The History of Pipe Band Medleys in Competition
FaughnanM
odd, yet serious question posed to me the other night after practice by drummer
in my band going for a musical docterate. (Especially when it took me away
from my pint of Guinness) After 25 yrs of solo and band competitive experience
in solo's & band's as a Pipe Major my generic common sense answers were not
doing the trick. Does any one have any factual input to this topic? Input on
the evolution of Pipe Band Competitions in general, the use of MSR's or the
stylistic evolution in Medley construction to share ? It might be interesting
as well to note any major international influences in a pipe bands musical
presentation on the field that has occurred over the years. This would be
helpful to this fellow as well as potentially interesting thread to read.
Hopefully we bring some of the "Doers out of the background" we know you are
there.
Thanks.
Michael Faughnan
P/M Saffron Kilts
faug...@aol.com
http://www.saffronkilts.org
Iain Sherwood
three separate solo events grouped together to better tax the player's
concentration on the boards - also possibly to save time at larger
gatherings.
The 'Medley,' 'Selection,' or 'Time Limit' event is the child of the late
Donald Shaw Ramsay, who developed the concept in the 1950's and introduced
it about 1960 to the competing circuit. Truly an innovator, Ramsay also
added tenor drum beats to tunes, where previously they had only used tenors
for show (spinning). His 1960s band, Invergordon Distillery, composed almost
completely of Gold Medal winner pipers, including John Burgess and Wille
MacDonald (Ivss), won every competition it entered in its three year career
EXCEPT the World's - he was considered TOO innovative. Ramsay was
responsible for raising the pitch of chanters, AND for the soleless chanters
commonly played today. In addition, the IDPB made what has to be regarded as
THE seminal pipe band album of the century 'Pipes in Concert,' which
included a piobaireachd played by the entire band, with kettledrums -
another first.
The tributes paid to this man are inadequate, to say the least. His
influence on the piping world - especially bands - is probably greater than
any other person's in this century.
IS
FaughnanM <faug...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19991117212917...@ng-fa1.aol.com...
Mike Horvath
news:s38ang...@corp.supernews.com...
> In addition, the IDPB made what has to be regarded as
> THE seminal pipe band album of the century 'Pipes in Concert,' which
> included a piobaireachd played by the entire band, with kettledrums -
> another first.
Iain:
Hey... where can I get a recording of this?
Mike
rig...@my-deja.com
As much as I hate to admit this,I have to inform
all you pipers and drummers out there that the concept of
medley/selection of music, originated from the North East
ENGLISH Branch at that time of the SPBA in the early to mid
sixties. During the winter period (I believe it was a band called
Carmel from Manchester P.M. McGinn)introduced a 3 to 5 min
selection for indoor competitions and this was picked up on by the
SPBA as being more enjoyable than the choice of 3 MSRs for Joe Public
to listen to , and was introduced and developed as we have it today.
Regards Sam Strathclyde
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Chris Hamilton
The band was Mount Carmel ... they played in Grade 1 in the late 1960s
/ early 1970s.
Jimmy McIntosh told me that he was P/M of the NCR Pipe Band (Grade 2)
in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and that they won what was, to his
knowledge, the first medley contest held under the auspices of the
SPBA, in this case a branch indoor contest. The NCR band triumphed
over the likes of Renfrew and other notable Grade 1 bands of the day.
Chris
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Hamilton -- Tone...@erols.com
City of Washington Pipe Band
http://toneczar.freeservers.com/
Christopher Eyre
Chris Hamilton <Tone...@erols.com> wrote in message
news:8p1o3scsfir39hhil...@4ax.com...
A few corrections here, Sam....
His name is Walter McMinn. His band, Mount Carmel, was at that time a Grade
3 band (or possibly 2, by that time?) in the NORTH WEST England Branch, not
the North-East. And he was not involved in the decision to hold the first
ever "Selection" event. He very rarely, if ever, attended the Branch
Committee meetings during this period. The meetings at that time were held
in the "Shakespeare", a pub in the middle of Manchester run by Owen Nash,
who was playing at the time for St Sebastian's P/B, and who later became P/M
of the City of Manchester and later still of the West Yorkshire Fire Service
P/B. He was present at the meeting that decided to stage this new type of
event at the Branch Minibands contest that year. The Judges on that occasion
were Alex Duthart and John MacAllister. They remarked on the day on what a
good idea it was. I believe also that the Cowal Championship was the first
Major contest to take up this idea of a Medley event.
Incidentally, just by way of interest, during the course of their
"Selection" on that first occasion (held somehere in the Salford area), St.
Sebastians's pipe corps stopped for a short while to allow the drum corps to
play a short fanfare leading into the next tune.... interesting....
Chris Eyre
rig...@my-deja.com
Hi Chris Hamilton & Hi to Chris Eyre.
Yes, I have to say you are both correct with your updates.
I ran it by the people that I had spoke to on the subject,
and was informed " I that's right son, I remember noo,it wis
McMinn and no McGinn," Thanks to you both.
Regards Sam S.
Chris Hamilton
>
>
>
> Hi Chris Hamilton & Hi to Chris Eyre.
>
>
> Yes, I have to say you are both correct with your updates.
> I ran it by the people that I had spoke to on the subject,
> and was informed " I that's right son, I remember noo,it wis
> McMinn and no McGinn," Thanks to you both.
Hi Sam,
In that same vein, I recall reading (in the P&D maybe) that the first
official RSPBA full-band medley contest for the Worlds was in 1970,
and was won by Shotts & Dykehead under Tom MacAllister Jr. Their
opener was the evergreen "Hills of Alva".
I would like to see, and I think we are seeing to some degree, a
revival of some of the classic tunes in the medleys. Particularly for
medley openers and finishers, the order-of-the-day is a round / square
hornpipe / marchpipe. Unfortunately, that leaves lots of great tunes
off the list. I like the way Boghall and NZ Police in 1998 played
marches on ... good stuff and not afraid to buck the trend. (Of
course both played hornpipes this year, but as they were totally
bitchin' cool tunes, that's okay).