes on F…too much the same.  Bars 1 and 3 of line 2 need some refinement also in the treatment of the short notes. My feeling is that Variation 1 is a little too rounded, with not enough phrase development, and too substantial a pause at the ends of the lines. The changes required are slight, and it would likely help to sing along this tune with a good recording of it to get a more refined interpretation. The pipes sounding good to the end, although drones not as good as when you started. You have the makings of a good tune here, and the most important element would be to refine your treatment of the connecting notes in the urlar and the variation.

Event 14. Grade 4 Piping – Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation) Placing: 3. Dagmar Pesta – Germany The Little Spree – Judge: Iain MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Nice pipes at start.  The urlar is pretty good, but I don’t think you are making the most of the opportunities with the connecting notes. They are too much the same length, and at times it is a bit rounded.

A couple of C to E crossing notes, and small chokes.

Good technique on grips. You are getting very solid low G there.

The variation is too rounded, and comes off quite square. It got better as you went, but needs some refinement. It should re-present the urlar, but in a slightly more dramatic, intense fashion.

The suibhal variation started off well, but had errors and lapses of rhythm, as well as some crossing notes. Low A to D and C to E are trouble spots.

Bagpipe sound was pretty good, although I found some notes (like C) to be a little sour and at times unsupported by steady blowing.

The basis is here for a good tune, and what is needed is refinement of the treatment of both connecting and long notes in the urlar and 1st variation.

Event 14. Grade 4 Piping – Piobaireachd (Ground and Next Variation) Placing: 4. Truth McCraney – USA MacIntosh’s Banner (video) Judge: Iain MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Green grass and birds! I’d forgotten they existed.

Nice pipe sound at start.

You are cutting the C too short right after the grips. That note is a 1/8th note, which should be 2x as long as the 1/16th note on the other side of the grip. Find a good recording of this tune and really analyze the note values and the phrases so that you can get a smoother flow.

As you played on in the urlar you were also inconsistent with the starting E of each phrase, some were too short.

In the variation, you are not playing the correct grace notes. There are only High G and a few E grace notes, and you are playing lots of Ds and mixing them up.

Sounds as though maybe the pipes are too hard? Can hear your lips and there are big chokes. Maybe just played too long?

Lots of good things here. Strong pipes and a solid sound, and good hands too! Just need to work on the music side of the urlar, and getting the right grace notes into the variation.

Event 15. Grade 4 Piping – Jig (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Matthew Fleek – USA Archie Beag (video) Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Chanter a bit dull and tending to chirp on G grace notes. Drones not in tune.

Good tempo. Be careful not to rush off the 3rd note in GDE sequences.
Overall, smooth, musical playing.

Nice crisp technique. A couple sloppy birls.

An enjoyable, musical performance that would have been even better on a brighter, better tuned instrument.
Keep up the good work, Matthew!

Event 15. Grade 4 Piping – Jig (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Dagmar Pesta – Germany Glasgow City Police Pipers – Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments:
Nice sounding bagpipe.
Drones well tuned and blown steadily.

Good tempo, well maintained to end.

Some rushing throughout.
Tending to rush off 3rd note in groups of 3 — especially when playing
GDEs.

Lots of catches when changing from E to high A. Work on this slowly to clean it up so you can’t hear any ‘bumps’ between E and high A!

If you were to make your grace notes smaller, your playing would sound a lot cleaner and more precise.

Nice performance!

Event 15. Grade 4 Piping – Jig (at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Karina Huber – Austria The Whitby Runaround (video) Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Bold, bright pipe sound. Drones well set.

A difficult tune for this grade.

Some rushing in first two parts (e.g. very early to E strike in bar 1, 1st part). Tempo settled in better by 2nd part. Hesitating in 4th part, losing the flow.

Clean technique overall. However, be careful not to false finger in the 2nd part (B finger up on high A at end of bar 2).
D to E crossing noises in 3rd part. More false fingering in 4th part (e.g. keeping little finger down for high As in bars 1&4).

A good performance. Just work on your beat control to allow the tune to flow more smoothly.

Event 16. Grade 3 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Charlie Martin – USA Miss Elspeth Campbell, John Roy Stewart, Sheila McMurchy’s Damce (video) Judge: John Don MacKenzie
Judge’s Comments: Well timed March with strong technique . Unclear Tachums which require attention . Some technical misses in 3rd part . Well sounding Tachum are an essential requirement for all 2/4 March playing. Strathspey played rather square so losing musical content and untidy technique in 4th part. Reel was a musical interpretation of technically difficult piece apart from some minor finger blemishes . Better than grade 3 performance on a well balanced bagpipe.

Event 16. Grade 3 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Linda Weis – Luxembourg Millbank Cottage, Struan Robertson, P.M. Callum Campbell – Judge: John Don MacKenzie
Judge’s Comments: Good tempo in march but with unclear taorluaths and Tachums . Big squeal in 2nd part and birl needs to be worked on and opened out .Good tempo in strathspey with better fingering, good performance of a difficult tune. Rell again musical but some false-fingering in 2nd from B to E . Bagpipe not in tune from start but bright chanter with unfortunate squeals . Although a good performance practice on technique will improve standard of playing considerably .

Event 16. Grade 3 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Josh Blais – USA Argyleshire Gathering, Dorraters Bridge, Sandy Cameron (video) Judge: John Don MacKenzie
Judge’s Comments: Technical blemishes with crossing with crossing noises, misses and unclear technique throughout . Tenor drone stopped in 2nd part. Strathspey well timed but Reel a bit slow, Extra note in transition from Strathspey to Reel knocks timing . Time spent on practice Chanter will improve technique for young player with potential .

Event 16. Grade 3 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Alexander Radionov – Russia M – 79th’s Farewell to Gibraltar; S – Caledonian Canal ; R – Lexie MacCaskill. (video) Judge: John Don MacKenzie
Judge’s Comments: Good Tempo in march . Crossing noises throughout and unclear technique in Taorluath and doublings . Rushing or birls at end of parts . Strathspey paced to slowly but Reel had good Tempo again with unclear technique. Overall acceptable performance and musical playing throughout, Execution of technique unclear throughout . Work on practice chanter at technique will improve this an allow progression to a higher grade .

Event 17. Grade 3 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. William Bennie – Canada donald maclean of lewis (video) Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: This was a nice, musical performance.

The technique was solid with good, crisp fingering. Good, strong, birl movement.

I particularly enjoyed your timing and phrasing of the 3rd part, although care must be taken not to let the tempo drop at this point.

A well played tune on a nice sounding bagpipe. I enjoyed your performance.

Event 17. Grade 3 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Charlie Martin – USA Elenor (video) Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: This was a strong performance with good, solid technique.

The tune flowed nicely and you expressed the tune musically. It was played at a nice tempo which was maintained throughout.

Unfortunately, a good performance was spoiled slightly by the fact that you played the 3rd Part 3 times!!

Apart from this error, I enjoyed your tune.

Event 17. Grade 3 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Alexander Radionov – Russia All the Blue Bonnets are Over the Border.  Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: The tune was played at a nice, steady tempo, which was maintained well throughout the performance.

You were working hard to ensure all the technique was clear, although there were some crossing noises evident, particularly in the 2nd Part.

There were also a couple of hesitations during the performance. There was an uncertain start to the second part but you recovered well and managed to keep the tune flowing after that.

The fingerwork was a bit untidy in places, particularly in the last 2 bars of the 4th Part.

A decent effort and the fingerwork will improve with regular practice.

Event 18. Grade 3 Piping – Jig (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Kirsten Deal – USA Paddy Be Easy (video) Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe ok at start. Tempo ok. Jig feel slightly edgy. Didn’t hear the choke in the first part.

Event 18. Grade 3 Piping – Jig (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Charlie Martin – USA Dances With Wolf (video) Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe ok at start. Pace ok. Jig feel too pointed for me. Watch left hand work.

Event 18. Grade 3 Piping – Jig (at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. William Bennie – Canada Cork Hill (video) Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe not 100% chanter flat to drones. Watch GDE control. Tempo relaxed

Event 18. Grade 3 Piping – Jig (at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Alexander Radionov – Russia Paddy’s Leather Breeches. (video) Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe not 100% at start. tempo ok. Jig feel not consistent throughout.

Event 19. Grade 3 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Jan Belak – Germany The Man from Skye – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Pipe very well set. Technically clean and accurate. Steady, driving tempo. Part three, bars three and four you pushed a bit first time through, but much better on the repeat. High G just a little sharp (sounds a little bit unstable). Overall a very solid tune – well done!

Event 19. Grade 3 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Charlie Martin – USA Dora Watt (video) Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well done. Pipe well set at the start – not quite 100% by the end. I suspect you’re blowing/squeezing just a bit harder by the end. Technically strong – minor catches esp. in part two. Good flow for the most part, but a little tentative at times particularly nearing line endings. You’re losing the beat a bit in the difficult passage in part 4 bars 3 and 4 in each line – starts by over-holding the low A. Overall a strong performance.

Event 19. Grade 3 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Kirsten Deal – USA Hamilton’s Nut Sack (video) Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well done – a solid performance. Pipe well set and well blown. Be careful not to speed up through the ending phrase of each part – just running through bar 8 in particular a bit. Got a little bogged down first time through part three but cleaner on the repeat. E strikes seem a bit uncomfortable – most noticeable in the fourth part. Keep your hand relaxed and let the finger just bounce off rather than smacking it down too much. Overall well played!

Event 19. Grade 3 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Steve Joubert – South Africa The Irish Washerwife – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well done. Pipes fairly well set, though your top hand is fairly sharp. I think it could use a wrap of hemp and sit higher in the reed seat for better balance. Drones didn’t stay 100% through the performance. Very strong and accurate shakes. E doubling bogging you down just a bit in the ending phrase. Good swing all through though the last part first time through didn’t sound quite as comfortable as the rest of the performance. Well played.

Event 19. Grade 3 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 5. Josh Blais – USA Chasing Shadows (video) Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Strong birls! Tempo fairly good – on the aggressive side. A little jumpy in the second part – hold back. A few missed grace notes and little squeakies here and there. Pipe fairly well set but a little unstable on the top hand, and D is flat. Acceleration a little part three. A few problems in part four but you held on! The clarity of your technique is very good. Well done overall!

Event 19. Grade 3 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 6. William Bennie – Canada Ian Green of Greentrax (video) Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well done. Pipe well set and well blown. Top hand just a bit flat relative to the bottom – maybe just push it in a tiny bit? Birls a bit sticky – make sure you run your finger over the chanter without pressing too hard. Little problem in part three but you recovered well. Good flow and steady tempo – though you’re slowing a bit at the end of the first line of the fourth part. Most technique quite strong. Well played.

Event 19. Grade 3 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: none
Dagmar Pesta – Germany The Old Toasty – Judge: James MacHattie
Judge’s Comments: Well played. Good flow and swing. Be careful not to rush through the final bars of each part. Technically fairly good but the clarity of your execution would improve overall quite a bit with slightly smaller grace notes. Pipe well set and fairly steady all through. Well done.

Event 20. Grade 3 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 1. Jan Belak – Germany The little Spree – Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe OK at start. F sharpish throughout. Ground a tad slow. OK into ground dbl. OK into 1 good pace and feel. OK into trebling. Good pace and feel here. OK into fosgailte good pace and feel. Good job.

Event 20. Grade 3 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 2. Charlie Martin – USA Salute to Donald (video) Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe flat on E at start. Squarish feel in ground. watch phrasing. OK into T. Phrasing here also. OK into Td. Good control here. Pipe drifting un C. Don’t pause before cadence in both T and C singlings.

