RESULTS RU Brown Gold Medal,Adelaide,May 8


RobertWallace reports: The RU Brown Gold Medal and


its attendant


competitions combine to make what is probably now the foremost solo piping event in Australia. It was established 40 years ago following a teaching and recital visit by the eponymous Bob Brown, Balmoral. The promoters are the RU Brown Piobaireachd Society of South Australia. Their president is Craig Masson who took over from his father Ewen ten years ago.The contest is financed through a very generous endowment left the Society by one of its founding members Mr Mervyn Hall.The Society flies in an overseas judge each year and also provides travel subsidy for the


competitors where necessary.


Proceedings begin on the Saturday evening when a few of the competing pipers and perhaps a judge will perform a recital.This sets the tone for the weekend. It is always fraternal. Mr Masson and his committee deserve credit for fostering this approach. They attracted 96 pipers to their ten separate competitions. The contest is held at the Scotch


College in Adelaide, an ideal facility provi- ded by the headmasterMrMalcolmMassey. I was invited to judge the GoldMedal along with Queensland’s Sam Young and Jim Smith, an ex Dundonian who played in the old NCR band before emigrating to South Australia. The contest is held in the College’s chapel. Pipers are asked to submit four tunes. Each piper is given a time when they should appear to perform.This works well reducing stewarding, though it would fall down if there were two no – shows in a row.This did not happen this year and when


49


Silver and Gold MedallistsTam McGirr and Ross Campbell in


there was a gap I was able to announce a break. You need suitable breaks


piobaireachd contests. First to play was Jamie Hawke from


New Zealand. He was given The Lament for the Earl of Antrim and made a reasonable attempt at it. He overcut short notes at the ends of lines in the ground and variation 1, in variation 3 placed the emphasis on the second note of the couplet rather than on the note that follows and paused too long on the taorluath and crunluaths beats before cadences. These points aside, this is a promising piper with good technique. The pipe was steady but lacked sparkle, especially on low A and C. Sandy Dalzell came next with Weighing From Land. He had the required swing in the ground but error followed error thereafter and his triplet variation verged on 6/8 time. Some blowing on the top hand was suspect, particularly on E. Top prizewinnerMarion Horsburgh played His Father’s Lament for DonaldMacKenzie.She came off the notes before the double echoes in the ground too soon and had a tendency to overdo the stresses at the ends of lines. In the dithis she was torn whether to make the


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