on his characteristically melodious bagpipe. Var 1 and the doubling were very nicely phrased, and apart from a tiny squeak on low G and one missed C movement this was a flawless performance. Ross Wilson from Canada played MacLeod’s Salute. His drones had stopped at the first phrase – and the audience and judges suggested he could play again, and he did so. While the fingering and phrasing was good he was obviously trying to nurse the bagpipe through the tune, and in the T variation drones stopped again. He said that the pipe was not used to the Scottish moisture. Susy Klinger from Germany had
MacLeod of Rassay to play and the Ground, Thumb and T Variations were very enjoyable to listen to – I was sitting beside a member of the JCJ panel who was nodding and smiling throughout. The T movement was brisk, and the C movement very brisk. She got a bit lost in the a-mach, which was a great pity as this was otherwise a good tune. Pipes not quite in tune at the outset. Chris Grieve’s Glengarry’s Lament
started well with a nice rendering of the Urlar on a light bagpipe.Var 1 singling was quick brisk, and he missed a few gracenotes in the doubling.The T movement was also lightly fingered, and you got the impression he could lift his fingers higher to good effect – he said that to me afterwards. C movement was very strong, and the a-mach was light on the bottom hand but tempo good.
Ross Sutherland played the majestic
Donald of Laggan. His F was a little flat (in a tune full of F’s) but bagpipe otherwise nice.The Ground could have been ‘opened up’ a little – especially the E cadence notes which were quick.The difficult cadences in T and C singlings could also have been opened up a bit, and while doublings were good, I couldn’t work out the rhythm of the C doubling – was it a 6 beat or a 5 beat? I like the waltz rhythm of the 6 beat brebach,
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Quaich winner Dr JKS Frater with the coveted trophy
and could not hear that coming out. Con Houlihan was one of two players
who had the Viscount of Dundee. The ground was nicely phrased with a very open chelalho. Var 1 and doubling were nice though drones drifted a little. I thoughtVar 2 doubling was pretty quick, and from then on the tune went well apart from a couple of missed C movements. Alastair MacQueen played I am Proud
to Play a Pipe on a very quiet but melodious pipe.The only point which was surprising to the ear was the hiemen phrase – which can be played with a long E and then a shorter low G to A. Alastair played the E shortish and the G very short.He had a tiny error inVar 1 and the brebach became faster and faster towards the end. Result – 1. J Frater, 2. T Peterkin, 3. E McKimmon, 4. C Houlihan, 5. A Forbes; judges were Captain Stuart Samson and Dr WilliamWotherspoon. (To be continued next issue).