29 August 2009

Results from the Cowal


Grade 1 (MSR, 14 competed)
1st Field Marshal Montgomery
2nd St.Laurence O'Toole
3rd House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead
4th Strathclyde Police
5th Boghall & Bathgate
6th ScottishPower
Drumming: House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead

Grade 2 (medley, 18 competed)
1st Inveraray & District
2nd Dumfries & Galloway Constabulary
3rd Grampian Police
4th Phoenix Honda-Glasgow Skye
5th Lomond & Clyde
6th Mauchline & District
Drumming: Inveraray

That makes FM Supreme Champions (again) with SLOT nipping at their ghillies. Also, Grade One will be welcoming Inverary & District next year - after a clean sweep of all the Majors for them. Should be interesting to see if they can make the final at the Worlds next year....

Playing with YouTube



I got a wee Flip Video UltraHD just before going to the Worlds and spent quite a lot of time using it when in Glasgow.

This is just a few minutes of video I captured of Ravara last weekend up in Portrush. Usually, there is better opportunity to get up close with the big bands when they are tuning, rather than in the arena.

I've been posting a dose of stuff over on YouTube - and have now discovered how best to upload to make sure the stuff comes up in HD. Give this a watch - you'll like it.

28 August 2009

David Mitchell on Scots Gaelic


This was posted on Slugger and caught my attention. The question being asked over there was whether this would have application to Irish and to Ulsterscots.

Actually, I'm not sure that it would have universal acceptance in the language communities but I think the answer is "yes".

Personally, I agree that the primary purpose of language is as a communication tool and it has always seemed compelling to me that the people who speak Irish/Ulsterscots also speak English. Therefore, the existence/perpetuation of the language is not vital. Well, not for the purpose of communication anyway.

However, language also gives expression to identity - and that is where its survival is, in my view, essential. However - and this is something we tend to lose sight of - language is PART only of the tapestry of identity. Language must be viewed in its cultural context. That is where we have perhaps been weak. We have not promoted enough the fact that the Ulsterscots have a rich history and culture - true, it is shared with others in these Isles - but it is the product of our past and something we should hold on to and be proud of. That includes the language.

I have to agree that randomly sticking minority languages onto street signs and using it in the all-too-familiar "weaponised" form is neither desirable nor wise, but well placed use, study and preservation is something we should be willing to spend a modest amount of money on.

17 August 2009

World Pipe Band Championships 2009. Reflections.


Well, as promised, the link for the Results is here.

Looking at Grade 1, the first gratifying thing to note is that, in the Qualifiers, Ballycoan were top of the pile - and Cullybackey looked none too shabby in Fourth. The 78th lost out to the clatter of "joint fourths" and I have been told by an early riser that they had a considerably "flatter" sound than the other bands playing, which might well have proved to be their downfall.

In the Final, to see the Australia Highlanders and Dowco Triumph Street at the bottom of the pile only serves to reinforce my notion that they were questionable for their spots. Australia Highlanders have not impressed me at all on the two occasions when I have seem them this year and Dowco (from afar) didn't seem too special either. I'm all for overseas bands qualifying - I would just be happier if I felt content that it was entirely justified.

As expected FMMPB lost out due to the disparity between their piping and drumming scores (counting the Ensemble judge as another piping man). In the days before the "placings" system, I suspect that we woudl have been celebrating local winners once again. It is perhaps interesting to note in passing that the judge tasked with looking at the "whole band" (in MSR) rated FM number one - although the other adjudicators thought they were neither the best pipers nor drummers. A case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts perhaps?

The only other point to leap out (at the moment!) is the disparity in piping scores for Strathclyde (in MSR). At this level, one judge saying 8 and another saying 4 does make you wonder. It's always entirely possible that one man heard a mistake while the other fella was at the opposite side of the band but it's a big gap to justify. If they had got a solid "4", they still wouldn't have challenged SLOT, so I suppose it's a case of "no harm, no foul".

I'll return to the subject of the Worlds again, but would really like to hear from anyone else who was there and who has an opinion to put....

15 August 2009

Looking back on the day...

Well, it was quite a day. It always is. Plenty of players will tell
you that the Worlds is not the most enjoyable contest but it is the
top of the tree for all of us.

The Grade 1 qualifiers threw up a couple of slight upsets. I think
most people had expected the 78th Frasers back in the mix and
personally I doubt that Australia Highlanders should have got beyond
that stage.

Anyhow, it was great to see both Cullybackey and Ballycoan make it
through and they were sounding really well in the tuning areas.

I struggled to pull myself away from FM - even though they hold the
title for least fun band to watch tuning. They only ever seem to play
a couple of parts at most but they sound so great playing those
snatches that it hard to credit anyone besting them.

I wandered around and videoed some bits and pieces which I'll be
posting on YouTube over the start of next week.

Strathclyde Police sounded assured and Vale were about as good as I've
heard them in 10 years.