Event 20. Grade 3 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 3. Linda Weis – Luxembourg Glengarry’s Lament – Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe out at start. Pace and feel OK in ground. Very aggressive in Var 1.no contrast into Var1d.OK into T. Watch phrasing. Don’t pause before cadence. OK into Td. Pace and feel OK here. Movements muffled. OK into C. Fell should have a 6/8 feel rather than simple time feel. Cd also.

Event 20. Grade 3 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 4. J David Hester – USA Old Men of the Shells, Donald MacDonald version – Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe ok at start. Double eallachs should sound the same. Perhaps an understanding of the other settings would help make more sense of the D MacDonald setting. The T and C variations need more feel .A faithful rendition of the score but apply above.

Event 20. Grade 3 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 5. Graham Durant-Law – Australia The Little Spree (The Wee Spree) – Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe OK at start. F sharp. Ground too slow and square. Make phrases two bars long. More contrast into ground doubling. Pace in Var 1OK. Good feel here. Would like theme note in fosgailte more distinct. Some misses in movements. Pipe out at end.

Event 20. Grade 3 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 6. Kirsten Deal – USA The Field of Gold – Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe Ok at start. HiA flat. Good pace and feel in ground. OK into 1. Pipe drifting. OK into trebling. Watch pace and feel here. OK into fosgailte. Watch mistakes in T and C chokes.

Event 20. Grade 3 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: none
Josh Blais – USA MacIntosh’s Banner (video) Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe not 100% at start. Top hand flat. Watch phrasing in ground. Would like 2 bar phrasing. Mistakes in lines 2 and 3 dithis. Brain fade on Dd. Misses in t. Would like more homework before recording

Event 20. Grade 3 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: William Bennie – Canada The Little Spree (video) Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Chanter flat to drones on C and E. Pace in ground slow. Fell should be compound(6/8) rather than simple time.no contrast to going doubling. Mistakes in memory in Var 1. Trbling and fosgailte. More homework needed before recording.

Event 21. Grade 2 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Josh Smith – New Zealand John McColls March to Kilbowie Cottage
Maggie Cameron
The Brown Haired Maid – Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Very nice, bright, swingy presentation to march. Strong technique overall, although I’d like more definition from top hand work in second part of march. Some elements could be just bit more concise. In the 4th, some of the G strikes on B could be a bit fuller. Very good march playing-be sure to hold the Low A before the birl in ending phrase the same amount every time.
Good control of strathspey, although a bit stiff and cautious off the top. Again, great technique and clarity, just would benefit even more if you let go a bit and let the idiom breathe.
Strong reel. Nice 2/2 idiom and control. Some top hand work getting a bit light again towards the end parts. Very nice pipes. Very nice, robust chanter sound.

Event 21. Grade 2 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Ramsey Bissex – USA The Stirlingshire Militia, Maggie Cameron, The sound Sleat – Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Good tempo for march. Watch that you don’t rush towards the birls in the first and third parts and sacrifice value from the notes right before. Just jumping ahead slightly at these spots. Great technique overall-some taorluaths could be just a bit more full by getting a bit more Low G in the movement. Nicely played march.
Bright tempo for strathspey. Again, very strong technique here, although at times some triplet runs and C doublings just a bit tight and therefore hard to hear, especially in the 2nd and 3rd parts. This tune would benefit from just a slightly slower tempo overall to allow the phrasing and technical elements to be showcased a bit more.
Very strong and enjoyable reel playing-good strong ending to the MSR. Nice pipes overall-chanter a bit sharp to drones and top hand just a shade sharp to bottom.

Event 21. Grade 2 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Liam Allan – New Zealand John McColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage, Maggie Cameron, The Brown Haired Maid (video) Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Good tempo to start for march. Grip to C just a bit laboured sounding in first part. Very good control of flow overall here. At times in the third and fourth parts, the 32nd notes just on the edge of being clipped. Very well played march.
Strathspey just a bit reserved tempo-wise. I’d like a slightly looser approach where the triplet runs and technique are opened up so the tempo can be raised a bit and make the tune a bit livelier. Some stiffness clouding your good technique, especially in the 3rd part.
Reel tempo very good. Again very solid, steady playing here that could be even further enhanced by opening up technical elements.
Pipes set well, although just a bit of unsteadiness with the blowing and flatness on High A a bit distracting. Some very good elements here.

Event 21. Grade 2 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Kirsten Deal – USA Arthur Bignold of Loch Rosque, Dora MacLeod, Traditional (video) Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Very nice, swingy tempo for march. Very good control of phrasing and note values. Accurate technique overall-a few slightly sticky passages in the 3rd and 4th bars of the 3rd part where bottom hand just a bit untidy. Very minute slip/choke is last part pickup notes 2nd time. Otherwise, a very strongly presented march.
Strathspey also played at a very appropriate tempo. Excellent clarity to triplet runs in 1st and 2nd parts. A bit of rushing towards the technical movements in 3rd part. Some top hand work losing a bit of definition in the 4th part-try to keep the same degree of clarity you had going in the 1st and 2nd.
Very steady reel. Great drive and phrasing with control of the technical elements. A well played set overall, it seemed at times you might just be overpowering the reed just a bit some slight squeaking going from top to bottom Very well done.

Event 21. Grade 2 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 5. Graham Durant-Law – Australia The Men of Argyll, Highland Harry Comes Again, and Alick C MacGregor – Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Very solidly played march overall. Good phrasing and presentation. Some eighth notes just being rushed over at times. Very strong, defined technique. I would like to hear more presence from your D throw-at times just a bit thin. Could use more Low G to give it more fullness.
Tempo for strathspey just a bit unsettled-never quite 100% locked in. Again, very strong technique here. In the third part, try to match the speed of the triplets on Low A and Low G to the rest of the triplet runs in the tune to give it more cohesion.
Very nice, bright, swingy tempo to reel. Enjoyable musical feel here. Some of the shorter sixteenth notes especially in the third part just on the edge of being clipped.
A well played set-pipes set well overall. Top hand just a shade thin in relation to bottom hand notes.

Event 21. Grade 2 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 6. Bob Wallace – USA The Glenfinnan Highland Gathering, Kirstie MacCallman’s Favorite, Alick C. MacGregor – Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Very strong, consistent technique for march. Tempo might be just a shade reserved to start. Some slight rushing in the ending phrases where the E doubling eighth note in the 7th bar could be held a bit longer to maximize it’s value. Just jumping the beat here getting to the G grace note on C early. 4th part, 1st phrase not quite as concise as the rest of the tune. Very well played, consistent march.
Again, tempo for strathspey just a bit on the cautious side. More solid technique on display here, although some triplet runs in ending phrases a bit tight and losing some definition. Some shakiness of phrasing in 4th part.
Reel-good flow and feel here. I would have a look at the third part as there are some wrong notes in the first two bars. Excellent set overall-some refining of timing and tempo would enhance it even more. Good pipes overall-top hand just a shade sharp overall to bottom.

Event 21. Grade 2 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: none
Jesse Callender – USA 71st Highlander’s , Caledonian Canal, Colonel Macleod

Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Good tempo for march to start. I would like to hear the dotted sixteenth notes be maximized a bit more to give the tune more swing overall. At times especially in the first part, it was just a bit square. A few slight catches in 3rd and 4th parts transitioning between the hands. Just getting a slight timing misfire in 4th part in the 2nd bar 2nd beat where you have the G grace note on 32nd note C.
Very nice, bright tempo for strathspey. Watch the triplet runs in the second part. Try to make the timing of all the runs the same, no matter what the notes. At times, the middle note being clipped out. Very good control and technique here otherwise.
Reel start a bit unsettled, but got into a good flow in the second and well maintained until end.

Event 21. Grade 2 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: Reuben McDonnell – New Zealand Kightswood Caleidh, Arniston Castle, Smith of Chilliechasse – Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Excellent tempo for march to start. Watch some rushing in 3rd and 7th bars. The dotted High G and back to back 32nd notes (E and B) are just a bit clipped and pushing the beat. Third part played 3 times!! Some technique getting a bit tight in 4th, but very strong, concise hands overall.
Tempo for strathspey just a bit a bit too fast, and therefore losing clarity of shorter notes throughout. A slightly slower tempo would showcase the idiom and your technique more. There should be D throws coming out more consistently on beat 1 of bar 2 of both parts 1 and 2.
Very strong reel to finish. 5th part-try to execute the B to birl the same way each time and in the 6th part, maximize the High A before the grip to emphasize the 2/2 idiom. Excellent technique throughout, just some fine tuning is needed to polish it. Good pipes, although High A flat to rest of chanter

Event 22. Grade 2 Piping – Jigs (two jigs, each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Josh Smith – New Zealand Donald Willie and his Dog
Glasgow City Police Pipers – Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: Very nice controlled playing on a very nice bagpipe – very well done.

2nd jig a bit too ’round’ try introducing a bit of colour by holding the first beat a shad longer in the tripling? Not  too much but just enough to add a bit more music.

Well played!

Event 22. Grade 2 Piping – Jigs (two jigs, each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Liam Allan – New Zealand Alan Mcpherson of Mospark, Karen Nuttal (video) Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: Liam

Good tempo but slightly on the ‘square’ side. Try a slight pause / hold of the beat notes to create a bit of ‘light & shade’ in the tunes.

2nd tune was well played with more musical and good technique.

Very good pipe.

Well played

Event 22. Grade 2 Piping – Jigs (two jigs, each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Ramsey Bissex – USA The Kitchen Maid, Brae Riach (video) Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: Ryan

I thought you played a bit too fast overall – try slowing down the tune a bit as some of the technique is being lost – however very good fingers on a good pipe.

2nd jig was again a bit too fast – slow tune down a shade and this will achieve a more musical performance. A bit more light and shade with pointing tune (eg slight pointing of first beat) will help.

Very promising playing – well done. Nice bagpipe

Event 22. Grade 2 Piping – Jigs (two jigs, each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Ryan Moore – Canada Kenny Gilles of Portnalong Skye
Dale’s Chimichanga (video) Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: Ryan

I thought your tempo was slightly too fast – slow down tune and this will enhance the musical performance here – 3rd and 4th parts need work with some crossing noising creeping in.

Again 2nd jig was slightly too fast with some chokes coming in 3rd/4th parts.

Pipe sounded well however I though there was a bit of unsteady blowing?

Well done!

Event 22. Grade 2 Piping – Jigs (two jigs, each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 5. Graham Durant-Law – Australia The Irish Washerwoman, and The Old Hag at the Kiln – Judge: Euan MacCrimmon
Judge’s Comments: Graham

I felt you played too fast for jig playing – try slowing the tune down slightly. Good fingering however I think there is quite a lot of grace noting missing from Irish Washerwoman – I would suggest getting the manuscript and going through the tune on the practice chanter. The correct grace noting will improve the overall performance.

Second jig better but still a shade to fast and erratic in places. You have good fingers but the performance will benefit from being more controlled.

Keep it up!

Event 23. Grade 2 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Reuben McDonnell – New Zealand McLeod of Mull – Judge: Iain MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Nice pipe sound off the top, and a good launch into the tune. Nice flow and good music.

I like the fullness of many F and E doublings! Try to make that consistent across the tune. There is a little bit of slurry action (lack of clarity really) at times when going from E to an F doubling.

Very nice drone sound heard when drones face the camera!

3rd and 4th parts very well played for the most part. There is a little bit of slurry stuff going on in the bottom-hand work of the 3rd part. It’s minor, but there.

