Comments on: Watching Paint Dry & Pipe Band MSRs http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/ by Michael Grey ... Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:10:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: mike http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/comment-page-1/#comment-1374 mike Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:37:22 +0000 http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/#comment-1374 o Andrew - agree that the world is not ready. o Iain - I always suspected you were a PBD and now you confirm my suspicion. What you suggest sounds interesting (eek, more control of what's performed is suggested...!). I don't think that would fix the MSR's low entertainment factor. To a non-piper or drummer "Flett from Flotta" and "Links of Forth" sound the same...forget adding fresh 2/4 march repertoire! It might be a little better for the hardcore listener to hear fresh repertoire, but the crowds still won't come close to buying scalped tickets to a pipe band MSR event. HAR! Can you imagine! M. o Andrew – agree that the world is not ready.

o Iain – I always suspected you were a PBD and now you confirm my suspicion. What you suggest sounds interesting (eek, more control of what’s performed is suggested…!). I don’t think that would fix the MSR’s low entertainment factor. To a non-piper or drummer “Flett from Flotta” and “Links of Forth” sound the same…forget adding fresh 2/4 march repertoire! It might be a little better for the hardcore listener to hear fresh repertoire, but the crowds still won’t come close to buying scalped tickets to a pipe band MSR event. HAR! Can you imagine! M.

]]> By: iainmacd http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/comment-page-1/#comment-1372 iainmacd Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:39:21 +0000 http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/#comment-1372 I have to admit that I am one of those pipe band dopes who like the MSR. I think that MSRs are a great musical and technical challenge for all, and I think one of the reasons they have grown stale is that bands are not reaching beyond the obvious tune choices. A couple of years ago I was really happy to learn "Angus Campbell's Farewell to Stirling" as an MSR tune, and it reflected a slightly different approach. I'd love to see some "set lists" for this event, in the same way the RSPBA does for QMM contests, or the PS does for the Gold Medal. Or, maybe the approach would be to simply name the 30 tunes that can't be played? Wouldn't it be great to hear some new compositions in that contest! At the same time, by reaching out to those tunes, we'd also eradicate the use of all those [great] Alex Duthart, Jim Kilpatrick, Reid Maxwell [etc.] scores that get passed around, re-interpreted, watered down, re-sticked, etc. Fresh tunes, new drum compositions, and adjudicators who don't have 20-40 years of expectations for every tune. That might be a fresh enough approach to revive the MSR. I have to admit that I am one of those pipe band dopes who like the MSR. I think that MSRs are a great musical and technical challenge for all, and I think one of the reasons they have grown stale is that bands are not reaching beyond the obvious tune choices. A couple of years ago I was really happy to learn “Angus Campbell’s Farewell to Stirling” as an MSR tune, and it reflected a slightly different approach. I’d love to see some “set lists” for this event, in the same way the RSPBA does for QMM contests, or the PS does for the Gold Medal. Or, maybe the approach would be to simply name the 30 tunes that can’t be played? Wouldn’t it be great to hear some new compositions in that contest! At the same time, by reaching out to those tunes, we’d also eradicate the use of all those [great] Alex Duthart, Jim Kilpatrick, Reid Maxwell [etc.] scores that get passed around, re-interpreted, watered down, re-sticked, etc. Fresh tunes, new drum compositions, and adjudicators who don’t have 20-40 years of expectations for every tune. That might be a fresh enough approach to revive the MSR.

]]> By: aberthoff http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/comment-page-1/#comment-1371 aberthoff Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:31:48 +0000 http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/#comment-1371 I agree. Unfortunately, the majority of pipe band competitors don't seem to. They like the MSR, and it will be around for a while yet. I've always contended that the MSR is a mini-medley. That's how it started, but it was leap-frogged by the 5-7 medley 40 years ago, which itself is now stale as the hot dog buns at Glasgow Green. I was amazed at the number of "Clan MacRae"s there were at the World's. I had never played the tune myself until this year, but quickly realized why so many bands (and so few soloists) use it. That said, it's a terrific composition when played well, but brutal when not. I really enjoyed playing it in the MSR twice this year, and, judging from the positive feedback (even though people usually tell you what you want to hear) so did listeners. I agree. Unfortunately, the majority of pipe band competitors don’t seem to. They like the MSR, and it will be around for a while yet. I’ve always contended that the MSR is a mini-medley. That’s how it started, but it was leap-frogged by the 5-7 medley 40 years ago, which itself is now stale as the hot dog buns at Glasgow Green.

