Glasgow - Saturday - Competition

On the day.... 

All the hard work, practice and preparation will be tested today as the band heads over to Glasgow Green and the World Pipe Band Championships. Over 200 bands will assemble and play in numerous "Grades" or levels from Juvenile on up to Grade 1. 

Each band will have their time in the competition circle (arena) to play their required tunes under the watchful eyes and ears of several judges. They usually consist of two of three  piping judges, a drumming judge and an ensemble judge.

The band was up early and departed for the field via bus at 07:10 local time. They are scheduled to play in Arena 6 at 09:48 so plenty of time to prepare. 

Awaiting the band bus. Several other bands are also departing from the dorms.

The bus was able to park very close to the field of play so we didn't have to do a big hike. As the bus was unlocked this made for a very convenient gathering spot.   

Nice warm up area right beside the bus! Drums cases reserve the spot :-)

There are bands everywhere and the noise can be overpowering if you are unaccustomed to it.  We had a nice grass area just inside the gate for tuning while the drum corp used the paved area.

Tuning underway.

The tuning of the pipes started and this is an important step towards the final set up. Timing is critical as you don't want to overplay your pipers to the point that they leave the best performance right there in the field! 

The drummers also prepped and ran through the set numerous times. It was sounding good!

Photo op!

Tenors.

I was tasked with registering the band at the main tent and after that was completed, I checked in with the marshals at Arena 6. They had started on time with the first band on at 9:00 am sharp. The warm up area was right next to it so I then went back and advised Warren  (the Pipe Major) of the details.  As the time grew closer the band moved over to the official "Tuning area" as Jamie put the final tuning touches on the drones.

Final tuning continues as they build for the performance.

One last play through.

The band played on to the circle and I went live on Facebook for our friends and family watching back home. Had some issues with orientation but it worked out I hope :-) They played great with a good "attack".. this is when the pipers come in with an E note simultaneously to sound as one. The tempo was very nice with good breaks between the tunes. I though it was well played. 

The band comes off the field after a great set.

The post debrief had good comments from everyone and they were very happy with the overall play. It will be up to the judges to see who makes it past the qualifying round to play in the final. This is the bands goal.

 As mentioned, there are a lot of bands here and our nephew Cody was playing with North Stratton from Edmonton, Alberta

Cody is third from the right.

We watched them tune up and then do their set in Arena 2. It was well played and a very nice tune selection. We meandered around the park and watched Inverary & District play in Arena 1. It was hard to hear as the winds carried the pipes away. They looked good!

I & D at the line.

The other Grade 4A bands all finished playing and we then waited for the announcement of the finalists. This was done at 1 o'clock on the big screen at the Needle. The first six where announced from the first flight and then they started with the second group.... the seventh and then it happened! 8th up was City Of Victoria Police! A small roar erupted from the band members and congratulations started. This was the goal and now it would be all gravy from here on in. I was very happy for everyone involved.

Not the best picture due to the frequency of the camera and the tv.

The band now had to prepare and re-tune as they would play again in Arena 3 at 2:56. They all met at the bus and scheduled a meet up time to prepare later. Lots of hugs and congratulatory hand shakes as everyone was excited about the placing! 

Arena 3 tune up area was at the top of the hill and the actual playing area was just down on a bit of a slope. Lots of people watched and the small grandstand was packed full. With the weather cooperating an a nice breeze flowing through it made for a great "Finals" venue.

Round two of tuning as they prepare for the finals.

A light rain fell as they prepped.

It was now their time to play and with a nice break in the weather, they came down the hill and played the MSR. Another nice attack and melodic effort that I recorded. Unfortunately it is too large a file to upload here so it's on Facebook here. 

The band came off the field and once again was happy with the performance. Many hugs and handshakes as this will be a memory that few who played will ever forget. Seeing them play on the larger stage was fantastic.

Off to the beer garden for a celebratory drink as the official playing was completed. It was such a different vibe from 2017 when the band did not make the finals that year. It was a win for these guys!

Let the social begin!

Lots of smiling faces!

Cody and Kris at the beer gardens.

The band (and everyone else) then left and formed up to attend the massed band and awards ceremony. It took a while to get all the bands in but the presentations were eventually made. Some results here

Kelly and Kris await the reward presentation.

 The band came in 11th overall and the score sheets showed 7th & 8th in Piping and buried 11th & 12th in Drumming in the final. Drums sounded much better than the scores indicate IMHO. 

Everyone headed for the bus and the band posed for one last photo before everyone scatters in the coming days.

2019 GVPPB @ The Worlds

A band social ensued in our kitchen with numerous speeches by members and friends. A great end to a long day! Kelly made a comment that it was always two bands that she idolized as a kid and that was Triumph Street and City of Victoria. She got to play with James W. Troy in 2017 in Glasgow and now with Hal Senyk in 2019... pretty cool.

Hal & Jamie

Social gets started.... pizza is inbound.

A big thank you to all the band members and extended family and friends for making this such a great experience for me. It was a blast watching the excitement!

Tomorrow is a sleep in!