I liked the pipes and the music very much, and think that there are a few places where the technical accuracy and consistency could be refined.

Well done.

Event 23. Grade 2 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Liam Allan – New Zealand Dornach Highland Gathering (video) Judge: Iain MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Good pipe sound at start. Drones nicely in tune.

A slightly cautious tempo, but nice expression and full technique.

Sometimes not being fully clear on the ending phrase, and E strikes are a little hit/miss.

I thought this was a very good competitive performance in that you are doing lots of things well. What I would suggest is to see how you enhance the musicality of that, but trying to get a little more life out of the melody.

Pipes stayed in tune, and mostly well blown, although enhancing the clarity of the top-hand notes would improve the overall impact.

Good show though, and enjoyed the tune & pipes.

Event 23. Grade 2 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Josh Smith – New Zealand Dornoch Highland Gathering – Judge: Iain MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Very full sound, although drones not fully in tune with chanter.

Nice 1st part. Tune is being expressed well at a good tempo. Some exception a touch slurry, but generally coming through well.

Nice F doublings, 2nd part.

The 3rd part has a very nice balance musically…good pointing a flow.

A slight bit of rushing in the 4th part, and a little lack of clarity.

Pipes were pretty good at start, drones not quite with chanter, and then the quality varied with blowing a bit through the tune. Seems to be some surging here and there the sound is a little inconsistent. Drones not as good toward end of tune and top hand gets a bit sharper.

I liked the overall musical approach, and felt that the tune was quite well executed. Areas to improve would be increased clarity of articulation in technique, and a more refines and stable sound on the pipes.

Well done.

Event 23. Grade 2 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Ramsey Bissex – USA Bruce Gandy’s Farewell to the Iron Horse (video) Judge: Iain MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Very impressive pipe sound right off the top. Nice recording.

The first part of the tune is a little stilted….you are pointing well, but at times also holding back the flow of the tune. I would try to refine the balance of things so that you have the great pointing AND the flow.

Your E is sharp, and at times you are really pushing through it. Sounds as though you are Blowing emphasis at times…pushing more air through on beat notes, such as the High Gs and As.

Lots of positives here in terms of technique, bagpipe sound and pointing. What is needed to improve this tune is a more relaxed flow to the tune (without letting go of pointing entirely) and also a steadier sound.

Maybe think about controlling the sound more with your arm, and not really leaning into the beat notes.

Thanks!

Event 23. Grade 2 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 5. Ryan Moore – Canada Bonnie MacAlpine (video) Judge: Iain MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Your pipes up and entry to the tune were a little rushed. Take your time, and don’t feel as though it has to be a band-like or measured start.

Initially, not really lining up the beats, and rushing things a bit. Try to settle in before you start, and really express the melody. Pipes sounding good, and tune flows well by 2nd part.

3rd part of tune going pretty well, and technique is pretty strong here, but it’s clear that it culled be better if the tune was a little slower. You have a nice, melodic swing going, but maybe at just a shade too fast tempo.

I think this is emphasized in the 4th part where it doesn’t hold up as well technically.

Pipes are pretty nice overall, but you can hear the top hand getting a bit thinner, and top notes sharper as you go. Blowing? Drones are not as nice at the end.

Overall, an enjoyable tune that would benefit from a slightly slower tempo to give technique some fullness, and a little more stable pipe sound.

Event 23. Grade 2 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 6. Graham Durant-Law – Australia Murdo MacKenzie of Torridon – Judge: Iain MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: What I wouldn’t give to play on green grass right now!

Good start to the tune, Graham. The D-B-High G sequence in the first part is quite even compared to the dot/cut of the remainder of the tune. I think you are changing up the rhythm here to account for the harder technical change (B to High G) but I think you’ll want it to have the same shape (dot/cut/plain) as the others.

Missing a few grace notes in the 2nd part that I think help define the beat/emphasis.

Very steady playing though, 2nd and 3rd parts nice.

Fourth part also smoothly played, although again, the technique is light (low G on D throws not heard clearly enough, for example) and I think there are grace notes missing throughout that really help to give the melody a bit more punch.

Pipes are pleasant, and well tuned, although top/bottom hand imbalance means the drones aren’t really locked throughout the scale. Steady, though!

Good flow to your tune with pretty clean technique. I would look at either researching some other settings (see Master Method on the Ceol Sean web site) for this tune, or getting some input about the most appropriate gracing.

Nice bonnet, too!

Event 24. Grade 2 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Josh Smith – New Zealand Uphold the Right -Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Nice job!

Pipe not quite locked in between drones and chanter which dulls the chanter sound. Try to ensure that the drones are in tune with Low A.

Nice consistent tempo throughout and I felt you over did the 3rd part with being a little long on the C each time, labouring the syncopation!

You played with confidence throughout and you have a great foundation to continue to develop your skills with your posture and hand placement which will allow you optimal mobility over the chanter! Keep up the good work!

Event 24. Grade 2 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Ramsey Bissex – USA Ian Green of Greentrax (video) Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Overall tasty stuff played with lots of confidence on a nice instrument!

Technically a slight miss with birl 2nd time through 1st part and there was some slight squeaks in 3rd and 4th parts! Syncopation a little pushed in spots and some pushed playing in 3rd part that created some loss of rhythm and beat but generally you have a nice feel throughout played at a tempo that is exciting and appropriate!

I liked your instrument and all technique came out nice and clear! Show excellent promise keep up the good work!

Event 24. Grade 2 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Graham Durant-Law – Australia Sandy’s New Chanter – Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Overall an enjoyable performance!

Great backdrop!

Nice start with an aggressive tempo! Playing very well and maintaining a nice steady beat throughout! 2nd part missed Hi G doubling but rest of the tune played with confidence and precision.

Liked your instrument as well and drones sounded close to Low A of chanter creating a nice blended instrument!

Very enjoyable keep up the good work!

Event 24. Grade 2 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Stephen Ross – Australia John MacKenzie’s Fancy Arr Ross/ Chisholm – Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Nice performance!

Tempo was a bit pushed throughout which caused some tighter/shorter short notes that may be clearer if you had a bit more time. Use metronome especially in 1st and 4th parts near the Edre’s and use the E grace note to Low A as the beat which again will prevent pushiness and provide you with more time to execute a nice clear note!

Technically quite good throughout and your bagpipe was full and in tune! Some slight tonal concerns in 4th part with slight chirps!

Enjoyable performance with a technically demanding tune! Keep challenging yourself and remember that the beat is there to give you time not take it away!! Keep up the good work!

Event 24. Grade 2 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 5. Bob Wallace – USA Man From Skye – Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Nice job!

Drones not quite locked onto the chanter so not sure if Hi G sharp although to drones it sounds sharp! Make sure you lock it onto the Low A.

Good 1st couple of parts however I thought the 3rd had some laboured passages distorting the flow just after the birl first time through. Keep the beat and don’t let it go as at the end I thought you rushed ahead.

Overall I enjoyed your performance and believe that fixing the above will greatly enhance your presentation! Keep up the good work!

Event 24. Grade 2 Piping – Hornpipe (at least 4 parts) Placing: 6. Ryan Moore – Canada Hiccup (video) Judge: Ian K. MacDonald
Judge’s Comments: Overall very well done!

Your pipe was not quite locked into together with drones and chanter but pleasing chanter sound.

Technically I believe there is a little bit of pushiness to the tune slightly but mostly due to clipped short notes as in the D Strike to E to D throw in the endings. Make sure you can hear the E and the Low G of the D throw is where I would put the beat which will give you plenty of time to play a more pronounced E. Inconsistent short notes distort the rhythm of the tune and create a pushed feeling. 2nd part was pushed a little more than the rest so take a look at the short notes here especially. I thought the 4th part had little micro chokes so be sure to keep consistent pressure with your blowing and arm and make sure your pipe is not too hard.

You have great technique and just need to ensure all short notes are equal and consistent to improve your overall presentation! Keep up the good work!

Event 25. Grade 2 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 1. Liam Allan – New Zealand Too Long In This Condition (video) Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Nice sound. Full, steady drones. Chanter well set, apart from flatness on F, high A. Nice, steady blowing.

A bit careful in presentation of urlar. Clean, strong dre’s and edre’s, but make sure they aren’t so bit they don’t serve their rhythmic purpose in their context. Singing your tune over and then trying to reproduce the same expression with your fingers on the pipe will help you smooth things out.

Good tempo change to doubling of urlar.

Consistent timing in Var 1 Singling. Again a little on the slow side. Work towards more subtlety running up to the cadences.

Good contrast in tempi between Singling and Doubling of Var 1. Themal notes nicely emphasized.

Low A noticeably sharp to drones by Var 1 Doubling.

Crunluath Variation a bit deliberate sounding. Cut the middle note of each fosgailte (i.e. the note before the edre) a bit shorter. Not always pristine on edre’s and dre’s here — make sure the E&F/F&G grace notes are short enough that you can clearly hear the middle grace note (low A/E).

Overall, a strong performance with lots of promise. Now it’s time to work on your polish and finesse.

Event 25. Grade 2 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 2. J David Hester – USA Untitled. From Hannay MacAuslin manuscript. – Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Nice sounding pipe, well tuned. Steady blowing. Chanter chirping on C at times.

An interesting and entertaining rendition of this tune. Apart from the timing of your cadences, your interpretation was quite literal and, I think, probably quite close to what the writer was trying to portray. The only exception is that I found the crunluath variation didn’t flow well in common time (as opposed to compound time, as we play it nowadays — though even our modern books write it in common time). It just sounded a bit robotic to me, and I doubt what’s in the MS is an accurate depiction of how the tune would have been played. That said, you played it consistently and well.

Good, clean technique throughout.

A thoughtful, interesting performance played with good technique on a well set up bagpipe. Nicely done, David!

Event 25. Grade 2 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 3. Jesse Callender – USA Lord Lovat’s Lament – Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Nice sounding pipe, well tuned and steadily blown. High A a little thin and on the edge of sharpness.

Expressive playing in your urlar. A little too big on the D grace notes in your cadences, and struggling to play the darodo (bubbly notes) fluidly, which impeded the flow at times. Otherwise, very well played.

A few wee chirps on C.

Nice to hear such a clear-headed approach to Variation 1. Consistently played, though I thought you dwelled a fraction too long at the end of each bar, which prevented the tune from flowing along as smoothly it might have.

Variation 2 was played well, but lacked momentum. Don’t be afraid to push it along.

Little stumble at start of Taorluath Singling. Not always playing the short low As at the end of each taorluath consistently. Make sure they’re always nice and short.
Blowing less steadily in Taorluath variations.
Taorluath Doubling a bit on the slow side. Hesitation in line 2.

Crunluath movement taking slightly too much time resulting in too short a final E and an unbalanced rhythmic feel here. Try shortening up the D, E & F grace notes for more clarity and speed in your crunluath.

A thoughtfully presented tune on a good bagpipe. I enjoyed your performance, Jesse.

Event 25. Grade 2 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 4. Bob Wallace – USA The Lament for Mary Macleod – Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Bright chanter. F a bit sharp. Drones not quite locked in tune. Unsteady blowing noticeable on long sustained bottom hand notes.

Good pace to ground. A bit abrupt in spots (eg. getting to the edre in line 1, bar 2).
‘Hiharin’ movement (birl preceded by cadence) not played/timed consistently. You want to work this movement so it ripples off your fingers effortlessly and sounds smooth every time.

