Missing Maxville AND Montreal

Been watching all the Maxville preparations online this week. As the largest and best Highland Games in North America, the Glengarry Highland Gathering attracts top bands from across North America, and sometimes event the UK. The CRPB has been a semi-regular band at Maxville since our first trip, in 1996.

That year, we had a new lead drummer, a young guy from Moose Jaw who had experience with Alberta Caledonia since he was 13. Ryan is a wee bit older now, and with years of experience in Grade 1 and 2, and now he's leading his Rocky Mountain Pipe Band drum corps in its first attempt at the Maxville Games. In the drum corps are ex-CRPB members Dave Roth and Andy Kopciuch, and the pipe-major is another guy who made that first CRPB Maxville trip in 1996—Sean Somers. We had some good years in Maxville and Montreal, placing well in the Grade, to not a few people's surprise.

At the other end of the country, Gord Perry is leading an excellent Fredericton Pipe Band toward Maxville. Gord also gained his first Grade 2 experience at Maxville with the CRPB. For a couple of seasons, we had Gord Perry and Brad Clyde join us from Winnipeg for the big summer contests. Gord has been working hard to build the Fredericton band, and Brad Clyde is still with us.

Maxville is a fantastic contest, and quite spectacular in many ways. The gathering of bands from so far, the judging panel, the Maxville solos, the large entry, the great grounds, the PPBSO's fantastic organization of it all, and the more than 30,000 people who come to take it all in. We'll miss being there to compete, and we'll miss hearing the Grade 1 bands do their thing.

Best of luck to former CRPB members taking the field in various bands, and especially to Rocky Mountain Pipe Band, going for the first time.

While bands are hard at it in Maxville, the CRPB will be having a last weekend practice before we leave for Scotland. We have a pretty full playing schedule, which takes in North Berwick Games, Bridge of Allan, The Piping Festival, Pipes of Peace Festival and Concert, the Worlds, and Perth Games. Watch here for updates.

The Countdown

Mid-July, and the countdown to the big contests has begun. Ex-member Gord Perry, now P-M of the Fredericton Society of St. Andrews Pipe Band has begun his Maxville countdown. Two weeks to work on the contest beard. In 2008, the CRPB did that with moustaches. Tons of fun, although the band photos are still a bit gruesome. I've seen the countdowns to the Worlds, and countdowns to the flights, and bands are all aflutter about the big days ahead. The predictions have been flowing on the chat sites for some time, and everything is building for the annual massive blowout that is the month of August in the pipe band world.

The CRPB has been working diligently to raise its game, despite having a few weeks off a major band weekend, we have accomplished a fair bit in terms of player and instrument readiness. This weekend we got together and practiced over two days. As always: a great time, many laughs, and a lot accomplished musically. Took delivery of the final jackets/vests, marking the completion of a 100% "re-uniform" project that started in 2009.

Band members are looking forward to the experience of playing in Scotland once again, and also to hearing a lot of great music. Not sure how many days till we go, but I do know I'm looking forward to playing. Tis the season.

Oh Canada

Seems fitting on this Canada Day, July 1st, to talk about the tremendous impact that Canadians, and Canadian piping has had on the world stage. Recent posts on one of the Scottish piping blogs, and we understand followed up with a print editorial, are quick to find fault with Canadian pipers and drummers, bands, teachers, and the approach to music of certain Grade 1 bands.

The truth is, the piping and pipe band worlds are extremely fortunate to have had non-Scots pursue this hobby so passionately, and to have them so willingly attack the traditions, standards, and commonly accepted "truths" of what has been seen as traditional piping.

It would be tedious to list all the non-Scots whose devotion to playing the instrument have made such a difference in both solo and band worlds, however, on this Canada Day, here are a few: Jim McMillan [teacher of Terry & Jack Lee, and many others], Archie Cairns, P-M James Watt, William Barrie [a Scot, but lived here longest], John Wilson [also a Scot, and a proud Canadian], Bill Livingstone, Terry Lee, Jack Lee, Jamie Troy, Hal Senyk, Jim McGillivray, Ed Neigh, John Fisher, John Kerr, Luke Allan, Drew Duthart, Alan Bevan, Bruce Gandy, Michael Grey, Gord Tuck, Bob Worrall, Ken Eller, Scott MacAulay, SFU Pipe Band, 78th Fraser Highlanders, City of Victoria, Triumph Street [old and new], Clan MacFarlane, Guelph Pipe Band, McNish Distillery, Port Moody Pipe Band, City of Toronto/General Motors,T&D, Metro Toronto Police, Toronto Police, Peel Police.....

It's an overwhelming task, and any list is going to leave out a lot of people whose contributions have been enormous, and who have made an impact on the world scene. On this Canada Day, I am proud to be part of a piping and pipe band culture that has produced among the very best players, bands and music the world has seen.

