Breton Pipe Bands

July 6, 2008 on 10:31 am by Michael Grey | In Music, Pipe Bands, Video | Comments Off on Breton Pipe Bands

Yoann Le Goff sent me this site this morning: a link to a video recording of the premier grade pipe band event at Menez Meur, held June 30, 2008.   I am sure you will enjoy this video, you can watch and it’s almost like you’re standing in the crowd on what looks like an overcast early summer’s day in Brittainy.  C’était un spectacle merveilleux.

A reminder this is a pipe band event and not a bagad event where we’d see the bombarde featured.

Observations: 

Presentation: While performing with intensity, these bands appear relaxed!  Could it be their lack of strict uniforms?  Funky band logos?  I like this – a lot!

Music: with perhaps a little more harmony than we’d hear in the usual Scottish-style contest (excellent musicianship here, by the way), the selections of music are pretty conventional.  I suggest more Breton music in these selections would work perfectly in the current Scottish pipe band format – and give the medleys more character, more cultural authenticity.  Still, bands of very high quality. 

Web presence: the site, owned by L’assemblée des sonneurs en Finistère, must be the role model for any pipe band organization looking to market their people’s music.  Even the video work is a notch above what we see on youtube.com.

Merci Yo!

M.