Variation 1 could be smoother — overcutting the short notes.
Quite a choppy interpretation of Var 1 Doubling — this variation has to be smooth, with no hard/abrupt cuts! (You’re playing the note lengths accurately as far as the printed score is concerned, but it’s only meant to be a very rough guide. Get hold of a recording of a top player performing this tune and listen to how they approach it.)

Strong, clean taorluath movements. Nicely played.
Wrong note at end of line 1, Taorluath Singling. Also, some chirps on C (a hole coverage issue).
Again, this variation could be smoother if you avoided cutting the short notes so aggressively.
Blowing sagging more as Taorluath progressed; drones quite far out of tune as a result.
Doubling coming across more musically than Singling. Good tempo change between Singling and Doubling.

Crunluath movement nicely played. Again, some C chirps.
Also a bit too aggressive in this Singling. Good transition to Doubling, but still a bit choppy sounding.

Some good things happening in this tune, Bob, but you need to work on blowing your pipe more steadily so your pipe sounds more solid and stays in tune for the whole tune. Some further study (and listening to leading players playing this tune) will help you achieve a smoother, more musically pleasing performance.

Event 25. Grade 2 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 5. Josh Smith – New Zealand Lament for the Rowan Tree – Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Nice sounding bagpipe. Watch you don’t surge on high A or underblow on the long Ds and low As. Drones very steady despite some flat blowing.

Good clean technique.

Nicely played ground.

Variation 1 a bit on the slow side. Big choke in line 2.
Nice transition to Doubling, though still a bit slow.

Strong taorluath movement. This variation was well timed. Unfortunately, it had lots of chokes (one choke is too many!).

Good crunluath movements, timed well. Slip.

Overall a nice performance with lots of potential. Pay special attention to your blowing in order to take your playing to the next level. Also, don’t be afraid to keep your piobaireachds moving — It doesn’t have to be slow just because it’s a piobaireachd!

Event 25. Grade 2 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 6. Lauree Palmer – USA Too Long in This Condition – Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Drones tuned to low A, but B, C and E quite sharp. Blowing a bit unsteady.

Urlar well expressed.

Lots of problems covering the holes on bottom hand (e.g. not covering the holes completely on B before each taorluath). Taorluaths a little inconsistent — some very good, with solid low G grace notes; others low Gs not fully closed.

Variation 1 expressed well, but the effect is spoiled by very unsteady blowing and technical flaws (mostly due to hole coverage problems).

Crunluath fosgailte movements a bit open — try to make the middle note (before each edre) shorter.

Some nice music here, Lauree, but it would come across a lot better if you could strengthen your bottom hand so you could play more cleanly. Besides that, the most important area to focus on is your blowing so you can achieve the rock-solid sound required for a great piobaireachd performance.

Event 26. Grade 1 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Ben Gibbons – UK Arthur Bignold of Lochrosque, Struan Robertson, Willie Murray – Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: A well played March, Strathspey & Reel on a nice sounding bagpipe.

The March was nicely expressed and well phrased. Perhaps the tempo was slightly on the slow and careful side. The technique was good with just the occasional doubling not clear. I felt you were rushing the LG-B-LA going into the last bar of each part.

Very good strathspey, again perhaps a shade slow. Excellent fingering in this tune.

The reel was played at a nice tempo and again good fingering throughout.

I enjoyed your performance. Perhaps just a slight increase in tempo in March & Strathspey would improve this set. The fingering and technique was very good.

Event 26. Grade 1 Piping – March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Bill Peters – Canada Clan MacColl, Dora MacLeod, Lt Col DJS Murray (video) Judge: Niall Stewart
Judge’s Comments: The March was played at a good tempo and the fingering was good apart from a minor slip in the 3rd part. Well played.

The Strathspey was also well played and at a good tempo. Some fingerwork was beginning to get a bit ‘tight’ here. Double E could be a bit more distinct at times.

The Reel was nice and steady. Again, generally, the fingerwork was of a good standard. If anything, I felt the reel could have been slightly more pointed with more emphasis on certain beats.

Overall, this was an enjoyable MSR and the fingerwork was of good quality.

Event 27. Grade 1 Piping – Jigs (two jigs, each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Ben Gibbons – UK Banjo Breakdown, Cork Hill – Judge: Peter Aumonier
Judge’s Comments: Good control of tunes. Could bring tempo up a touch for musical drive. Rhythmic pulse could pushed out a bit to create more jig idiom and enhance musical presentation. Good strong technique. Pipe nicely balanced and well tuned. Very good playing Ben. The biggest thing is to bring up tempo a touch – 2 beats/minute to really bring this out even more.

Event 27. Grade 1 Piping – Jigs (two jigs, each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Bill Peters – Canada Thief of Lochaber, Alick Robertson’s Limp (video) Judge: Peter Aumonier
Judge’s Comments: A musical set of tunes played with passion and energy. Tempo a little slow at start but picked up after 2nd part. Watch to ensure that phrasing is consistent and jig idiom/pulses are always right on the beat. Some pushing in last part. Technique quite good. Just ensure that consistency is there to keep it articulate at all times. Pipe good/drones not quite 100% locked in at start. Well balanced instrument. Good job bill!

Event 28. Grade 1 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Bill Peters – Canada PM Donald MacLean of Lewis (video) Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe OK at start. Good compound feel . Good pace throughout clean technique. HiA flattish.

Event 28. Grade 1 Piping – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Ben Gibbons – Uk Cock of the North – Judge: James W. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Pipe OK at start. Tempo not locked in second and fourth. Good technique

Event 29. Grade 1 Piping – Hornpipes (two hornpipes, each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Ben Gibbons – UK Moonshine, Afternoon at the Green Monster – Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Lovely bagpipe! Drones rock-steady and full. Chanter sweet, bright and well tuned, apart from a very flat low G.

Very steady playing in Moonshine, apart from some hesitancy in 3rd part.
Good playing overall in Green Monster, but losing drive slightly towards the end.

Clean, clear technique overall.

Some underblowing on top hand in Green Monster.

Overall, an excellent performance on a first class bagpipe. (Just don’t forget to tune your low G!)

Event 29. Grade 1 Piping – Hornpipes (two hornpipes, each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Bill Peters – Canada Fiona Fergusson, The Man from Skye (video) Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Pipe seems well tuned — though difficult to tell because it’s overloading your mic. It sounds like you’re slightly underblowing your chanter. You could achieve a more focused sound by blowing through your chanter more.

Well controlled, steady playing in Fiona, though perhaps lacking a bit of drive.

Strong, clean technique, apart from the odd imperfect D throw in Fiona (sometimes not quite fully sounding the low G).
These two HPs are stylistically difference and perhaps not that compatible (Fiona heavily-pointed; Man from Skye less so). You struggled to make the Man from Skye work musically. It felt less settled and well controlled than Fiona.

Overall, nice playing with strong fundamentals. Well done, Bill!

Event 30. Grade 1 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 1. Bill Peters – Canada Lament for the Children (video) Judge: John Don MacKenzie
Judge’s Comments: Chanter not balanced. Flat High A, B and D, big problem in this tune! Drones not in from start and drifted and tune progressed. Occasional unclear fingering throughout, not showing phrases in ground or doubling. V1 best variation. Taorluath holding after movement causing roundness as in Crunluath, Crunluath Tech, not clear. Tempo increase in doubling was there but not enough .Drones well out at end. Good attempt at difficult tune.

Event 30. Grade 1 Piping – Piobaireachd Placing: 2. Stephen Ross – Australia The Vaunting – Judge: John Don MacKenzie
Judge’s Comments: Generally good performance with occasional careless tech. throughout. Double echos on B often muffled, Low A Taor unclear at beginning of Vars. not enough drive through the tune esp. in V1 trebling which is not timed correctly .Drones going of from Var, 1 doubling. Unclear tech, in Taor and Crunluath vars. esp Crunluath singling where movements are slow and laboured making tempo round . Best variations were both A Mach variations, meaning a good finish to a hard tune.

Event 31. Any Grade Piping – Medley (4-6 Minutes) Placing: 1. Ben Gibbons – UK The Georgia Whaling Song, The Ewe with the Crooked Horn, stevies’ first Bar, Afternoon at the Green Monsters.  Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Nice steady tempo for air. I’d like to hear some more of the shorter, middle notes in the groups of three. At times, just a bit clipped. Very strong and concise technique. Well played.
Again, very consistent tempo for strathspey, although maybe a bit reserved. Felt you could open up technique at times, especially in last part. Just losing a bit of definition in top hand movements. Also, some of the triplet runs a bit tight for the tempo.
Some control of sixteenth note flow being lost in 3rd part of 1st hornpipe, and again in 2nd part of 2nd hornpipe. Pushing ahead at times. Some nice touches in these tunes.
A very musical set of tunes played with strong technique overall.

Event 31. Any Grade Piping – Medley (4-6 Minutes) Placing: 2. Dagmar Pesta – Germany 51st Highland Division / Loch Ruan / Accordian Man / Pipeman’s March – Judge: James P. Troy
Judge’s Comments: Good steady tempo to start. Nicely played first march. Some technical elements just a bit thin-try to get more Low G in the grip movements to C. A very slight catch from C to E in pickup notes in 2nd part. Well played first tune.
Tempo just increasing very slightly in 2nd, due to some eighth notes being clipped. Very strong technique here. Again, some note values in 3rd tune just a bit short, and losing the definition of the phrasing and tempo. Slight catch from B to E here. Very well played last march. Some very good elements here that would be further enhanced with some refining of timing. Excellent hands overall-be sure to eliminate the crossing noises when transitioning between hands.

Event 35. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March – for pipers age 15 to 17 years Placing: 1. Reuben McDonnell – New Zealand Inveran – Judge: John Don MacKenzie
Judge’s Comments: Well timed tune on a good Bagpipe . Playing wrong length of C in 3rd part and note error in 4th part … check the music !

Event 35. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March – for pipers age 15 to 17 years Placing: 2. Josh Smith – New Zealand John McColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage – Judge: John Don MacKenzie
Judge’s Comments: Nice tune , played well , poor birl throughout and crossing noises need to be addressed

Event 35. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March – for pipers age 15 to 17 years Placing: 3. Liam Allan – New Zealand John McColl’s March to Kilbowie Cottage (video) Judge: John Don MacKenzie
Judge’s Comments: Good bagpipe but flat top hand , untidy technique throughout , poor tachums 3rd part with crossing noises .

Event 35. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March – for pipers age 15 to 17 years Placing: 4. Josh Blais – USA Argylshire Gathering (video) Judge: John Don MacKenzie
Judge’s Comments: Poor technique and timing . missing several graceings and movements , chanter unbalanced .

Event 37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March – for pipers 21 and older Placing: 1. Graham Durant-Law – Australia Creag an Tuirc – Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Nice sounding pipe, though chanter could be fuller on the top notes. Drones not quite locked in tune at start, and drifting by end of tune.

Overall, quite clean technique, though C tachums not always pristine. Make sure you can clearly hear the C and that the D grace note doesn’t get too big. A couple missed/less-than-perfect birls.

Good, steady tempo. Well controlled playing, though tending to rush onto C tachums, especially in 1st part and 2nd ending of 2nd part.

Nice performance.

Event 37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March – for pipers 21 and older Placing: 2. Dagmar Pesta – Germany Lady Lever Park – Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Nicely set up bagpipe. Steady drones.

Well controlled playing in 1st part. Tempo a bit cautious. Labouring slightly in 2nd part. Rushing through last line of the tune.

Missing D grace notes on C in ending phrases. (I know it’s difficult to get them in cleanly, but they need to be there!)

A pleasing, well controlled performance on a good pipe. Well done, Dagmar!