So, Happy Canada Day to all you Canadian pipers, drummers, and bands.

Internet Dating, Highland Games and the Weeks Ahead

Way back in the cold days of January 2010, I was browsing through the various piping forums when I chanced upon a note that caught my eye. It was something along the lines of "Grade 1 piper, Northern Ireland, looking for interesting band situation. Willing to travel." For a laugh, I sent an email: "How far are you willing to travel?" And that started a conversation that concluded with one Allen Crozier of Dromore, Northern Ireland, landing on our doorstep the week before Moose Jaw/Regina Games. Allen had the music, and we swapped mp3s, and I mailed him a chanter and reeds, and he got set up like us at home, and it turned out to be a great thing for the band. Apart from being a good player, we've added an excellent gentleman to the band. We had a blast with him, and we're looking forward to him joining us for the Scotland adventure later this summer. As a bonus, son Aaron is going to be our drum major on the trip.

It was also fantastic to see band member Graham Schmidt back from Boston for the Games weekend. Graham's always a contributor, and his extensive behind-the-scenes work on the Games makes it all happen. My only complaint is that we don't see him more.

Despite some miserable weather, the Games went well, and from the band's perspective, we were close to being where we hoped. The medley was the better play for each each day, and the MSRs still need some attention. It was great to have The Rocky Mountain Pipe Band out for the Games. They are a good band, and good people, and it makes the whole thing a lot more fun. The ceilidh ran out of draft beer early, and the last player left our house at 7 am to go play golf at 8. Was a great night.

Upcoming, we have a few performances, perhaps most notable is the CRPB's performance at the annual Regina Multicultural Council's "MOSAIC" Festival on Saturday, June 5. Since the band was formed in 1992, we have never had an invitation to play at the Scottish Pavilion, other than in massed bands. Small-town politics and turf protection always got in the way of things, and 2009 was our first-ever invitation to perform [we couldn't be there] and 2010 will be our first-ever performance. We hope to see you there: 7:40pm, at the Tartan Curling Club, Regina.

Happy Mother's Day Band Weekend

We spent a lot of Saturday and half of today preparing for upcoming contests. Had a crew in from Winnipeg, and had quite a few runs in the chilly spring air on the grass. Refined the sets and medley a little more, worked on some sound issues and unison playing, and made some summer plans. Last night, a few band members were recalling a bus-missing incident following the Glengarry Highland Games at Maxville, and they decided to put words to music, and even some choreography appeared.

Enjoy this cautionary tale from "Jordan Roy and the Rae Street Band," which underlines the point that we should listen to our mothers. And how timely that message was, being completed just as the clock turned on Mother's Day.

Hope that you, and your mothers, had a great day.

Farewells, Concerts and Missing Persons
In 2007, I spent a season with ScottishPower Pipe Band and did more than my share of travelling to make the contests. On one of the weekends, I flew to Scotland on a Wednesday, arriving in time for Thursday night practice, then off to Ireland on Friday for a contest. I remember thinking that it would take some time getting back to Scotland, so I booked a Monday flight home from Glasgow, but it turned out we had an early Sunday morning flight into Glasgow, and I had a day to kill. Rather than hang about in Glasgow, I rented a car for the day, and drove up to some of my favourite places: The Falls of Dochart at Killin, Aberfeldy, the Campsie Hills. You could say I was just "killin" time. Ha. Anyway, it was a wet and overcast day, a few rain showers, and not warm, so I spent a good part of the day driving, soaking up the sights, and listening to the BBC. There was a fantastic program on about the famous Scottish singer, Kenneth McKellar. My Mom had Kenneth McKellar records, so I knew his voice well, and I always associated him with the kind of "stage Scottish" singing that I wasn't fond of. The documentary gave me a whole new insight into his life and music, and of course I was much older, with more perspective. It was a memorable program, and it brought back lots of memories of hearing him. So, I was a bit saddened to hear of his recent death. He was a great performer, and I think his voice is worth hearing.




Another farewell was the forced retirement of BBC's Travelling Folk host Archie Fisher. Archie has been one of the legends of Scottish traditional music, and in his time as the presenter of Travelling Folk has covered a lot of ground. His final show was this weekend, and I will be sorry to see him gone. He brings such a depth of understanding to what he did at TF, and that will be very difficult to replace.



This weekend the CRPB played a concert in Estevan, SK. We were accompanied on the journey by the excellent Scott Benson, and we had a good audience and fun was had all around. The live performance is great in terms of working out some nerves and kinks, and certainly gives us ideas about who rises to perform, and who doesn't. Many thanks to those people who cam e to support the concert in Estevan, and to the PPCLI Pipes & drums and the local dancers. Lastly, thanks to the families of the three amigos from Estevan, who did so much to support the concert and make it a success.

