Willie McCallum lunchtime recital #6
The last video from Willie McCallum’s lunchtime recital, recorded at The Piping Centre during Piping Live 2010. The video set concludes with a slow air and jigs.
Willie McCallum lunchtime recital #5
The fifth video of Willie McCallum’s lunchtime recital from Piping Live in August 2010. A set of retreat marches this time. I do quite a good set of retreat marches, and Willie plays them about as well as anyone on the planet.
Tomorrow is the last video; I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to this masterful player.
Willie McCallum lunchtime recital #4
Part 4 of 6 from Willie McCallum’s lunchtime recital during the Piping Live Festival from August 2010: slow air and hornpipes.
Willie McCallum lunchtime recital #3
Part 3 of 6 of Willie McCallum’s lunchtime recital from Piping Live 2010: 2/4 marches.
Willie McCallum lunchtime recital #2
The next video in Willie McCallums lunchtime recital from Piping Live 2010: strathspeys and reels.
Willie McCallum lunchtime recital
While cruising YouTube this morning I came across a series of videos recorded during the Piping Live Festival in Glasgow, Scotland in August 2010. Each day featured a lunchtime recital at The Piping Centre. Stuart Liddell gave one of the recitals, and this one is Willie McCallum.
Willie is one of the top solo competitors on the circuit today and one of the most decorated solo pipers of all time. He’s also a heck of a nice guy.
Here’s the first of six videos in the series: 6/8 marches. The rest of the videos in the series will follow.
Mmm, hmm. I do love me some 6/8 marches.
Play for the fun of it
As an active bagpiper, I find it very easy to get wrapped up in the competition music. For one, it’s always in need of improvement (try listening to a recording of yourself playing if you don’t believe me), and for another competitions are one of the few chances I get to play for the critical ear of a distinguished piper. (more…)
It’s the Monday Survey: Volume 11!
I had a rather disappointing response to last week’s question, and I’m hoping this week will be different.
With the holiday season fully upon us and the time for Piping Claus to bring his gifts fast approaching,
What piping goodies do you have on your wish list?
Do you go for the basic supplies, like reeds, hemp and maintenance supplies? New instrument parts like chanters or blowpipes? Fancy bag covers? Cases? Gadgets?
As always, leave your comments on this page. I’d like to hear what you have to say!
Town hall meeting a success!
I spent just over an hour this evening “attending” the town hall style meeting with Eastern United States Pipe Band Association president Eric MacNeill. The meeting was organized by Andrew Douglas from The Piper’s DoJo, and through the wonders of technology there were folks logged in from several locations throughout the EUSPBA, as well as Scotland and Costa Rica.
Somewhere between 40-50 people were actually attending, roughly the same attendance by the end of the Annual General Meeting held a few weeks back. Tonight’s meeting started with Andrew asking a few questions of Eric, and then they took questions from the audience. There were some really good questions.
My favorite part was that many of the people who chimed in with questions were not the same people who dominated the discussion time at the AGM, and they definitely represented more of the general membership of the association. It was really nice to hear some thoughts from some different folks, who are much more interested in the music than the politics.
I like the fact that in the few weeks that he’s been in office, Eric has already participated in something like this, taking questions from the membership at large, that his predecessor wouldn’t have done. I knew there was a reason I voted for him!
I hope this conversation between president and members will continue, and that it might lead to a more active (and happier) membership.
Most overplayed tunes: retreat marches
I’m going to step up on my soapbox here and complain for a bit. I’ve posted before about the stunning lack of variety in the selection of MSR tunes for the higher levels of band competition, but the unimaginative tune selection isn’t limited to high level bands, or to competition bands specifically. (more…)
Come to the town hall meeting
I attended the annual general meeting of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association a few weeks ago, and it filled my yearly tolerance for parliamentary procedure and organizational bickerings. That said, I think the EUSPBA is not a perfect system, but it works well enough for most of the members.
That said, newly elected EUSPBA president Eric MacNeill seems to be open to something his predecessor never was: feedback from the members. Through the Piper’s DoJo, he will be holding a town hall style meeting, with attendance open to the world via webinar. The date is this Thursday, December 9, at 6 p.m. EST.
I’m interested to see the discussion, so I’m going to check it out. I recommend you do too.
It’s the Monday Survey: Volume 10!
Last week I asked for your favorite piping videos, and there were some great videos that were shared. Definitely worth watching when you have a few minutes.
This week features a similar question: a friend of yours comments that he/she doesn’t like the bagpipes, and you speculate it’s because he/she has never heard them played properly.
What is the one video of Highland Bagpipes you would share with a friend who has never heard good bagpipes?
Here’s mine: Angus MacColl playing strathspeys and reels.
As usual, leave a comment with your video. I’ll make another playlist once there have been some good responses.
Great bagpipe videos!
In last week’s Monday Survey question, I asked for your favorite piping video. There were some great responses (and several on my Facebook profile, too), and surprisingly the Highland Pipes were in a minority. We had a homemade double smallpipe, The Rogues, and Johnny Bagpipes, in addition to a great one of Ross Ainslie on Border Pipes. I made a playlist of the submitted videos; check them out!
Of the ones posted, I quite enjoyed this one of Stuart Liddell’s medley at the Metro Cup this year. He’s still one of my favorite players when it comes to innovative and fancy playing. He also has an impeccably tuned bagpipe, and it’s truly a joy to hear him play in person. Thanks, Derek, for posting this.
