Classic way to remember Alasdair
THE fi fth annual Balmoral Classic piping and drumming event in Pittsburgh had a different fl avour with a major part of the proceedings devoted to paying tribute to the late Alasdair Gillies.
Alasdair, who taught at the city’s Carnegie Mellon
University, sadly passed away last August. His life was celebrated at a memorial service and a musical tribute during the Balmoral Classic weekend in November. Some of Alasdair’s students played at the service and the musical tribute featured performances from Pittsburgh musicians who were friends of Alasdair’s. The weekend, sponsored by the Balmoral School of Piping and Drumming, also included the US Junior Solo Piping and Drumming Championships and the fi rst US concert by Scottish ensemble Breabach. The band’s line-up includes two outstanding young pipers Calum MacCrimmon and James Duncan Mac- Kenzie. James is well acquainted with the Balmoral School of Piping after winning two summer trips to learn there in 2005 and 2006.
In the competitions, eight pipers and four drum- mers from eight states representing the Eastern US, Midwest, and Western Pipe Band Associations battled it out for top honours.
The overall winner of the piping contest and the Ambassador Dan Rooney Trophy was Alexander Schiele of Snohomish, Washington. Alex won the two piping events, the MSR and Piobaireachd, picking up two sets of prize pipes donated by McCallum Bagpipes and Inveran Bagpipes.
The overall winner of the drumming championship and the David L. Peet Trophy was Petey Lowrie of Brunswick, Ohio, who received the Premier HTS800 chrome mounted snare drum donated by Henderson Imports of Traverse City, Michigan. The Balmoral Classic results:
Overall Piping — 1. Alexander Schiele, Snohomish,
WA; 2. Aaron Stone, Auburn, WA; 3. Kirk Brunson, Derry, NH; 4. Christopher Farruggia, River Forest, IL; 5. Tyler Tagliaferro, Medina, OH.
Piobaireachd — 1. Alexander Schiele, Snohomish, WA; 2. Aaron Stone, Auburn, WA; 3.
K i r k
Brunson, Derry, NH; 4. Christopher Farruggia, River Forest, IL; 5. Nick Theriault, Danville, CA. MSR — 1. Alexander Schiele, Snohomish, WA; 2. Aaron Stone, Auburn, WA; 3. Tyler Tagliaferro, Medina; 4. Matthew Davis, Barto, PA; 5. Christopher Farruggia, River Forest, IL. Overall Drumming — 1. Petey Lowrie, Brunswick,
OH; 2. Amber Stone, Auburn, WA; 3. Jared Mays, Maryville, TN.
March, Strathspey, and Reel — 1. Petey Lowrie, Brunswick, OH; 2. Amber Stone, Auburn, WA; 3. Jared Mays, Maryville, TN. Hornpipe and Jig — 1. Petey Lowrie, Brunswick, OH; 2. Amber Stone, Auburn, WA; 3. Jared Mays, Maryville, TN.
Learning piobaireachd by the book
JIM McGillivray is due to release a new technical tutor book Piobaireachd Fingerwork in February. The long-awaited follow- up to his bestseller Rhythmic Fingerwork,
it promises to
be a comprehensive guide to all piobaireachd technique, including how to play common
technical variations, and features 120 exercises. MP3 fi les of tunes and exercises will also be available to download for those who buy the book.
THE NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE presents The Virginia Piping & Drumming School
17 – 22 June 2012 • PRICES START FROM £380 ($600*) Shenandoah University, Winchester, VA
The National Piping Centre, Scotland, is the centre for excellence both nationally and internationally for the Great Highland Bagpipes. Attend our school and be taught by some of the worlds most successful musicians.
Piping Tutors: Roddy MacLeod MBE, Stuart Samson MBE, Glenn Brown, John Mulhearn, Callum Beaumont**
Roddy MacLeod MBE
Principal of The National Piping Centre and four time Glenfi ddich Champion
Stuart Samson MBE Ex-Director of the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming
Glenn Brown
Gold Medallist 2009 and two time World Pipe Band Champion
John Mulhearn
Contemporary recording artist and overall winner at Northern Meeting B Grade 2009
Callum Beaumont Gold Medallist 2011 and
three time World Pipe Band Champion
Graham Brown
Lead drummer of Grade 1 Peel Regional Police, and winner of three World Drum Corps Championships
Stevie Kilbride World Champion tenor drummer Drumming Instructors: Graham Brown – Snare, Stevie Kilbride – Tenor** *Approximate exchange value at time of publication **Staff may change due to unforeseen circumstances To book your place go to
www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/schools/shenandoah-virginia or email
twilliams@thepipingcentre.co.uk PIPING TODAY • 9
NEWS
TRIBUTE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52