The past few weeks have been an odd time in the band, as one of our members has gone missing. Following a lot of concern, phone calls for weeks on end, and finally a missing person's report, we have some news that is positive. Looking forward to a happy conclusion for all concerned. It outlines for me how much we take on when we are in pipe bands. The people who wear the uniform and travel the same road become a little more than acquaintances, and a little more than friends. It explains why a change of status can cause such a stir in a band.

As Red Green would say, we're here for ya buddy. Keep your stick on the ice.

What I Thought About on a Day Off
This week we cancelled band practice so that members could find a screen and watch the Canada-USA gold medal hockey game, which we now know to be Canada's 14th gold medal at the Winter Olympics, and a record for any nation. A few band members gathered at O'Hanlon's, and others watched from home. One member claimed he was going to watch in his underwear, like a "true Canadian." OK, if you say so.

The Olympic story that caught my attention in the last day or two was that of the skier Petra Majdi, who was injured in a bad fall during a training run, and despite broken ribs and a punctured lung, went on to race two heats, and then the final, where she finished 3rd. She was helped out of a wheelchair onto the medal podium, and then straight back to hospital after.

I love those kinds of stories because they illustrate what might be possible for the highly committed person, and they help us put our own competitive challenges in perspective. This was brought into sharper focus for me as I pondered next steps in improving the pipe band's on-field performances. Pipe bands put stress on people in ways they might not experience in other aspects of their lives, and especially in competition. Blowing pipes, carrying drums, wearing wool, in high temperatures [or low] while focussing enough to deliver tuned and well-expressed music. It's not easy.

It is, however, quite a bit easier than completing three ski races with broken ribs and a punctured lung. So for those of you who find it really stressful and maybe don't play your best under those conditions, start thinking about the alternatives. Would it be better if you didn't play? Would you have more fun doing something else? Or, maybe it's time to really address the issue in a concrete way. Start by reading this, and I think that you'll recognize bits of yourself in there. Who is this about? It's about us all. We all experience this from time to time, and at every level, you HAVE to be a little nervous to really perform your best. However, the key is to learn how to channel that energy into the right things. You learn that by thinking about it, and by practising it a lot, and developing confidence in your ability to play well.

I hope the Olympics were inspiring in terms of the possibilities, and the message that with a lot of hard work and a great attitude, a lot can be accomplished.

Another Great Weekend for the Books
The 18th annual Alexander Keith's Mid-Winter Celtic Festival came and went over the weekend, and it was a great time. It started Friday night with music in O'Hanlon's, and then the afternoon session there 12-4 on Saturday, followed by the sold out and packed-to-the-rafters Ceilidh. A highlight for me was the band's performance of the medley.

With a packed hall and a healthy interest in the bar, food and silent auction it was a great fundraiser too, and special thanks go to Alexander Keith's for their support. They were there all weekend, looking after the performers, making sure lots of Keith's was enjoyed, and helping to make it a great event. Also thanks to Niall O'Hanlon for his support, and to all the perfomers. It was great having Gord Fisch in Regina to play with the Scott Benson Band for the Ceilidh.

Sunday morning at 10 it was back to the scene of the crime, I mean, Ceilidh for a two-hour practice before the out-of-town guys left the scene. We had a very goo practice. Making strides on new music, and starting to put together a better sound than we've had in a few weeks.

Thanks to all the band members for their commitment over the weeks leading up to the MWCF. There is real excitement building as we start to make firm plans for Scotland this summer, and a great fundraising and performance weekend is just what we needed.

Teamwork, Laughs, Unusual Practice Halls and Sore Arms
The band just completed a weekend of practice, and it gave me pause to reflect about the tremendous teamwork that made it all possible. Several members drove significant distances [6 hours, 4 hours] for the weekend, which is not an easy task given that they leave Friday night at the end of a work week, and head home after a long weekend of piping/drumming and staying up too late! At this end, people pitched in to put them up, while others scrambled to find a last-minute practice hall. The lead drummer volunteered to shop for and cook a meal for the entire band, and it was great—steak, potatoes, salad, and dessert. Some folks brought kegs of Tim's coffee for Saturday morning, and one of the band spouses [no, NOT a wife!] put together a fantastic lunch for the band after practice Sunday. There are likely many other examples, but I have to express thanks to all the band members for contributing so heartily to what was a great weekend of practice and fellowship.

At the moment, we are bouncing about a little with various practice locations, and we had two unusual ones this weekend. We used a 1920s church in Regina all day Saturday, and it was an excellent location, but a big but good indoor sound: high church ceiling, wooden floors, great natural light, and close to restaurants! We spent the entire time on pipes, and played about half the day with the full band. Lots of fun, and good progress on all the music. Sunday morning, we practiced at an old one-room school about 5 miles north of Regina. Someone popped in the night before to turn on the heat and get the water running, and it was a great, although unusual location. The school is closed now, and operates a few times a year as a community centre, although the community it served no longer needs it.