Event 37. P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Challenge 2/4 March – for pipers 21 and older Placing: none
Bill Peters – Canada Dr Ross’s 50th Welcome to the Argyllshire Gathering (video) Judge: Alan Bevan
Judge’s Comments: Bill, unfortunately you seem to have misread the name of the event — it’s a 2/4 march contest!

In any case, good steady tempo. I think your 6/8 could be improved with more emphasis on the dotted 1/8 notes, and generally a bit more emphasis on the downbeat.

Strong, clear doublings and full taorluaths, though I think the 4th part would come across more musically if you tightened up the taorluaths just a wee bit.

Nice playing, Bill. Too bad about the misunderstanding!

Solo Side Drum Events:

Event 101. Beginner Drum Pad 3/4 March (at least 2 parts) Placing: 1. Anael Hester – USA Green Hills of Tyrol – Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments:
Great command of your piper!

Well metered introductory rolls, excellent triplet sub-division.

Left hand a bit weaker than right hand in terms of roll volume (especially noticeable in first introductory roll). It looks like your left hand thumb needs to get on top of the stick more, allowing for better control. Right now, the thumb is running across the width of the stick and the ‘pad’ of the thumb isn’t making contact with the stick. Try to get your thumb running down the length of the stick more, allowing the ‘pad’ of your thumb to be the primary point of contact with the stick (http://youtu.be/palC5_S92ys).

Excellent dynamics in 2nd part. Good musical flow, playing well with your piper throughout. Nicely executed open work throughout.

The odd flam is coming off as ‘choked’ – always be sure the sticks aren’t coming down at the same time. This makes for an ugly sound on the drum!

Great stuff. Loads of potential. Keep it up!

Event 101. Beginner Drum Pad 3/4 March (at least 2 parts) Placing: 2. Paul Connolly – England Green Hills Of Tyrol – Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments:
Well metered introductory rolls, good triplet sub-division. Right hand pulse coming through a bit more heavily than left hand.

Good maintenance of tempo in the 1st part.

Hand-to-hand flams in 2nd part into coming across as hand-to-hand, right hand dominated. Need to focus in on execution of left hand flams, specifically, getting the grace note (soft, first stroke in the movement) down. The grace notes on both the right and left handed flams seems too high relative to the accent note. I would suggest working on hand-to-hand flams in front of a mirror/web cam, focusing in on motions and stick heights.

7 stroke rolls throughout not finishing strongly on the left hand. Need to make sure the volume doesn’t drop off towards the end, need to finish the roll with a good, clean stroke. I think overall the left hand should be the primary focus for you when practicing rudiments. Make sure everything you can play on your right hand can be played equally as fast/good on your left!

Event 102. Beginner Drum Pad 4/4 March (at least 2 parts) Placing: 1. Paul Connolly – England Scotland the Brave – Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Intro rolls well timed. Work on keeping the buzzes a little lower to the pad. Also, the finishing tap of the roll doesn’t need to be quite so loud.

The timing throughout was very steady. Good rhythm and control.

Watch when you play 7 stroke roll into triplet. Where the buzzes end and the taps begin becomes blurred. We need sharper definition there between buzzes and taps.

Also, when you play a sixteenth note immediately into the roll (like part 4, end of beat 1 into beat 2) the tap again is not always clearly heard and gets absorbed by the roll. Work on more definition.

Your roll work throughout can be a little tighter. Add more pressure to the fingers and thumb. Especially the thumb (left hand), as those buzzes are much too open at times.

Good potential here. Well done.

Event 102. Beginner Drum Pad 4/4 March (at least 2 parts) Placing: 2. Anael Hester – USA At Long Last – EUSPBA massed band score, first two parts of 4/4 – Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Intro rolls well timed. Work on trying to close your buzzes slightly for a tighter sound. You can do this by applying more pressure to the fingers and thumb.
This same principle can be applied to your 5 stroke rolls in part 1. Keep them tighter, as well as physically closer to the pad.

You have great rhythm and the score was played very well to the pipe tune. Even and in time.

Continue working on developing strong finger and thumb control. This is needed to play your 5 stoke singles smoother.

Finally, your LH can be turned up more with you thumb being directly on top of the stick. This is better technique and will give you better control of the stick.

Good performance. Lots of potential.

Event 103. Beginner Drum Pad 2/4 March (at least 2 parts) Placing: 1. Paul Connolly – England Massed Band 2/4 March – Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments:

Triplet sub-division in introductory rolls not as even as in your 3/4 performance.

Excellent tempo, good lift from the outset. Good confident playing throughout. Lacking some clarity on left hand movements at times (1st part, 1st bar, the left hand tap that comes before the 7 stroke roll), Tap is ‘mushy’, blending in with the roll.

Very nice syncopation in ending phrase (bars 7 & 8). Integrating left hand much better in to the balance of sound here. I think you can apply the strength and motion used in this phrase to other parts of your playing, getting the left hand more involved. It looks like your left elbow is tucked in towards your body quite a bit. Getting some space between your elbow and body will allow for more control and power from the left hand. Something to think about.

ast part – excellent. Really good swing and dynamic here. Well done!

Event 103. Beginner Drum Pad 2/4 March (at least 2 parts) Placing: 2. Anael Hester – USA Highland Laddie – Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Watch not to start your introductory rolls off too heavy – a bit of a decrescendo here. Try to make these rolls as smooth and flat as possible.

Playing well with your piper from the outset, really good swing and march feel. Nice score!

Can really see some tension in the left hand from this angle. Definitely need to work on a) getting the thumb on top of the stick and b) getting your index and middle fingers more stable alongside the stick. the video I pasted a link to in your 3/4 commentary should be helpful.

Watch the ‘flat’ flams again – sticks coming down at the same time, mainly in the triplet passages.

Very nice 2nd part! Good dynamic flow and execution of accented rolls. Overall, a very nice play. Would be good for you to take some with your teacher to get that left hand more relaxed.

Event 104. Grade 5 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Tury Rodriguez Buenaga – Spain Xuanin de Mieres / Pasucais de Peruyes – Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Intro rolls ok. Starting much too heavy though. Play one volume from start to finish.

Control is very steady through the entire march. Good job. Just watch part 4. You push ahead of the piper slightly on your 5 stroke singles.

Your flams need to be improved. The two strokes are essentially coming down from the same height. Keep the Gracenote lower. This will help give us a cleaner flam and prevent both strokes from hitting at the same time.

Your LH is a little open with your palm turned open. Keep it turned over more and the thumb right on top of the stick. This will allow you to really use the thumb, not just the wrist.

Try and tighten your rolls up slightly. Your RH looks very loose at times. I think we need a little more tension on the fingers here.

Overall a good performance. Well done.

Event 104. Grade 5 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Samuel Ordieres – Spain La Cruz de Mayo / Pasucais de Peruyes – Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Rolls finishing in time, but very pulsey. Continue to develop the sound of each buzz and the tension that they receive to get a smooth roll.

Flam work is quite unclean. Work on better separation between grace note and main note to get a clean flam.

Your roll work is slightly better at the start of part 2. Try and get your other rolls more like this.

In part 3 the 5 stroke singles are rather tight. Work on developing good finger and thumb control to be able to play these smoothly.

Also watch the phrasing to the pipes in part 3. Not always together.

Keep working on that finger control. Then you can use less wrist and arm and your singles in part 4 will be smoother.

Good potential. Well done.

Event 104. Grade 5 Side Drumming 2/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Lety Cernuda – Spain Xuanin de Mieres / La Cruz de Mayo – Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Into rolls finishing in time but can be smoother. Also, you are coming into the first buzz of each roll much to aggressively, “crashing” into the roll. Try and keep the same volume from start to finish.

Decent control in part 1. Staying relatively to the pipes.

You need to watch your flams. Not always clean. We need to have more separation between the grace note and main note.

In part two try and get more variation in the volume of your strokes. Everything sounds a little loud. By keeping the low notes lower the accents will shine more.

Part 3 we’re having a slight phrasing issue with the pipes in bar 4.

Accented rolls in part 4 could be tightened up, and more even for a smoother sound.

Overall, good potential here. Keep it up.

Event 105. Grade 5 Side Drumming 4/4 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Olivier Thielen – Luxembourg 4/4 Massed Band March – Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Well metered introductory rolls – triplet sub-division coming through audibly a bit too much, but at this level, I think it’s most important that the sub-division is there, even if it’s been played a little too literally.

All rolls throughout timed very well. Next step will be to work on smoothing them out to the point where you can no longer hear the underlying triplet subdivision.

Lacking clarity in triplet movements – some single strokes turning in to pulses, especially when the triplet movement comes after a roll movement. Try to exit the roll movement softly, allowing your fingers to take control of the single work instead of the wrist. If your wrists are pressing the stick in to the drum, there will likely be an unclean, pulsy sound to the open work.

Overall a very strong performance. Good timing and execution of roll work, now just need to work on cleaning up some of the open work (singles, flams, triplets). Well done!

Event 107. Grade 4 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Michael Theriault – Canada Glendaruel Highlanders (video) Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Good tempo, very nice roll sound.

Having trouble hearing the 6/8 swing come through in bars 1 and 2 of the 1st part. Bars 3 and 4, 7 and 8, much better. Something simple at the outset helps to define the idiom and phrase structure of the time signature (in this case, 6/8). I would suggest simplifying the score in these two bars.

2nd part, very nice. Good lift and swing coming through here. Excellent hand position, good hand-to-hand flow.

5 stroke rolls seem a bit clipped throughout. Not sure I’m hearing two pulses. Might be worth breaking down this rudiment to ensure you are executing two pulses and one tap – sounds like it may be only one pulse and one tap.

Well rehearsed and well executed, just think about simplifying the first couple bars. Well done!

Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 2 parts) Placing: 1. Nicholas Shropshire – USA MSR: King George V’s Army, Highland Harry, Lexy MacAskill

Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Well rehearsed introduction, good command of your piper.

Slightly heavy on the front end of your introductory rolls, try to get a smooth consistent sound across the roll.

Maintaining tempo well in first part. Some very nice open work, good punch. Transition from bar 4 to 5 in the first part not 100% clear. Could define the 32nd notes in bar 4 from the triplet in bar 5 a bit better.

4th part – excellent! Really good punch and clarity here. Overall, some very good march playing. Score is very complimentary to the piping. Good use of dynamic range.

Nicely controlled break to the Spey, good tempo. Open work a bit flat and lacking dynamics here. Could do more to push the envelope on the low-end of the dynamic spectrum. Rolls on the other hand very good in this regard. Great crescendo’s, adding a lot of punch here.

Good to reel. Well controlled. Very confident here, 2nd part very good. Could be over accenting at times, need to be careful especially when playing indoors not to overdo it on the top-end dynamics.

A very enjoyable performance on the whole, very well rehearsed. Nice job!

Event 108. Grade 4 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 2 parts) Placing: 2. Michael Theriault – Canada 79th Farewell to Gibraltar, Mac N Irish, Becky Ewen (video) Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Well set tempo. First introductory roll slightly clipped.

Nicely controlled introduction. First part very well executed. Even with no piper, I can hear the tune coming through! Excellent score for the march.

Single work at times lacks definition. While everything is coming out clearly, I think the open work could be taken down slightly to let the natural accents come out a bit more (for example, bars 3 and 4 in the 4th part of the march).

Very nice 3rd part. Smooth roll quality, good sounding drum. Nice and crisp. Would love to hear this score with the pipes.

