Sunset the Set

April 27, 2009 on 8:08 pm by Michael Grey | In Music, Pipe Bands, Whinges | 18 Comments

If you were going about promoting a Highland Games, or a pipe band contest, and investing piles of your own time and money would you want the pipe band contests across the grades to be designated a “set” (march, strathspey and reel) or “medley” contest? A set contest, where listeners hear the same narrow repertoire, a maximum of three tempi and two key changes? Or a medley contest where, from a repertoire perspective, almost anything goes? What would an audience prefer? The overwhelming majority would opt for medley. I’d bet my outside tenor on that. If I were a games promoter I’d insist on an across-the-board medley designation.
Continue reading Sunset the Set…

A Fresh Look at Delivering a Clean Performance

March 15, 2009 on 9:39 am by Michael Grey | In Humour, Pipe Bands, Solo Piping, Tips | Comments Off on A Fresh Look at Delivering a Clean Performance

The Swedish golder, Henrik Stenson, stole some of the shimmering glow around Tiger Woods’ return last week. You’ve probably seen the story, a quirky breath of fresh air amongst all the gloomy stuff. From Reuters, “Stenson’s wayward drive on the third hole landed in muddy terrain near a water hazard and he decided to get down to basics rather than play the rest of his round in muddy clothes”.
Continue reading A Fresh Look at Delivering a Clean Performance…

Booze and Bands

March 3, 2009 on 5:50 pm by Michael Grey | In Music, Pipe Bands, Solo Piping, Stories | 2 Comments

I happened across a really interesting radio show over the Christmas holidays. The virtuoso Celtic flautist, Chris Norman, hosted an hour-long documentary on CBC radio (“The Pure Drop”) – all devoted to the deep (and evidently real) connection of alcohol and Celtic music-making. He travelled all over the place and interviewed loads of people who unanimously supported Chris’s contention that booze and jigs, to put it crassly, went beyond stereotype. Continue reading Booze and Bands…

Tam O’Shanter Suite

February 23, 2009 on 9:12 pm by Michael Grey | In Music, Pipe Bands, Solo Piping, Stories, Video | 8 Comments

To this day the “Tam O’Shanter Suite” has been one of my most interesting and challenging projects.  The recording here, from “Shambolica!” and tarted up visually for youtube, was the first track I tackled when going about making the Shambolica! project happen.  The whole “Tam O’Shanter” experience (meaning my efforts to create this track) tapped in to over 30 musicians and two different studios.  In the end there were nine of us – and the track all recorded in one studio.  Continue reading Tam O’Shanter Suite…

Sign the “Save Strathclyde Police Pipe Band” Petition

February 18, 2009 on 7:48 pm by Michael Grey | In Music, News, Pipe Bands, Stories | 6 Comments

From the land of brilliant thinkers like David Hume and Adam Smith we’re shocked yet again with another indescribably dunderheaded idea – and this within a week of last week’s judge-banning mess.  The narrow, inward-looking leadership of Strathclyde Police service, as most now know, have decided it makes jolly good sense for the fine people of Glasgow – and Scotland - to rip the heart out of one of the country’s greatest living cultural assets, the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band. Continue reading Sign the “Save Strathclyde Police Pipe Band” Petition…

Free for Pipe Band Members

February 1, 2009 on 10:14 pm by Michael Grey | In Pipe Bands, Stories | Comments Off on Free for Pipe Band Members

I had a walk through Glasgow’s excellent Museum of Transport last week.  In one area of the museum, that displaying 1950s train stuff, there was an intriguing notice; I include it here: Continue reading Free for Pipe Band Members…

Blind Justice

December 29, 2008 on 10:40 pm by Michael Grey | In Music, Pipe Bands, Tips | Comments Off on Blind Justice

To the deaf person in an audience competition pipe bands in full flight must seem pretty dull.  Backs to the audience, motionless but for flying fingers, wrists and the odd twirling tenor stick, bands at play are starchy stiff.  To some extent, the military roots of the pipe band might account for some of the undertaker’s demeanor.  Mostly, though, I think the real reason is the intense physical and mental focus needed to present pipe band music at its best.  Contrary to a well-kent youtube video that has made the rounds, I say it really is hard to do the “hokey-pokey” and deliver a technically and tonally unanimous musical performance.   
Continue reading Blind Justice…

When Pipers Die

November 23, 2008 on 9:22 pm by Michael Grey | In Music, Pipe Bands, Solo Piping, Stories, Tips | 5 Comments

I’m just in the door from Scott MacAulay’s memorial, held this afternoon in Hamilton, Ontario.   A standing room only crowd with lots of music: bagpipes, smallpipes and Gaelic song, and lots of heartfelt memory.  It has been over two months since Scott’s death and, still, emotion was raw.  It was great to see so many old friends and aquaintances.  Scott would’ve been hugely proud of main organizers Kenny Eller, Donnie Forgan, Sue McCarroll and Bob MacCrimmon. “God love ’em, ” he’d say, I’m sure.
Continue reading When Pipers Die…

Let’s Harmonize the Set!

November 16, 2008 on 1:37 pm by Michael Grey | In Music, Pipe Bands, Tips | 18 Comments

Music that never fails to make me feel better for listening is the kind made on the accordion – especially Scottish dance band stuff, though any accordion, in almost any style, will do. Piano or button key, the accordion is boxtastic.
Continue reading Let’s Harmonize the Set!…

Watching Paint Dry & Pipe Band MSRs

November 9, 2008 on 8:14 pm by Michael Grey | In Music, Pipe Bands, Whinges | 6 Comments

This weekend I happened across a quote courtesy of the French philosopher, Francois Marie Arouet (aka Voltaire). He wrote, “the best way to be boring is to leave nothing out”. Ain’t it the truth. Think of the masses of news coverage of the politician who misspeaks, or the chatter after a concert when a singer forgets lyrics or an actor forgets lines – the kind of stuff that morphs to memory, leaves a strong, nearly indelible impression. TV networks make buckets of cash (I guess) producing TV shows of outtakes and “bloopers”. People love it. What makes bull fighting timelessly popular with the Spanish public? The artistry and athleticism of the matador, without doubt. I suspect, though, it’s more the possibility of a good old-fashioned gouging that tells the true tale, a matadorian misstep of the lethal kind keeps the crowds coming, and holds the potential for biggest impression and, dare I say it, most exciting entertainment.
Continue reading Watching Paint Dry & Pipe Band MSRs…

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Dunaber is using WordPress customized and designed by Yoann Le Goff from A Eneb Productions. feeds rss Entries and comments feeds. Valid XHTML and CSS.