It seemed a fitting way to end the weekend. The same kind of team spirit and selflessness that builds and maintains small community schools was evident in the band members and families who contributed to the success of the weekend.

Sore arms? That was a lot of playing...

UP NEXT: The Mid-Winter Celtic Festival

2009: A Great Year to Be in the CRPB
The end of the calendar year is upon us, and 'tis the time for reflection on the year just past. I usually venture down this blogging path alone, and this time I asked the current band "What about 2009?" I have my own thoughts, of course, and I was happy hear that band members agreed: it was a great year to be in the band.

I have been pipe major of the band since the fall of 1992, and in that time, I have played with some amazing people in this band, had a wide range of great people come and go as members, and had many happy and successful times with the band. I would have to say, however, that 2009 stands out as the most satisfying year so far, from my perspective. In part, that likely has to do with the seasons just before—not competing in 2007 due to a lack of members, and just barely competing—with no success—in 2008. In large measure, though, this is due to the great mix of people we have in the band at this moment, and how much they are willing to do to make the band fun and successful.

2009 saw the band steadily develop, starting with some fun music at the Mid-Winter Celtic Festival, and then a performance at Winnipeg that held some promise, but was far short of what we needed to get past another Grade 2 band. Throughout the early part of the season, the band was not able to deliver the sound that was there, and we paid in the results. The first time that turned around for us was at Selkirk, Manitoba in June, We had two pretty solid plays, and it was no longer "straight 2nds." The coolest part of that was that the band members understood immediately that we came close, and rather than saying "cool, let's keep doing this" they said "can we add another night of practice?"

The days of practice in Maxville ahead of the big day were the best I have experienced with the CRPB. We had good sound every day, and it got better, and the playing was getting tighter, and then...something came loose at Maxville, and we gassed the medley. Badly blown, mistakes, etc., and the band's "big day" inexperience showed. We were so downhearted after the medley, that we dropped the ball getting ready for the MSR, and showed up at the line not in tune, and not really excited to play.

Montreal, as the record shows, turned out to be a pretty good play for the band, and hearing the band announced "Best Pipe Section" was many band members' favourite moment of 2009. For others, the beer tent and the bus ride back to the hotel was a key memory. One of the best moments for me was that we decided play some tunes in the beer tent before massed bands, just to have fun and blow off steam. Ot turned out to be THE medley performance of the season, and we heard nothing but positives afterward.

September long weekend, a smaller band went to Calgary/Canmore games weekend, where we played well both days, delivering the sound we had set-up, and finishing the season with a performance in the Canmore Beer Tent, and then hours of fun to follow.

We've been working hard all fall, and have learned new music, worked in some new members, and are planning some big things for 2010. But before we get there, good to look back on a superb year for the band. Here's what some others thought:

Karen's Highlights:
- Getting lost in Minot following the Google map to the lodge
- The Pouring rain in Montreal - deciding not to leave and have fun playing in the beer tent then a good performance
- Then Ruaridh missing the bus
- Racing to catch the plane in Montreal with Pat and Stacy (lesson learned)
- Getting new tenor drums and the Bass drum just at competition (after the head mishap)
- and just working hard, getting out there to competitions and the improvement we made throughout the year.

Scott:
Best pipe section in Montreal was the highlight of the year for me

Richard:
being a "part time member" seeing the tremendous improvement from Winnipeg in February to Canmore in September

John LL:
This piping thing, like this life, takes hard work. And just like this life, giving up is simply not an option. For me, it's one of the wonderful things about Regina and CRPB. It's great to be in a place with a really good organisation of really nice people who genuinely enjoy the hard work, and a beer afterward. I remember Barb mumbling some crap about the pursuit of excellence (I'm just kidding, it's not crap), at Maxville 1 1/2 years ago, and that's how I felt about this year. I am still in the pursuit of excellence in piping, and I enjoy it, even with it's setbacks. I feel that the nicest thing about this year for me in the band has been the feeling that we are all in this pursuit together, and it's good to feel that you're good at something that you enjoy (or at least improving, growing, learning), and a part of something bigger, the competitive piping world. I guess I've always been in the world of piping, although on the peripheral edge in a sense as a non competitor. That said, playing the solo at police funerals is still a great honour, and to me central to what the piping world is, or should be, but I wanted at this point in my life tro get closer to the other world of piping and improve my playing for the uniform world, too: To pursue excellence. As Pipe Major Sam Scott said, "Practice has it's own reward - Find it!". This year has helped me find that reward.

Graham:
2009 was definitely a highlight just to be able to play back in the ranks again.
- First Selkirk performance, gave that instant feeling that we're definitely competitive and can produce a good sound. Plus everyone was a solid performer
- Maxville practices...producing consistently solid sound
- Montreal result...winning best piping was probably the best result I've ever contributed to while in the band.
- Montreal bus ride/hotel after party...can never go wrong making up new song verses to the tune of booze!
Overall, was a great experience to come back to the band after an absence playing in Scotland.