Good start to Spey. Losing phrase definition as you get further along. This goes back to the above comment regarding the open work – it seems fairly ‘flat’ overall, and while it is cleanly executed, the natural accent patterns are not coming through clearly. It becomes hard to identify phrase structures at this point.

Good to reel. Nice swing here. Getting a better punch on some of the open work. Overall a well executed performance, could use some attention to the Spey idiom (SWMW).

Event 109. Grade 4 Side Drumming Jig (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Michael Theriault – Canada Merrily Danced the Quakers Wife (video) Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Watch your flams. Not always clean. Too many have the grace note and main note hitting at the same time. This is a big problem for many drummers. Keep working on trying to get better separation between the two strokes.

Your 5 stroke singles are often played too quick in relation to the notes around them. Try and open these up more. Better finger and thumb control will allow you to do this.

From a composition standpoint it would be nice to here some more roll movements to increase the variety.

Tough to follow the beat at times. If you can’t have a piper playing perhaps have a metronome going. It will force you to adhere to a strict beat making it easier for the judge to critique your timing.

Good potential. Keep it up.

Event 110. Grade 3 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (M at least 4 parts, S & R each at least 2 parts) Placing: 1. Eric McLean – Canada KG5, Struan Robertson, Lexie McSkill
(video) Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Intro rolls finishing in time, but playing more strokes than needed. Try playing 13 total strokes (12 buzzes and 1 tap) for your rolls.
Watch your flam work. Often having both strokes hit at the same time.
Decent control of the open work coming through.
I think it’s drag 5’s that you’re playing, and when you do there’s too much volume and slappiness on the tap part of the drag. Play this softer.
Some slight timing issues i Strathspey. Also work on keeping the unaccented notes a little lower in some of the single movements.
Good open work and roll control in the reel. Watch the 4th part. Could be slightly steadier on some bits.
Well done.

Event 111. Grade 3 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Eric McLean – Canada Frank Thompson (video) Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Intro rolls finishing in time, but playing more strokes than needed. Try
playing 13 total strokes (12 buzzes and 1 tap) for your rolls.
Watch your 5 stroke singles when coming out of a roll. Too big on the first RH of the singles. Keep this lower and try and punch out to the end of the run.
Nice roll control part 3 I believe.
Control of the 6/8 rhythm seems to be fairly good. Well pointed.
A lot of similar comments to your other performance Eric. Watch your flams and drags. Cleaning these things up will really help the sound and smoothness of your playing. Good work though. Keep it up bud.

Event 112. Grade 3 Side Drumming Jig (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Eric McLean – Canada Paddy’s Leather Breeches
(video) Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Good uptake to jig. Nicely controlled tempo.

Cleanly executed open work. A bit flat in terms of dynamics, could do more to push the envelope, particularly on the low end of the dynamic spectrum.

Well executed accented roll passages, similar to the comment above, I think it would add a great deal to identify some places where you can, for instance, enter a roll sequence at a softer volume, adding some intensity, and bringing in the crescendo from there.

Some difficulty in the 3rd and 4th parts. Good recovery. Continue to develop this score.

Some inconsistency on your right hand in terms of grip. Pinky appears to be drifting on and off the stick. I’d suggest finding a comfortable place for the pinky, either on or off the stick, and working towards keeping it there. Excess movement can lead to tension, pain, and problems down the road.

Well done!

Event 113. Grade 2 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Devin Paynter – Canada The Clan MacRae Society, Susan McLeod, McAllister’s Dirk (video) Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Good intro.
Playing with good authority and control
Watch part 4. Bars 3, 4, 5. I think the phrasing could be a little better with piper.
This is my favourite March drum score. Personally I like a little tighter sound from the parabuzzles but you’re playing them fairly well controlled.
S/S: Watch bar 6 of part 1
Also phrasing of Bar 3 part 2 can be better.
Good control part 3.
Excellent open work part 4 and good dynamics coming through.
Great Reel. You have excellent finger control making rudiments seem nice and smooth.
Better than grade 2! Well done.

Event 113. Grade 2 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Eoin Aitken – Australia John MacDonald of Glencoe, Susan MacLeod, John Morrison of Assynt House (video) Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Good intro.
Try and keep your ruffs a little lighter. Seem a little loud and heavy at times. Same can be said for the double at the start of ratamacues. Keep it low and tight.
Good control in S/S. Accenting can be a little better. Try and keep the low notes lower so that the accents stand out more. End of Strathspey doesn’t seem spot on.
Reel: Watch bar 7 of part 1. Not steady
Reel comes across a little slappy at times to me. There are a few parts where your finger control really shines but not enough of this.
Overall a solid show. Good job.

Event 113. Grade 2 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. David Spotswood – Australia The Highland Wedding, Maggie Cameron, Lexy MacAskill

Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Good intro.
Watch that you don’t fall ever so slightly behind into the 2nd part. You’re hanging off of the roll into 2nd part just a bit too much.
Careful with the flams in bars 1 and 2 of part 4. Not always clean.
Break to S/S a little abrupt. Maybe go for a little longer pause.
Steady through part 1 but having some phrasing issues with the roll movement part 2.
Good accenting in S/S
Watch fla-fla-flams and the move right after in part 4.
Reel: Bars 7 and 8 of parts often not spot on with Pipes. Work on the phrasing
Overall a solid performance. Well done.

Event 113. Grade 2 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Sam Davis – Australia Links of Forth, Susan McCloud and Mrs. Macpherson – Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Good intro.
Solid uptake to march. Keeping a steady rhythm.
Part 4 phrasing could be slightly smoother.
Same part 5 bars 5 and 6
Solid Strathspey rhythm and phrasing.
You could be slightly softer with many of the notes. Quieter low notes will allow the heavy accents in the strathspey to stand out more.
Reel: A little tight on some windmill’s and open work here. Keep working on your fingers to be able to play the open work a little smoother.
Overall quite strong, Just keep working on trying to loosen up just a little for a bit more smoothness and flow to your playing, Good job.

Event 113. Grade 2 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 5. jake broadhurst – New Zealand john mcolls march to kilbowie cottage score , maggie cameron and brown haired maid – Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Good rolls.
Watch your ruffs. Not always hearing 4 clean strokes.
Nice technique allowing for some good open work playing to come through.
Staying in time fairly well throughout March.
S/S: Good playing here. Good grasp of the rhythm and correct phrasing.
Dynamics coming through well in S/S.
Reel: Drag 5’s not always clean here.
Dynamics good but be careful you don’t over accent some of the big strokes. Very close at times.
Watch some open phrases part 3.
Overall some really good playing here. Good stuff. Keep it up.

Event 113. Grade 2 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 6. Eric McLean – Canada Hugh Kennedy, Arniston Castle, Angus MacLellan (video) Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Rolls, see comments on other performances.
March: Coming across as slappy on the open work. Need more finger control for this level.
Some slight unsteady sticky bits parts 2 and 3.
Timing in part 4 not good. Work on this phrasing.
S/S: Hard to follow along in Strathspey with the slips and no piper. Practice this a lot with a piper or metronome to get more comfortable keeping this in time. Strong S/S accenting can be improved as well. Really try and emphasize beat 1.
Much better control in Reel. Open work still needs to be closed up. Work on your fingers and keeping the strokes a little closer to the drum.

Event 114. Grade 2 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Eoin Aitken – Australia Mrs. Lily Christie (video) Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Nice powerful roll quality. Good pulse duration and balance from hand to hand.

Good lift from the outset. Sharp execution and phrasing. I like the hand-to-hand nature of this score.

Good dynamic range in 2nd part. Open single work a little round, remember to keep the 6/8 underlying swing even though more complex passages. Could emphasize upbeat accents in longer single runs (2nd part) to keep the swing.

3rd part – excellent! Again, wonderful dynamic flow and attention to detail. 4th part again, a bit boxy or flat with the singles. Could find some more complimentary ways to shape the accents in these runs. Not feeling the underlying 6/8 idiom.

Overall very nice. Well rehearsed and executed. Excellent attention to detail in terms of dynamics.

Event 115. Grade 2 Side Drumming Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Eoin Aitken – Australia Mr. Jack
Old Wife of the Milldust (video) Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Good controlled tempo at the outset, pushing ahead at times (bar 3, 1st part). Need to open it up here. Pushing seems to occur when you go down in volume.

Excellent dynamic flow in second and third parts. Really pushing the envelope in the 3rd…excellent!

Nice hand to hand motions in 4th, good fundamental technique shown here.

Good to jig. Open work lacking some definition in bars 5/6 of the first part. Think you should push the open work down, too big here and losing natural flow. Nice light and shade in the 2nd.

Some very thoughtful and well executed dynamics. I prefer your open work a softer weight, seem to get a better sense of phrasing. Well rehearsed, very enjoyable.

Event 115. Grade 2 Side Drumming Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. jake broadhurst – New Zealand crossing the minch score and donald willie and his dog score – Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Well set tempo, lovely roll quality.

Good uptake to hornpipe, very nice swing. A bit of execution difficulty with drag 5’s – it seems to me that the transition from drag to singles is not as smooth as it could be, may be due to a choked drag. Might be worth investigating opening up the drag itself a bit more so it flows better in to the singles.

Again, excellent roll quality coming through in 2nd and 3rd parts. Neat score in 4th (bars 1 and 2), would love to hear this with the piping melody.

Good to jig. Must be careful when choosing a 9/8 jig to be faithful to the idiom. Not hearing clear phrase definition in 2nd and 3rd parts. May want to consider dropping in some punch on the odd phrase beginning here, too long of stretches without a downbeat.

Overall, some VERY impressions hands. Sky is the limit here.

Event 115. Grade 2 Side Drumming Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 3. Devin Paynter – Canada Beverley’s Wedding, Troys Wedding (video) Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Slightly uneven pulse in introductory rolls. Being played fairly aggressively, thinking a softer approach would help smooth this out. Left hand pulse more closed than right hand pulse.

Good swing from the outset. Lively tempo. Ending phrase (bars 7 and 8) lacking definition. Open work could be softer to allow natural accent pattern to come through a bit more.

3rd part – excellent. Nice dynamic flow, good light and shade.

4th part – straying off the snare with left hand. Over aggressive in dynamics, particularly bar 4. Taking away from the downbeat of bar 5, which is where the true emphasis should fall from a phrasing standpoint.

Good to jig. Some tight flams in the first couple parts (bar 7), opening up after that. Missed execution in the third. A fine balance between playing softly and playing cleanly.

Strong finish. Again, good dynamic range in 4th, although I think at times maybe a bit too aggressive. Well done!

Event 115. Grade 2 Side Drumming Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 4. Eric McLean – Canada Lucy Cassidy, P/M Sean Hall (video) Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Slightly over-rolling on introductory rolls. Drum seems fairly choked as well, not much snare response coming through.

Good clear execution, perhaps at the expense of some dynamic range. I think some of the open single/paradiddle work lends itself better to a softer volume. The 2nd part is a good example of this – coming out a bit ‘bashy’ in bars 3 and 4, would be nice to hear this open work dropped down in weight to help emphasize bars 1 & 2, 5 & 6.

Right hand sounds to be coming off the snare from time to time. Most of the accents throughout also seem to be coming down on the right, would be good to factor in the left hand to a greater extent.

Good to jig. Nice syncopated roll passage in 1st part. Same in 4th part, very cool.

Overall, a well executed performance that could improve with incorporating some low-end dynamic touch.

Event 116. Grade 1 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Eoin Aitken – Australia Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band, Maggie Cameron, Loch Carron (video) Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Nicely set tempo, great rolls. Generating some good swing from the outset, although the ending phrase (bars 7 & 8) is coming off a bit round. Coming out of the 5 stroke roll in to the triplet a bit heavy.