I was amazed at the number of “Clan MacRae”s there were at the World’s. I had never played the tune myself until this year, but quickly realized why so many bands (and so few soloists) use it. That said, it’s a terrific composition when played well, but brutal when not. I really enjoyed playing it in the MSR twice this year, and, judging from the positive feedback (even though people usually tell you what you want to hear) so did listeners.

]]> By: mike http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/comment-page-1/#comment-1370 mike Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:22:33 +0000 http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/#comment-1370 o Chris - you're right: hearing a greater vareity of tunes on the day would help. But were still stuck with the same 3 pace roll to E intro and each band aiming to play only 3 tempi. o Iain - I don't view the pipe band MSR as the gatekeeper of the competitive MSR tradition - solo pipers do that. At the same time, I think there are many great challenging non-competition MSR ways for pipers and drummers to learn their chops. You're points are interesting re: competition format. It's true, too, lots of bands hang on to favoured MSRs. Off the top I can think of one band that has played Charlie's Welcome for well over 20 years! M. o Chris – you’re right: hearing a greater vareity of tunes on the day would help. But were still stuck with the same 3 pace roll to E intro and each band aiming to play only 3 tempi.

o Iain – I don’t view the pipe band MSR as the gatekeeper of the competitive MSR tradition – solo pipers do that. At the same time, I think there are many great challenging non-competition MSR ways for pipers and drummers to learn their chops. You’re points are interesting re: competition format. It’s true, too, lots of bands hang on to favoured MSRs. Off the top I can think of one band that has played Charlie’s Welcome for well over 20 years!

M.

]]> By: IainMcLean http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/comment-page-1/#comment-1368 IainMcLean Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:29:58 +0000 http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/#comment-1368 I agree with the comments that the band MSR is staid but it's can't go away. Too many players today can't play a good MSR and even less a piobaireachd so to scrap them would just lower the mean level of competency. Perhaps something like the solo events should be adopted for the majors: Bands in G1 submit 4 marches, strathspeys and reels when they book the event and have the organizers pick their set. This would eliminate a lot of repetition. It would also make the bands have to work harder and learn new sets each year, keeping players interested. It would also sort out the wheat from the chaff. Any good band can get a MSR to sound great if they've been playing it for six years but if you book in, say, January and have only 8 months to get a new MSR up to scratch that would be interesting to see which bands stay where they are today. I agree with the comments that the band MSR is staid but it’s can’t go away. Too many players today can’t play a good MSR and even less a piobaireachd so to scrap them would just lower the mean level of competency.

Perhaps something like the solo events should be adopted for the majors: Bands in G1 submit 4 marches, strathspeys and reels when they book the event and have the organizers pick their set. This would eliminate a lot of repetition. It would also make the bands have to work harder and learn new sets each year, keeping players interested. It would also sort out the wheat from the chaff. Any good band can get a MSR to sound great if they’ve been playing it for six years but if you book in, say, January and have only 8 months to get a new MSR up to scratch that would be interesting to see which bands stay where they are today.

]]> By: ChrisZ http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/comment-page-1/#comment-1367 ChrisZ Mon, 10 Nov 2008 03:57:33 +0000 http://www.dunaber.com/2008/11/09/123/#comment-1367 I sympathize, but I wonder if the problem is not the band MSR event per se, but rather the fact that bands play ONLY "The Classics", the same few tired and true tunes of the de facto repertoire you mentioned, and don't take chances with new, original, serious contemporary compositions - of which there is no scarcity (at least of marches and 'speys). Thanks! ~ Chris. I sympathize, but I wonder if the problem is not the band MSR event per se, but rather the fact that bands play ONLY “The Classics”, the same few tired and true tunes of the de facto repertoire you mentioned, and don’t take chances with new, original, serious contemporary compositions – of which there is no scarcity (at least of marches and ‘speys). Thanks! ~ Chris.

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