Stacy:
High: Hanging out with the band in the Canmore Beer Tent
Why: The people - the realization that the entire band enjoys playing together as well as hanging together at the end of the day.

Meg:
I really loved the band practises leading up to events-those were the biggest laughs throughout the year and where the best ideas came from. I hope for even better times in 2010!

Aaron:
One of the best moments was hearing the results in Montreal. It wasn't first place, but it was exciting nonetheless to be in the top three of a bigger competition. The even more exciting moment of course was getting first in piping. Another great time was in the Canmore beer tent. An awesome end to an awesome season.

Sienna:
I'll start with one downer so I can end with the positives:
1. Playing the medley in Maxville: marching off the field with a general sense of "what the hell" because our practices leading up to that moment were great, especially the one the night before the big day. The dissappointment of knowing we blew it (or more specifically under-blew it) during and after that set. : (
2. Our split decision on whether or not to play in Montreal: go back to the hotel, play for a bit in the beer tent, or just go for it? After most of the band threw back a pint in the beer tent, the sun made its first appearance of the day and before we knew it we were tuning up for what would become a great win of the season.
3. Standing in massed bands in Montreal and hearing our name come in 3rd out of how many? And then months down the road finding out not only did we place 3rd, but 2nd due to a disqualification. Again another ironic twist of fate that inspires our members to believe we are competitive.

Jordan:
... getting straight firsts in drumming at Calgary/Canmore

Blackwood Cracks in the Cold
The weather has been frightful here on the Canadian prairie in the last couple of weeks, and it seems like "not" bagpipe weather. In fact, it's the perfect time to play. If you don't, you can almost hear blackwood cracking in the boxes. Despite the cold, we've been having good practices, and have had a couple of excellent band weekends.

A couple of weekends back, we had trouble getting a regular location for practice, and we ended up renting the hall at the First Presbyterian Church which has been the home of the Fraser Pipe Band in Regina since the 1960s. So, it was "deja vu all over again" for a few of us, pictured [L-R]: Alex Rasmussen, Pat (Clemence) Luchenski, Iain MacDonald, Barb (McDougall) MacDonald, Arlene (Clemence) Kary and Karen (Hastings) Hala—all former members of the Fraser Pipe Band. We all spent a lot of time in that church hall, and it was fun to be there.

It was also at that band weekend that the members decided on a contest and travel schedule for the 2010 season. Despite some strong interest to return to Maxville and Montreal games, we did not have enough members who could make it that weekend, so instead we have launched a much more ambitious project: returning to the UK in August 2010 for competitions and events. This is a far cry from a couple of years ago, when the band had neither the members or the ability to make such a trip happen. So, 2010 should be an exciting year [again] for the band.

Watch for the band to make a major uniform upgrade in the new year, and we are also going to soon have some [more] exciting news about the Mid-Winter Celtic Festival. In the meantime, if you live in Regina, come out to Arthur Guinness' Birthday Party at O'Hanlon's Pub on December 23rd. We'll be there.

What Can You Learn from Football?

If you live in Canada, you are likely aware that this past weekend was the annual Grey Cup game in Calgary, the championship game of football for the Canadian Football League. And if you live in Saskatchewan, or are one of the many fans of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, you will be painfully aware of their near-victory, and the stunning loss with no time on the clock.

The painful story of the loss is that Saskatchewan took a dumb penalty on a last-second field goal attempt, which the opposition team had missed. The "too many men on the field" penalty allowed the team to re-kick, and they scored, putting them ahead by one point, and giving them the Grey Cup Championship. Across media of every type, fans and commentators are moaning about or rejoicing those last few seconds of the game. I think that the game was lost much earlier.

In piping and pipe band competitions, it is common knowledge that if you leave the door open in some way [note error, missed attack, saggy D, over-blown F/G, missed break] a fellow competitor—or maybe a judge—will walk through it, and you will lose. It doesn't always happen, but you approach the massed bands thinking it's quite likely.

So, when the Riders missed that field goal in the first quarter of play, I wondered if those missed three points would come back to bite them. And, after Montreal's last touchdown, and the missed two-point conversion, all the Riders needed was to move the ball for a couple of first downs, and they'd have won. They didn't. With the game in hand, they failed to get the yards they needed, and really [it has to be said]: Montreal deserved a shot at a last-minute field goal.

And even after all that, the Riders had the chance to win because the Montreal kicker shanked the ball [again] and missed, giving the Riders the last-minute win...until the penalty was called. My point is: that game could have been won by the Roughriders at several points before the last-second kick, and had they executed fully, Montreal would not have had the chance for that kick, or if they had, it would not have been enough points to win.