Excellent phrasing in march. Well defined phrase structures, good punch on the top end. Really pushing the envelope on the low end stuff as well (3rd and 4th). No piper here, but can hear the tune clearly!

Some crushed 5 stroke rolls in spey (bars 1 & 2), I question whether you are playing a 5 here… sounds like a 4 stroke roll, as it’s starting with a tap. Could get more out of this rudiment.

Clipped phrasing in 3rd part of Maggie. Need to be more patient here. Although no piper, can here the phrases being rushed. 4th part excellent.

Good swing from the outset in reel. Very enjoyable score. The odd missed execution (2nd part) but on the whole very nice.

Very enjoyable listening/watching you play. Great hands, great motions, fundamentally sound playing. Keep up the good work!

Event 116. Grade 1 Side Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Diego Puron – Spain Donald Cameron / Cameronian Rant / Mrs MacPherson of Inveran – Judge: David Bowman
Judge’s Comments: Well set tempo, slightly heavy at the top of of your introductory rolls.

5 stroke rolls sound very thin, left hand pulse uneven to right. Need to get a longer duration in pulse from the left hand. Double grad movement in bar 7 not coming out cleanly.

In general, some missed articulation on the left hand. Missed execution at times (single runs, left hand dropping out completely).

Good punch towards the end of the march. Good swing in 6th.

Nice flow in to spey. Very tough to generate a nice SwMw feel from this score, doing a pretty job here though. Good roll work in 5th. Nice dynamic flow in 7th, but again, so sticky/missed execution on the left hand.

Excellent light and shade reel, good contrast throughout.

Overall some very impressive technical work. Very challenging scores. Missing some important detail at times, left hand may not be pulling its weight. Need to address 5 stroke rolls in particular.

Great set, well done!

Event 117. Grade 1 Side Drumming 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Eoin Aitken – Australia Meg MacRae (video) Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Good intro rolls.
Very good start to march. Nice dotting and cutting and feel of 6/8 rhythm.
Watch your swiss ruffs. Some are a little unclean. Try and keep them tight yet all 4 notes audible.
Good accenting and dynamics as well.
Really a good performance. Good sharp 6/8 phrasing yet still smooth which is what you want here. Well done.

Event 118. Grade 1 Side Drumming Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Eoin Aitken – Australia Train Journey North, Rory MacLeod (video) Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Rolls in time but extra pulses? I like 13 total strokes.
Nice start to hornpipe. Good control in ending phrase with triplet roll.
Watch ratamacue in part 2. A little wide. Tighten up the double.
Slightly unsteady in 3rd part. Could just be a wee bit smoother.
Could use a little more dynamics in HP but good playing

Jig: Very steady here. Good accenting although again I’d like to here a bit more of sustained high’s and low’s. A very good HJ though. Well done.

Event 118. Grade 1 Side Drumming Hornpipe & Jig (each tune at least 4 parts) Placing: 2. Diego Puron – Spain The Highland Swing / Inspector Campbell of Ness – Judge: Graham Brown
Judge’s Comments: Good start.
Try and give a bit more of a pause on the note just before ratamacues and keep the ratamacue itself tighter. You’re a little too slow and wide on the ratamacues at times.
Watch the phrasing and cleanliness in part 3 on the triplet rolls.
Nice relaxed playing. Just the right amount of accenting.
Jig: Nice flowing playing here. Good open work coming through
Slightly sloppy in 3rd part
Perhaps a little tight in rolls in 4th part.
Good performance Diego. Really liked the jig. Well done.

Solo Tenor Drum Events:

Event 202. Beginner Tenor Drumming (TableTop/Practice Mallets) – 2/4 March (at least 2 parts) Placing: 1. Sophia Melcher – USA Brown Haired Maiden/The Pipers Cave

 Judge: Tyler Fry
Judge’s Comments: Excellent job Sophia – I see a ton of potential in you and your playing! Superb time & motion throughout enhancing time signature beautifully. Greater use of metric accent on beat 1 every two bars could provide better definition of the phrasing of the tune (two bar phrases generally). I would also change the time from quarter notes to eighth notes to provide reference to ‘upbeat’ as well (sometimes referred to as double time – twice as many notes in each bar) – this is part of a bass/tenor drummers job in the pipe band ensemble (laying the down and upbeat reference for the ensemble). Excellent range/combination of flourishes – the more you focus your awareness on your wrist and fingers doing the work the easier your flourishes will be. You tend to use your arms quite a bit (especially in the split the feather movement) and you’ll find things a ton easier focusing your awareness there – you’ll also bring your speed up. Really proud of you! You’ve done a great job! Keep up the great work! Sincerely, Tyler

Event 208. Grade 3 Tenor Drumming – 6/8 March (at least 4 parts) Placing: 1. Leslie Stankiewicz – USA Bonnie Dundee/Athol Highlanders (video) Judge: Tyler Fry
Judge’s Comments: Loved it Leslie! An excellent combination of rhythmic and flourish work for the grade! Superb compound feel throughout which is very rare in bass/tenor drumming; however, relative to the accompaniment you’re still pushing ahead slightly on the upbeats (or ‘a’s) during the time and motion. Hold the downbeat just slightly longer and you’ll be locked into the feel of your accompaniment. Excellent rhythmic execution on B and C phrases; however, the same thing: hold the down beat (or dotted eighth note/rest) just slightly longer and lock it into your accompaniment. Essentially what I am saying is that the more you listen to your accompaniment whilst you’re playing, the more you will lock in. Greater use of metric accent every two bars within time and within singles/flourishes) would help define phrases of melody better and enhance accompaniment even more. Superb execution of visual elements throughout – excellent technique on your singles and the flourish on bars 1-3 on part 4 enhanced melody beautifully. Overall: an exceptional performance well suited to grade level. Great swing and overall composition. Well done Leslie!

Pipe Band Events:

Event 401. Grade 5 Pipe Band – March medley Placing: 1. Williamsburg Pipes & Drums – USA Mairi’s Wedding, Brown Haired Maiden, Campbell’s Farewell to Redcastle –
Judge’s Comments:

P1: Alan Bevan Placing: 1
Not all pipers’ bottom hands on chanters for intro E! Attack well timed. Intonation problems on top hands — Fs not well tuned, very flat high As.
Good pointing in Mairi’s Wedding and Brown Haired Maiden. Some spots of good unison here, but also some rushing (particularly onto birls — pipers consistently starting the birl movements ahead of the downbeat).
Labouring and lots of mistakes in Campbell’s Farewell to Redcastle. Pipers really rushing in last tune, especially last line.
A nice performance on a well chosen set of tunes. Too bad things fell apart towards the end! Some work to be done on your sound (partly blowing, partly just tuning them better). Campbell’s needs some work to bring it up to the level of the first two tunes, so you can end on a stronger note.

P2: Ian K. MacDonald Placing: 1
Good Attack well away!
I thought you could as a pipe corps sit back a little bit in terms of temp!
Sounds like not all chanter are set together as there sounds as if there is one or two that are set a bit too sharp diminishing the quality of sound.
First two tunes were pretty good for playing on the beat however the 3rd tune (Campbell’s Farewell) had some very pushed playing and one or two others playing even further ahead of the majority creating an issue for the drummers and band ensemble. Practice with a metronome to ensure that everyone is well aware of where the beat notes are and work hard at following one person throughout performance to ensure unison is on.
Keep up the good work and be mindful that tone and beating are important attributes for a player’s development and will greatly enhance your presentation of a suitable selection of tunes! Keep up the good work!

P3: Iain MacDonald Placing: 1
Pipes not right together at start. Some drones a little early and the pipers drifted up to fully blown, and not at the same time.  Pretty nicely onto the Low G together though!
Mairi’s Wedding was pretty good, although pipers need to focus on getting together for the birls at the end.
Good playing on BHM. Break to Campbell’s very rough, and playing throughout this tune is not in unison. Lots of note mistakes. The whole ending phrase is rushed and not together. Large note errors 2nd part.
Sounds like more chanter/memorization work needed on the last tune.
The biggest area to focus on would be the sound and tuning of the pipes. The pitch is too high, and the top hands are sharp and thin, and the drones not tuned to the chanters. It sounds to me as though this is an area that the band might seek some outside help in getting the players set with good reeds, and a better process for getting things in tune.
Pipers playing the tunes with feeling and at a good pace, and what the band needs is to have a better bagpipe sound and stronger unison playing.

P4: Peter Aumonier Placing: 1
A good start. Watch to ensure all E’s are blown in tune on attack. Nice rhythmic playing with solid tempo throughout. Tunes go well together with nice musical flow. unison in piping needs some attention 2nd part 2nd tune. make sure all are playing consistently the same together. Drum scores compliment pipes well. Chanter tuning needs attention. Top hands can be improved by raising reeds a bit. You don’t need to go for high pitch. raising reeds will improve the balance and harmonics of sound. I really enjoyed the musical playing and energy of the band.

D1: Graham Brown Placing: 1
Rolls in time but can be tighter. Also don’t crash into first buzz.
Pushing ahead of pipes at start of tune.
Rolls throughout need to be tighter. Work on adding tension to buzzes.
Watch middle phrase (bars 3 and 4) not clean at times.
Struggling to keep it together with pipes in 5th and 6th parts of playing, although I think this is more pipes fault.
Overall: drummers are doing a decent job of trying to stay in time. Keep working on all the rudiments to make the performance cleaner and smoother. Well done.

D2: David Bowman Placing: 1
Clean introduction, slight pulse in second introductory roll. Do your best to conceal the triplet subdivision of these rolls.
Lively tempo, maintaining well throughout. Giving the pipes some excellent support in terms of keeping the tempo spirited. Pipers lagging towards the end of the performance, drumming could be considered pushing ahead at this point. While I don’t think it’s a case of the drummers slowing down, sometimes as drummers we need to play backseat to the pipe section and exercise some flexibility.
Overall very clean execution by snare line. Excellent support from bass. Bass score may wish to consider some ‘holes’ (places to drop out and come back in) to emphasize or add texture to a part. I think the snare section may want to investigate some ‘custom’ scores for this set, as the material is fairly complex but doesn’t always align perfectly with the piping melody.
Well polished performance. Well done!

D3: James Laughlin Placing: 1
Excellent timing of rolls. However, a little bit of overpulsing makes the roll uneven.
There was no sign of unisons (fortes or chips), this would certainly add another dynamic to the overall performance. Your control and togetherness is impressive.
More stick height on the bigger notes, such as accented flams, would help to create visual flair and would also extend your dynamic range.
A few minor slips and blemishes.
Long 5 Stroke rolls are a little unclear – the taps at the end almost come across as buzzes – take your time to execute this rudiment fully.
Bass is contributing very well indeed
Very well done!

E1: James MacHattie (piper) Placing: 1
A lively performance – but perhaps a bit too lively! The introduction was not 100% together, and not all pipers hit the low G of Mairi’s Wedding together. Pipes quite sharp. Tempo brisk but maintained throughout first tune. Pipers starting to push ahead in Brown Haired Maiden – ensemble suffered here because of the acceleration – tough for the drumming to keep up. Drum section really keeping time very well. This trend continued in Campbell’s Farewell – steady drumming but pipers pushing ahead. The big ensemble issue here is the pipers starting bar 7 quite early and rushing through the ending phrase – hold back! Steady bass all through – nice touch. Overall a good performance but would be better with a bit less speed, and be sure to listen to the drum section – very steady and a great asset.