SFU just didn't strike me as the winners on the day but they are
certainly one of the great bands of our time. FM have suffered for
years through the perceived lack of a top flight drum corps. I thought
that prejudice had been laid to rest but I can't help being a little
disappointed to see how the crowd was sure once SFU had won the drums that it was all over. FM would be well down at the back and wouldn't be far enough ahead in the pipes.

The results overall were very good again for Ulster bands with the
Grades (and Drum Majors) dominated by NI talent. Ravara got a very
well deserved 2nd in Grade 2 - although I'm not sure they would relish
promotion next year.

I'll post a link to the full results later.

The photo above shows what could so easily have ruined the whole day.
The weather. We were very lucky. The early part of the day was quite
showery and yesterday was a total washout. But in the end today just
had a couple of showers to interfere with our music. Not too bad at
all - although a lot of people will be trying to get the mud out of
their socks for some time to come.

All in all it was another good Worlds and I just hope that next year
the big prize will be coming back "home".

The Crowd Heads Home


The Crowd Heads Home
Originally uploaded by ulsterscot
See you all next year!

The Grade 1 Results!


The Grade 1 Results!
Originally uploaded by ulsterscot
Grade 1 in order
Drums MSR - SFU
           MED - Shotts
           Overall - SFU (MSR preference)

Bands
SFU
FMMPB
SLOT
Polis
Shotts
Boghall

MSR - SFU
MED - SFU

Waiting for the Results!


Waiting for the Results!
Originally uploaded by ulsterscot

Rainbow. A good omen?


Rainbow. A good omen?
Originally uploaded by ulsterscot
Just waiting for the bands to form up for the results.

Strathclyde Polis


Strathclyde Polis
Originally uploaded by ulsterscot
The Polis are coming.

And this time they've got drones!

The Grade 1 Arena


The Grade 1 Arena
Originally uploaded by ulsterscot
Vale are on now - and they will be last band to play. The Ulster
connection there is leading tip, Paul Turner - a native of these shores.

FMMPB


FMMPB
Originally uploaded by ulsterscot
About to hit the line!

SFU


SFU
Originally uploaded by ulsterscot
Can you spot them in there somewhere?

Australia Highlanders


Australia Highlanders
Originally uploaded by ulsterscot
The drummers warm up the hands....

Overcast skies in Glasgow

The weather doesn't look like that kind at the minute but the band
plays on!!

12 August 2009

Looks like Lahore won't be in the Prizes

As we run round the house frantically packing for the trip to Scotland, this story caught my eye.

It seems that the good people of the UK Border Agency have taken a dislike to the Pakistani Pipe Band which has played at the Worlds for the last couple of years.

Initially, I thought the whole thing seemed utterly ridiculous - but then started to wonder what on earth they think these people have been up to/could get up to. Presumably they aren't just unhappy at the way they play their Strathspeys. If that was a problem our band would never be in Scotland!

10 August 2009

Beautiful East Belfast


Beautiful East Belfast
Originally uploaded by ulsterscot
It may not be the best photo I have ever taken - but I was sufficiently impressed with the way the clouds were hanging in the sky on the way home, that I had to stop and take this - enjoy!

09 August 2009

Live Blogging from the Worlds?


The Ulsters yesterday gave me an idea.

Those who have been following the mad people on Slugger will be aware that they have recently become great fans of the "live Blog".

The Twelfth and the Ardoyne Riots have both featured with "on the ground" reporters using all the latest gear to post reports more or less as things happen.

I'll be on Glasgow Green on Saturday, hopefully close to the Grade 1 action - albeit not in the expensive Stand seats - and I'll have the trusty iPhone with me. That provides all I need to post on here - and hopefully even get the results online long before the RSPBA has posted the official list.

I can try to get a few (ropey) shots with the camera in the phone and I may even experiment with the video capture stuff to see if I can get anything interesting to stick on to YouTube.

So, has anyone any interest in a little reportage?

08 August 2009

Ulster Championships 2009

Dodging the rain showers and chatting with the Dignitaries - who
included the Minister from DCAL - a pleasant afternoon was passed at
the Ulsters in Newcastle.

Cullybackey impressed with their now characteristic clean fingering in
Grade 1. I didn't stay for the results but am guessing Field Marshall
should have topped the pile. SLOT get better every year and I suspect
should have been close behind. I'll post a link to the results when
they appear on line

[updated] The results are now up here and I think that I have reason to feel a little smug. FM won with SLOT in second - gettting two firsts in the MSR. Interesting to see that the overseas bands struggled. Hopefully that bodes well for the Worlds next week - although the stronger competition should be from Scotland and Canada.

That has given me an idea for the Worlds next week. Hmmmmm. I'll
ruminate on it and post later on.

Normal Service Resumed

The abnormal sunshine of the last few days in Glasgow has been replaced by more usual grey skies and heavy spots of rain. This year we ha...