Contests, be they football or bagpipes, are about controlling all the things you can, as well as you can. When you make mistakes, you shouldn't expect to win. Don't blame this one on the 13th man, the game had slipped out of the Riders' grasp already.

This has two important "take aways" for piping. First, prepare for competition by focussing on all the things in your control, and not thinking about the things you can't control. And second, when things go wrong, think about the things that you could have done differently, rather than all the other stuff that might have affected the outcome.

Tough stuff. At the end of the day, the "near wins" are the hardest losses to take.

Farewell to the Old Guard

Today was the annual Remembrance Day performance for the bands here and everywhere, and more than ever it underlined for me the fact that the old veterans of the wars are disappearing. One of the tunes I published in Along the Road was "Farewell to the Old Guard," a tribute of sorts to the parade of veterans that takes place each Remembrance Day. The parade is getting smaller each year, and while it's the natural order of things, it makes the day that much more meaningful for the remaining veterans, and for the new veterans of recent conflict.

The band looked and sounded well, and we had a fair turnout of members from both the City of Regina Pipe Band and the Conservatory of Performing Arts Pipe Band. Following the televised ceremoney at the Brandt Centre, the bands retired to the Legion for tea and a sandwich, and then played a few tunes in each of the rooms at the Legion. As always, the band was appreciated greatly, and gratifying to see people moved by [even] our music.

The day brings back many memories of my Dad, seen here ready for the road during the war, and also my Mom, recently departed, for whom this day was a strange mixture of happy and sad. For many years it was my practice to visit the parents on this day. When my Dad was alive, we'd get his medals out of the closet and polish them, and talk about those things he chose to discuss. After he died, we'd visit Mom, and she greatly missed Dad on this day, and also fondly remembered the many great times they had at the "Armistice Ball" and other events.

Lots to remember on this day, and much to appreciate. Thanks to all the band members for being such a huge part of that over many years.

Be Sure to Thank Your Mother

When my Mom was young, she desperately wanted to play the bagpipes. As a girl in Regina in the 1930s and 40s, there weren't a lot of options. Some of the guys in the local militia band did some teaching, and later on, the Regina Boys' Pipe Band taught students, but no one would teach girls. You could only be a piper if you were male. So, she put it off, and in later years, with family of her own, looked into lessons for her kids. In 1965, a junior pipe band was formed in Regina after having been disbanded at the end of WW2, and I was eight years old.

There was no chance I was going to go to play bagpipes, because I understood that you had to wear a skirt. The band was formed in September 1965, and it took my Mom until December to convince me to give it a try. She told me later she filled my head full of stories of great pipers, and downplayed the whole K-I-L-T thing. A few lessons in, I was hooked, and despite a few bumps over the years, it has been great.

As pipes|drums editor Andrew Berthoff stated so eloquently not that long ago, I owe a lot to piping. He was talking about himself, but it's true for me, too. I met the majority of my longest and best friends through piping. The places I have lived and travelled were most often connected to piping, and of course my wife is a piper, and my kids are all involved. My Mom's persistence, and then years of encouragement and support, played a key role in whatever enjoyment and success I've had.

In more recent years, she enjoyed our daughter's piping and our son's drumming, and was often a fixture at Burn's Suppers, ceilidhs, Highland Games and band concerts. If she could be there, she was. This interest and support extended to her grandson Alex, himself a fine piper, and long-time member of the band. He used her house to practice, and in fact he and I have both been known to sneak over to Mom's for a late-night tune when kids are in bed.

Of course, as a mother, she was equally passionate about all the things her kids did: piano, violin, Highland dancing, piping and much more...but piping, and all it brought to us both, was something we shared, along with the same birthday. Over the years, she commanded many performances: for relatives, friends, St. Andrew's parties, Burns, fundraising, school and more.

The one gig I didn't really want was the one that I'd been told about since I began piping, and the one I did recently. Mom died September 29, and as she requested, she had "Lord Lovat's Lament" in the church [Helen Fraser before marriage] and "The Flowers of the Forest" at graveside.

The past couple of weeks the regular teaching at band and private lessons has reminded me that there are lots of mothers, fathers, and others out there doing those same things for their kids. They shoulder a lot of things in the day, and show up with their kids to ignite or feed that passion for music. If you're one of the parents, thanks for all you do. If you're one of the kids, find a way to say "thanks" for the tremendous gift you've been given.

A Post-Season Bonus!

This week the band received a nice post-season bonus from the Pipers and Pipe Band Society of Ontario when we found out that they have adjusted the final prize list from the Montreal Highland Games. On the day, the PPBSO disqualified the Glengarry Pipe Band after they performed because an official thought that bands had to have two tenor drummers [that rule had already been changed]. After the fact, Glengarry's points were counted back into the mix, but they forgot to adjust all the points. Glengarry's 2nd and 3rd in piping [behind our two 1sts] pushed a couple of bands down, giving us 2nd prize overall, rather than 3rd.

