Adventures in Judging Piping & Drumming (and a photo)

May 29, 2023 on 3:38 pm by Michael Grey | In Humour, Photographs, Pipe Bands | Comments Off on Adventures in Judging Piping & Drumming (and a photo)

Aside from getting a front row seat to good music, the best part about travelling around the place judging pipers and drummers is the people you meet. At its heart a good pipe band is a social club and that goes, too, for the judging game. While judges in most places are compensated for expenses and receive a fee, most don’t sit in judgement for the money. Travelling to games usually involves some degree of tedium – a little traffic here, a crabby border agent there. Its new friends made and old friendships renewed that is the best part of judging (that and the always five star accommodation, of course).
Continue reading Adventures in Judging Piping & Drumming (and a photo)…

Antigonish 1996: Not all 3-pace rolls

February 27, 2023 on 7:51 pm by Michael Grey | In Music, Pipe Bands, Stories, Video | Comments Off on Antigonish 1996: Not all 3-pace rolls

Among my stash of digitised VHS video is a good few hours of footage from the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band of my time as Pipe Major. The band then – as it is today, it seems to me – was well-travelled. With the exception of my first season (Antigonish!) we hit the World Pipe band Championships in Glasgow every year. In fact, its amazing to say now, as I think back, we even managed to make trips to Scotland for championship contests TWICE in the same season (Ayr and Renfrew) – to be clear: the band travelled to Scotland twice in the same summer. The commitment from this group was remarkable. It doesn’t take much thinking to reflect on the sacrifice members (and their families) made financially. And, for that matter, its true, so many bands do today – though – I, wonder, as a by-the-way, if that is diminishing a little.
Continue reading Antigonish 1996: Not all 3-pace rolls…

Dunaber is powered by WordPress and designed by Yoann Le Goff. Entries feed and comments feed.