E2: James P. Troy (side) Placing: 1
Nicely timed intro rolls from snares. Good tempo to start, although the downbeat of beat one wasn’t 100% spot on together. Some slight rushing from pipes in 2nd tune causing some friction.
Some eighth note flow being clipped. Again, some rushing in 3rd tune pushing the pulse. Some connecting sixteenth notes, and 32nd notes in the ending phrase being rushed here also and clouding phrasing. Good steady playing from snares throughout.
A very nice selection of marches, which would be further enhanced with some refining and opening up of note values from pipe section.

E3: Tyler Fry (mid-section) Placing: 1
Good intro: 3 rolls initially at tempo conducted but second set a slower BPM than first (and conducted tempo). Good uptake to march between sections. Pipers falling behind drummers by forte of first part. Excellent integration of sections on 2nd part of Mairi’s Wedding. Tonal integration issues of pipers at start of Brown Haired Maiden impacting overall musical presentation but drummers locked in with pipers here (good inter corps unison). Excellent composition from drummers enhancing melody beautifully throughout tune. Drummers falling behind melody on bars 3&4 of first part of Campbell’s Farewell – need to listen to each other here – lead drummer needs to watch PM’s foot. Intra corps and inter corps unison issues throughout entire tune impacting overall band’s ensemble. Excellent time playing from bass drummer throughout; however, drum pitch flat of drones. Overall: An effective musician presentation from all sections. The sections should focus their awareness on coming together as separate musical units first (intra corps) which will help lay a solid foundation for listening and overall ensemble playing – especially in Campbell’s Farewell: it sounds like neither corps is 100% comfortable within themselves here which makes coming together as a complete unit difficult. Loved the band guys! Thanks for entertaining me!

Event 403. Grade 3 Pipe Band- Medley (3-5 minutes) Placing: 1. Dunedin High School Scottish Highlanders Pipe Band – USA Coppermill, Paddy Be Easy, The Way Back, Molly Connell, The Wisemaiden, The Humours of Tulla, Finbarr Saunders (video) Judge: Band Panel
Judge’s Comments:

P1: Alan Bevan Placing: 1
Solid attack! Pipes well set up, but chanters shifting around a lot due to flat blowing. (VERY flat blowing on bottom hand in strathspey.)
Sedate tempo in opening tune. Some round playing spoiling otherwise good unison playing. More accurate, stylish playing would make this tune sound a lot more exciting.
Good break to jig. Well controlled, but quite slow.
Effective use of harmony in slow air. Interesting but tasteful and effective transitions between tunes. Nice work by whomever put this medley together.
Good strathspey playing.
Nicely controlled playing in reels with good unison. Clean cut-off.
A good performance on a well constructed, entertaining medley. Work on your blowing so you can achieve a more solid, sweeter sound. It’s early in the season, but I found the overall tempo to be pretty slow for this grade — particularly the jig tempo.

P2: Ian K. MacDonald Placing: 1
Solid attack!
Tempo well established and unison solid. Watch the blowing on the top hands especially around Hi G.
Nice break to jig however I felt the tempo to be a little down however I am aware that control and clarity are important skills prior to fast playing so I am okay with it!
Slight jump into Slow! Watch blowing continues throughout slow as in the beginning there sounded like some saggy blowing distorting the melody and harmony combination!
Nice into Strathspey however I felt that the tempo was little too careful in delivery and a little less round in runs however I again understand the goal of being able to play on the beat and as one so if not possible to move along a little more you are on the right track for development!
Good to Reels and like the jump you have here! Slight chirp in the 1st part but good there on into Waltz which I thought had a slight chirp in 1st part! Effective use of harmony here to create a dynamic conclusion to a well constructed medley!
Pipes set well and drones were in tune and full! Chanters had a little muddled sound on top hands especially near High G in early beginnings but got better as you went.
Band sounds very good and would like to see you let the jig and strathspey move a little more in order to create a little more energy in your performance.
Keep up the great work!

P3: Iain MacDonald Placing: 1
Nice t-shirts!
Pipes in together, but not a fully blown E.
Good unison playing in opener, although a little loose around the grips.
Clean break to jig, but pipers underflowing the low A. A little ragged in 2nd part.
Smoothly into air. Nice break, and good impact instantly with harmonies. Pipes sounding better here than at start. Long low A at end a little discordant…underblown.
Feel that the strathspeys are too slow, and not enough dot/cut contrast. Lacking in lift.
Not sure the break does much musically to contribute to the overall package. Reels together and going well. Note errors.
Like the big waltz finish, and band has a nice groove going here, despite a bit of a rough start. Harmonies a but overpowering at times, or possibly just not played tight enough to the melody.
Basic pipe sound was good, and got better mid-medley, but there are really obvious lapses in tone at breaks, and on some longer notes, although I though the sound in the air was a highlight. Tops hands getting pretty out towards the end of the medley.
Musically, I’d like to see the band get more lift into the strathspeys and reels. My feeling is that the music is to “in the middle” where the notes are all the same or similar value.
Very nice pipe section, with room for improvement musically and tonally.

P4: Peter Aumonier Placing: 1
Good solid introduction. Unison in piping very good. Drum scores compliment piping well. Tempo in jigs could be brought up a touch to enhance musical energy. S/A very nice – pipe sound rich here and well blown. Strathspey, again, a little slow. Could define phasing with more strong pulses at phrase beginnings. nice 2/2 in idiom coming through in reels. Pipe sound held up well throughout the performance. a good selection of tunes which fit well together. All sections playing in time together with good overall control. Very strong fundamentals. The overall performance could be enhance with just a bit more tempo throughout. Well done!

D1: Graham Brown Placing: 1
Good start.
Nice uptake to march.
Watch the LH accented open singles in the ending phrase. Not always clean.
Showing very good control in Jig. Steady with pipes. Bass and Tenor starting to come through nicely here. Open work in Jig getting slightly sloppy.
Arrangements very nice. Good scoring.
Nice sounding roll work
Strathspey very well phrased. Good playing here.
Bass slightly behind into Reel
Excellent control from snares in first reel.
Accenting and overall flow to melody very good. Tenors shining in 2nd reel as well.
Very enjoyable medley. Well done.

D2: David Bowman Placing: 1
Clean introduction. Excellent visual discipline from snares, tenors, and bass. This really adds a great deal to the overall professionalism of the performance. First class.
The side angle really shows off the uniform stick heights across the snare line. A bit cautious in terms of tempo in the opener, hesitant in the break to jig. Could use a big more drive from the back end.
Not feeling a strong 9/8 pulse from the corps. Tenors adding a great deal in terms of visuals to support the idiom, but snares and bass could do more to punch out the phrase structure. A bit flat overall in jigs.
Tasteful arrangement to Aire, allowing the pipes to sing.
Good transition to Spey. A little heavy on the emphasis of triplets in the Speys. I would work to de emphasize the triplets, as it can really round out otherwise very pointed and well played Speys.
Good to reel. Excellent syncopation from snare line, superb visuals from tenors. Very effective chips from snares throughout the reel section.
Tenors MAKE Finbar Sanders with the visuals. Hugely supportive of the change in time signature. Very thoughtful arrangement. Well done.
Strong finish.
Overall, a very polished and well executed performance. A bit cautious at time with breaks and tempos, but overall, a high standard in this grade. Thoughtfully constructed visuals from tenors with strong bass presence throughout.
Well done!

D3: James Laughlin Placing: 1
A very well executed introduction – smooth roll texture, and timing was accurate across all sections of the drum corps. Keeping a good control of tempo in the opening tune, nice execution from sides.
Bass Section very confident and contributing well. Again, solid & accurate timing in the opening score.
Snare line and Bass section not together into Jig. Settling in 2nd part. Again great control, but could be enhanced with some more dynamic range. It all appears to be a little on the medium end. A few minor blemishes but mostly well played.
A thoroughly enjoyable Slow Air – very subtle and adding great colour to the melody.
Some great feel in the Strathspey and good Strong downbeats. Quieter triplets will enhance this.
Lovely transition to Reel. Bass and Snare line not 100% together into Reel.
Nice scoring through here, just a touch on the medium weighted side of things – could do with more softer end. Lovely waltz rhythm coming through – well done!
This is a very enjoyable performance!!!! Well done.

E1: James MacHattie (piper) Placing: 1
Classy medley. A good clean start. Reserved tempo in the opener, but corps playing tightly together. Midsection contributing well, but (on this recording at least) accents a bit loud. Snares quite loud (again possibly the recording) in the jig. Timing still very good. Playing of the air was good but some of the blowing was a bit saggy….Watch for bottom hand dips! Strathspey a bit round by both pipes and drums. Unsettled start to the Wise Maiden – took some time to settle in after the break. Snares wanting to push ahead a bit in the second reel. Waltz well played. Good stop. No major issues – well done!

E2: James P. Troy (side) Placing: 1
Excellent intro and control of tempo from snares. Nicely timed attack from entire band, and a very good, controlled well phrased Coppermill. Some very slight rushing in 2nd part from pipes.
Again, nice control and shaping of triplets in jig. Very steady playing from all sections. Watch the ending phrases that the final quarter note is being held to the same length each time before the pickup note into the next part-all sections.
Nicely orchestrated air. Solid break to strathspey. I’d like a slightly more dramatic use of dynamic here from snares to push the already good phrasing out even more. Some triplets runs in 2nd part from pipes being crushed and losing shape of phrasing. Very cohesive playing in reel and 3/2 time. Good complimentary drum score composition here. A bit of a dip in tempo in 3rd part of 3/2. Solid arrangements, and a very nice, musical set of tunes played by well balanced band.

E3: Tyler Fry (mid-section) Placing: 1
Good intro: three paced rolls initially at tempo conducted but second set at slower BPM than conducted by PM. Good uptake to tune by all sections. Excellent integration of voicing from mid-section on summary/ending phrases throughout march & enhancing both corps well. OK transition to jigs – bass and snare not 100% together with PM and somewhat unsettled/uncertain between sections. Excellent composition from snares throughout jigs enhancing melody well; however, intracorps unison rough especially on 2nd part. A wider range of dynamics could go a long way here from snares and use of tacet/space from B/T perhaps on 3rd part of jig could build more tension/excitement. Simple but highly effective snare accompaniment to melody in slow air – wider use of tenor voicing here could enhance ensemble beautifully – particularly on rolls and big accents. Good transition to S’pey by all sections. All drummers capturing 2 bar phrases of melody well; however, not capturing lift on second bar of each phrase and hence slightly rushing through it (especially on part 1). Again, use of space/tacet from mid-section on perhaps bar 2 of S’pey could go a long way towards enhancing ensemble. Effective transition into reels from all sections – love the layered impact starting with just the melody into snares and finally mids. There are some big notes/accents in snares and melody being missed by B/T on bars 3/4 and 7/8 (first part & 4th part) in reels that could do a lot to enhance overall band in first reel. Good transition to 3/2 reel & intracorps unison in melody really strong here with effective snare composition again. Snares falling behind melody on part 2. Excellent visual integration from tenors on last part of 3/2 reel capturing melody/snares well; however, missing some really big rhythmic passages in snare drumming on forte sections that could male use of the three voices well to enhance overall ensemble here. Excellent cutoff from all corps. Overall: I have never heard the band sound so good. What a great choice of tunes played on well set/tuned instruments with excellent overall composition from snare/B&T. Tasteful and simple transitions/bridges between tunes. Loved it guys! So much potential! Just the start of something truly wonderful. Congrats!