The final result was:

1. Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew Pipe Band [Best Drum Corps]
2. City of Regina Pipe Band [Best Pipe Section]
3. St. Andrew's Society of Winnipeg Pipe Band
4. Glengarry Pipe Band
5. St. Thomas Episcopal Alumni Pipe Band
6. Niagara Regional Police Pipe Band

Judges -
Piping1: Colin MacLellan
Piping2: James Troy
Drumming: Harvey Dawson
Ensemble: Reay MacKay

Special thanks to former CRPB member Gregor Burton for being on top of the numbers, and pointing out the error. Thanks to the PPBSO for making the adjustment. And thanks to the band members for making a great season possible.

Thanks for a Great Season
Just back from Calgary and Canmore Highland Games, and the end of a very good season for the band. The full results for the weekend are available in the usual place and what you'll see is that we split the two contests with our friends in The Rocky Mountain Pipe Band, with them winning the MSR on Saturday on "ensemble preference" and us winning the medley event Sunday. We had 5/8 firsts, and two wins for the drum corps over the weekend. It was a nice way to finish the season.

This was the band's first time competing in Alberta since 2005, and we had lots of people make a point to thank us for coming, which was nice. It was great to be there, and good to see the Alberta scene so vibrant. Whoever arranged the weather did a brilliant job.

The CRPB played in the Canmore beer tent in the evening, and then we stayed to the not-so-bitter end to hear The Searsons, who have been a feature of a few post-Montreal parties at Hurley's Pub in Montreal.

The band has come a tremendous distance this season, and in the beer tent I was asked by one of our World Champion friends what we had done to make such a difference to the sound of the band in the past year.

The answer is fairly simple: we worked very hard, and tried to improve every aspect of the band, starting with each individual instrument. Band members committed to more practices than ever before, and more contests/performances than in recent years. We tried hard to organize schedules long in advance, and we sought assistance from acknowledged experts.

It was the contributions of the members: time, energy, money; and their unrelenting dedication to improvement that made the difference. Congratulations to you all on a great season. Enjoy your week off. ; )

A Week to Remember
This past week the City of Regina Pipe Band travelled to ON and QC for the Glengarry Highland Games at Maxville, ON and the Montreal Highland Games. We have been there many times in the past, and most recently last year. Despite bringing up the rear of both contests last year--soundly whooped by every other band there--it was a success of sorts. We avoided the bullet of extinction, and [barely] learned enough music to put us back at playing in Grade 2, if not really competing.

If you've been reading this, or following the results elsewhere this season, you'll be aware that we seem to have been making some strides, and all of this the result of a lot of hard work by members. Since June, the band has been meeting three times a week as often as possible, and we have worked on every element in our control.

So, it was with some excitement that we practiced in Cornwall, and Friday night we had perhaps the smoothest, best runs we've had in some time. On Saturday at Maxville, all that seemed to disappear on the field, as we had tonal and other issues in both sets, and finished 8th/9th in a 9-band contest. Some of it was player error, and in the MSR, it was clearly P-M error. I was so disturbed/disappointed at the medley, that I didn't keep a close enough eye on the time for the MSR, and we ended up being too late to really get the sound as nailed down as we needed.

We still heard lots of positive noises from people: "The band sounded great marching up to play," "200% improvement over last year" etc., but it was all very disheartening given what we'd experienced Friday at practice.

So, we set off for Montreal Games on a rainy day, and about noon it was bucketing down even worse that last year. Add to this that the PPBSO called a pipe majors' meeting at 1:00pm to announce that there might not be prize of travel money b/c the games was broke, and we took the decision that we might not play in the rain. Last year, we ruined 10 sheepskin bags playing in miserable conditions, and so we sat on the bus and talked about a) going back to the hotel and then downtown, b) just playing our tunes in the beer tent and then going home early without competing and c) maybe having a beer and a sandwich in the tent, see if the rain cleared off, and postponing any decision until we had to decide.

We elected option c. We took our instruments to the beer tent, stacked them on tables and had a beer and a Montreal smoked meat sandwich. In the time, the sun came out, and 30 minutes before our play time, we went out to the track, tuned up, and competed. It turned out to be a good performance: still not our best, but a solid, rich sound and a good MSR.

When we heard that massed bands were going to be postponed for 30 minutes, we decided to play in the beer tent after all, and played our medley and a couple of other selections to huge applause, and for a string of free beer tickets!

At the end of the day, we were 3rd in the Grade 2 event, and Best Pipe Section in Grade 2 with two firsts in piping. Not bad, given that we almost didn't play.

This was perhaps the best prize the band has ever had outside the prairies, except for maybe a third at Maxville one year. We have never clearly won the piping in a big Grade 2 contest. This was clear.

