The Piping Events at the Inverness Games (next on 24 July 2010) are run by the Inverness Piping Society (IPS). Registration of pipers, stewarding of pipers and awarding of prizes is done by members of the Society. The Society want to support competing pipers so that success in the Inverness Games will count towards their professional progression. The IPS therefore decided to use Judges for the Senior and Junior events, drawn from the Competing Pipers Association lists of Senior and Approved Judges.
Keep checking the Inverness Piping Society Website for latest details and Prize Money on offer.
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Saturday, 20 March 2010
McCallum Bagpipes Roadshow
Can the Highlands take any more of quality entertainment? Yes we can! A brilliant night in Dingwall RBL, with four pipers of tremendous ability holding the fort before the King of Pipers himself, Willie McCallum came on to let us hear how pipes should be played and sound.
This was an evening organised by 'Friends of the Lewis & Harris Piping Society' - a few of whom, it just so happens, are also members of the Inverness Piping Society.
The Roadshow was full of interest for me personally. Not only watching and listening to experienced Scottish pipers, playing beautifully sounding instruments, but for many of us hearing a young talented Breton piper - Sylvain Hamon - playing Highland, Irish and Breton music. It was wonderful. Sylvain is pictured left wearing his traditional Breton waistcoat as he waits to come on and play. See a clip on YouTube.
We even had a small pipes session during the evening with Rory Grossart and Stuart McCallum, Rory playing Fred Morrison small pipes and Stuart playing, I think, a German built electronic pipe (Redpipes Caledonia) which has a bag that fits under the arm. Orange-red in colour to match your kilt flashes or handbag!
The stage was set to a backdrop of McCallum publicity, and for those in the audience there were freebies - McCallum hand towels (a must for every pipe box) and the McCallum baseball cap. Quite a scrum at half-time! I think goodies went to some members of Beauly Firth and Glens, Dingwall RBL, and The Army Cadets were not outdone. Even the 'Old and Bold' of the QOH Regimental Association band will get a present from Santa to mop themselves after a blaw!
Stuart McCallum, who won major championships with ScottishPower Pipe Band and Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, and is now a Director and founder member of McCallum Bagpipes, started the evening off playing a beautiful sounding set of McCallums, equipped with MG drone reeds, chanter reed and McC² chanter. Stuart is the man who oversees the technologically advanced production side of the bagpipe production, costly, but money well spent in my opinion.
Kenny MacLeod, who is known to frequent these 'pairts' in the summer, played himself on with a silver and ivory mounted set of McCallums. Obvious enjoyment from Kenny as he strutted his stuff and showed why he was Pipe Major with Grade 1 outfits. Very strong fingerwork and extremely entertaining - even on the Bongos! Both Stuart and Kenny enjoyed a well earned pint drawn by the hands of the Dingwall RBL bar staff.
At left is Kenny MacLeod on the 'Bongos' during the final session with all 5 pipers on stage playing McC² chanters. Watch them on YouTube!
A big thanks to McCallum Bagpipes for generously putting on this Concert, in aid of the Donald MacLeod Memorial Competition.
This was an evening organised by 'Friends of the Lewis & Harris Piping Society' - a few of whom, it just so happens, are also members of the Inverness Piping Society.
The Roadshow was full of interest for me personally. Not only watching and listening to experienced Scottish pipers, playing beautifully sounding instruments, but for many of us hearing a young talented Breton piper - Sylvain Hamon - playing Highland, Irish and Breton music. It was wonderful. Sylvain is pictured left wearing his traditional Breton waistcoat as he waits to come on and play. See a clip on YouTube.We even had a small pipes session during the evening with Rory Grossart and Stuart McCallum, Rory playing Fred Morrison small pipes and Stuart playing, I think, a German built electronic pipe (Redpipes Caledonia) which has a bag that fits under the arm. Orange-red in colour to match your kilt flashes or handbag!
The stage was set to a backdrop of McCallum publicity, and for those in the audience there were freebies - McCallum hand towels (a must for every pipe box) and the McCallum baseball cap. Quite a scrum at half-time! I think goodies went to some members of Beauly Firth and Glens, Dingwall RBL, and The Army Cadets were not outdone. Even the 'Old and Bold' of the QOH Regimental Association band will get a present from Santa to mop themselves after a blaw!
Stuart McCallum, who won major championships with ScottishPower Pipe Band and Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, and is now a Director and founder member of McCallum Bagpipes, started the evening off playing a beautiful sounding set of McCallums, equipped with MG drone reeds, chanter reed and McC² chanter. Stuart is the man who oversees the technologically advanced production side of the bagpipe production, costly, but money well spent in my opinion.
Kenny MacLeod, who is known to frequent these 'pairts' in the summer, played himself on with a silver and ivory mounted set of McCallums. Obvious enjoyment from Kenny as he strutted his stuff and showed why he was Pipe Major with Grade 1 outfits. Very strong fingerwork and extremely entertaining - even on the Bongos! Both Stuart and Kenny enjoyed a well earned pint drawn by the hands of the Dingwall RBL bar staff.
There was yet more to come, with Rory Grossart showing why he is seriously considering entering the solo competition circuit this coming year. Being the man behind MG reeds, Rory played an impeccable instrument in terms of sound and tone. Rory has written a very good article on reed manipulation and this can be found at the National Piping Centre website, take a look. The other half of my life, one half being the bagpipe and the other my wife, left the 10 megapixel camera at home (so which half am I talking about?). So it was up to me to capture the essence of this great evening by using my mobile (3.2 mpixels) which is why the images and video are so poor. My advice is to always wipe the grease from the lens before taking shots, oh, and read the manual, needless to say I never follow my own advice! Back to Rory, here's a clip on YouTube.
I think Rory will be a strong contender in the prize lists and many of us who came to this Roadshow will follow his progress with interest. A really very good piper and an excellent reed maker. I now know why upturned reeds have their uses, thanks Rory.
Willie McCallum is still for me the no.1 piper in Scotland, classically correct and such relaxed fingerwork. His drones were as perfect as you can get and he played faultlessly to an entranced audience. The only criticism is that we could have heard more and more of Willie's playing. But the evening had to draw to a close and Willie left to join the others as they all played matching McCallum chanters to finish off a really good evening's entertainment and at £8 a head, worth every penny.
At left is Kenny MacLeod on the 'Bongos' during the final session with all 5 pipers on stage playing McC² chanters. Watch them on YouTube!
A big thanks to McCallum Bagpipes for generously putting on this Concert, in aid of the Donald MacLeod Memorial Competition.
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