There is still a lot to do, and we are looking at ways to improve on what we are doing in all sections, but the piping wins in Montreal were a nice benchmark of the progress that has been made since early 2007, when the band seemed to almost disappear. The progress is due to the outstanding determination of the band members to be a Grade 2 band, and to do what it takes to get there.

Coming Up for Air
The last couple of weeks have been tremendously busy with preparation for Maxville, and also the annual SOUND ADVICE summer school, which took place last week. We had a great group of instructors and students working and playing hard at the University of Regina, which was a fantastic location and environment for the school. Excellent accommodations, good food, great teaching facilities, all on a modern and beautiful university campus. It was great to see and hear the progress students have made in a year, and also to meet new students. As well, local pipe bands [Fraser, Wa Wa Shrine] took up the offer to have a band workshop at the school, so it was great to involve some more local faces in the school.

Thanks to the CRPB and Conservatory band members and parents, who once again were the stiff underside to the school, holding it up with their volunteer work taking tickets, getting water, driving, airport runs and a hundred other details. Couldn't have done it without you.

Paying for the Bus, and Learning Along the Road

Part of the job of getting the band to competitions is raising the cash to get there, and paying for accommodations and ground transportation while there. Without a full-on sponsor, the band relies a lot on event fundraising, member inputs, and performances. Our Maxville/Montreal trek involves five nights of hotels, a bus from the airport to Cornwall, buses to the Games, and transport from Maxville to Montreal. Not cheap.

This past weekend, we took a parade job in Moosomin and it was a great day. Up at six a.m. for the 2+ hour drive, arriving in time to meet other band members from Estevan, Brandon and [surprise!] Winnipeg, tune for about 20 minutes, and then go on the parade. Not the most fun kind of piping, but greatly appreciated in the town. For many Saskatchewan pipers, this is the main activity.

When we got back to the starting point after the parade, one of the organizers was there with a cooler full of ice cold beer and pop. Now THAT was a treat! We later played for about 30 minutes for a group of people assembled to hear us in the town memorial park, dedicated to the memory of local veterans.

Once re-tuned, the band started with a couple of 3/4 marches, the first being Major Gavin Stoddart's brilliant tune On the Road to Passchendaele. When we were all done, and having lunch provided for us by the local sandwich shop, one of the local guys came to point out that next to the spot we played was the grave of Passchendaele veteran and hero George Harry Mullin VC MM (August 15, 1892 - April 5, 1963). Altogether a fitting way to start, and well noted by the locals, who are very proud of his memory.

It's not easy putting together the money for a trip to Maxville, and sending a mini band to Moosomin is one way to make ends meet. At the end of the day, it turned out to be a day that was worth the effort. We had laughs as a band, got some practice in, had some fun playing old marching tunes in the parade, entertained quite a few people, made some cash for the Maxville trip, and learned something about a Victoria Cross winner of long ago.

Not a bad day out for any band.

The Breakthrough Weekend
Saturday morning, and I'm working on the upcoming summer school, updating web pages, and waiting for the results from the British Pipe Band Championships in Belfast. I made that trip with ScottishPower in 2007, and it was a really fun trip: staying in downtown Belfast [much different than when I was last there in the early 80s!], a miserable wet, cold day, and then a very late night on the town. Hope the guys have better weather, a stronger play, a good result, and just as much fun after! Anyway, back to topic.

Last weekend the band had what I would call a breakthrough of sorts. Followers of the blog and/or the band will note that from our near-death experience in 2007 to now, we have been rebuilding a band that lost many of its long-time members over a two-year period. Following two Scotland trips in 2005 and 2006, we had a natural exodus of people: leaving to play in Grade 1 bands, putting band aside for work, school, family, and some just packing it in because they were fed up. It's the usual way of things. The band had to miss a whole season of competitive practice and performance in 2007, and we started searching for enough players to make a band. Most of the players came from Grade 4 bands. There isn't exactly a deep Grade 2 talent pool in the area.

Anyway, we survived 2007, and in 2008 started to compete again, taking a serious thrashing every time out, which wasn't often, because we didn't know a 2nd MSR until June 2008! Last year's Maxville trip was a lot of fun with a great group of people, and we were last in an 8-band contest. Coming into this season, we had higher hopes, but still lots to do, and it took us until last weekend to perform the way we wanted to. For the first time in a long while, we were pretty happy with both MSR [#2!] and Medley performances. The exciting part is that neither was our "best possible" by a long shot. For the first time since we started competing again, we took first places from judges against the Winnipeg St. Andrew's Pipe Band [piping and drumming], and it seems that we are once again competitive with good bands at our level.

So, here's to the breakthrough, and hopefully, we can build on that with hard practice, and solid performances. Videos are below. And while I was writing this, ScottishPower came through with a 5th prize in the British, and Grade 2 marvels, soon-to-be-grade 1 Inveraray & District Pipe Band won the British with straight firsts. Well done!