Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Lothian & Borders Branch | 75th Anniversary

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It is only a discussion document at this point so this is an opportunity to feed back to the Music Board Reps at the Branch Meetings

Please have a lok at the Sheet for the Playing Requirements 2023 and beyond.

A short explanation will follow in a seperate email to all Branch bands

John Hughes
Branch President

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The 2022 Branch AGM will take place on 27th November starting at 15:00 at Bellsquarry Hall, EH54 9AA

The agenda and elections forms are available on the calendar for the AGM event.

John Hughes
Branch President

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The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association is delighted to announce that the 2022 Summer School will return this year to RSPBA Headquarters, in 45 Washington Street, Glasgow, G3 8AZ. This year’s event will have a hybrid format of in person and online activities. For those who want to attend in person, activities will commence on Monday 25th of July until Friday 29th of July beginning at 9:00 for 9:30 and completed each day 3:30pm for 4pm.

For students who wish to participate online, the Summer School will operate from Monday 25th of July until Thursday 29th of July with online tuition from 9:30am and completed group learning at 12:30pm. In addition, online students will also be able to access the presentations given by our guests in the afternoon. Online tuition will use “Google Classroom”.

The RSPBA Summer School is aimed at aspiring pipers and drummers who want to improve performance and knowledge, and bring success in the competition arena.

Our Summer School team of piping instructors in RSPBA HQ are John Nevans, Summer School Principal, with Keith Bowes Senior and Keith Bowes Junior. Drumming tuition will be led by Allan Craig.

The Online Team of Piping instructors are Josh Paton and Alan McGeoch with drumming and tenor drumming instruction provided by Cameron Lawson and Erin Gilmour.

Our guests for this year are: John Dew, who will speak on applying theory to practise, Cameron Lawson, who will support students identifying the rhythmic line within a melody.

Peter Snaddon who will help students develop and form an ensemble performance, and last but not least, Robert Wallace has agreed to introduce students to understanding piobaireachd performance.

The theme for our Sumer School this year is “Diamond Class” which will feature the original blue book on the front cover of the Summer School manual.

Interested parties can register for the summer school Register here!

John B Hughes
Branch President

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The Lothian and Borders Branch of the RSPBA hosted the Adult Solo Snare Drumming event of the 2022 Championship circuit.

Congratulations to Blair Brown The RSPBA Scottish Solo Snare Drumming Champion 2022 and to everyone who took part.

Results:

1st place - Blair Brown (St. Thomas' Alumni Pipe Band)
2nd Place - Jake Jørgensen (Scottish Power)
3rd Place - Andrew Lawson (Shotts and Dykehead)
4th Place - Cameron Lawson (Shotts and Dykehead)

These four competitors have pre-qualified into the 2022 RSPBA World Solo Snare Drumming Championship Semi-Final.

John B Hughes
Branch President

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We were delighted to host our first event since COVID on Saturday 2nd April 2022.

Click here for Band results.

Solo Results were as follows:

Event 1
1st Harry Stuchfield - George Watson's College
2nd Charlie Duncan - Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
3rd Dougie Cohen - George Watson's College

Event 2
1st Evie Busher - Burntisland & District Pipe Band
2nd James Silcock - Falkirk Council Schools
3rd Callum Dempsey - Burntisland & District Pipe Band

Event 3
1st Charlie Mack - Preston Lodge High School
2nd John Dunbar - Preston Lodge High School
3rd Murray Perks - George Watson's College

Event 4
1st Fraser Hamilton - Jonstone Pipe Band
2nd Christopher Drummond - West Lothian Schools
3rd Henry Kesterton - George Heriot's School

Event 5
1st Finlay Peden - West Lothian Schools
2nd Ryan McCreadie - Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
3rd Andrew Pattison - Johnstone

Event 6
1st Ross Miller - Inveraray & District
2nd John Dew - George Watson's College
3rd Ciaren Ross - Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia PB

Event 7
1st Aaron Scott - Preston Lodge High School
2nd Robin Hammond - George Heriot's School
3rd William Beattie - George Heriot's School

Event 8
1st Connor Lamb - Burntisland & District
2nd Josh Cartlidge - George Heriot's School
3rd Morag Cotton - Burntisland & District

Event 9
1st Gregor Noble - Burntisland & District
2nd Oliver Stones - George Watson's College
3rd Liam Jansen - West Lothian Schools

Event 10
1st Tom Dixon - George Watson's College

Event 11
1st Kerr McQuillan - Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
2nd Jack McGill - George Watson's College
3rd David Fairley - George Heriot's School

Event 12
No entries

Event 13
1st Tiffany Shi - George Heriot's School
2nd Emily Gormley - Uddingston Strathclyde Pipe Band
3rd Rebecca Page - George Heriot's School

Event 14
1st Emily Davidson - Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
2nd Emily Shade - George Watson's College
3rd Kaylyn Macnab - Preston Lodge High School

Event 15
1st Morven Walker - Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
2nd Rebecca Brown - Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia

John B Hughes
Branch President

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Folks, please note that contest entries for bands and drum majors for our 2022 events are now open.

Click here to complete entries for Innerleithen, North Berwick, Bridge of Allan and Peebles online.

A reminder that our Indoor event is a paper entry available via the Calendar.

Online entries for The RSPBA Scottish Adult Solo Drumming Championships are also open. Entries close on 10th March 2022 with FOUR places for the World Solo Drumming Semi-Final event will be awarded at this qualifying event.

John B Hughes
Branch President

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Folks, just an update on the confirmed dates for the Branch Contests in 2022.

Indoors – 2nd April (James Young High School)
Innerleithen - Sat 4th June
North Berwick – 6th August
Bridge of Allan – 7th August
Peebles - Sat 3rd September

Unfortunately we have also had to cancel The Edinburgh Pipe Band Championships scheduled for 19th June 2022 as the venue is no longer available and we have been unable to secure sufficient external funding. We will work with Edinburgh City Council and attempt to secure sufficient funding to bring the event back in 2023.

Unfortunately the Hallhill Centre have had to cancel the Dunbar Contest scheduled for 14th May 2022 due to lack of funding. We will continue to work with the Halhill Centre to try and secure sufficient funding to bring the event back in 2023.

Best regards
John B Hughes
Branch President

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Hi folks, I am delighted to confirm that entries for The RSPBA Scottish Adult Solo Drumming Championships are now open.

This event will be ran by Lothian & Borders Branch on Saturday 2nd April 2022 at James Young High School, Livingston. The start time for the event will be determined once we have all of the entries in.

FOUR places for the World Solo Drumming Semi-Final event will be awarded at this qualifying event.

This event is open to All competitors who must be registered members of an RSPBA Pipe Band or Overseas Pipe Band Association that is affiliated to the RSPBA.

Here is a link to the online system for entries: https://www.rspba-landb.org/shop/entrieswsd.php Entries close on 10th March 2022

Best regards
John B Hughes
Branch President

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Folks, following discussions at the Lothian & Borders Branch meetings and with our Contest Promoters, the following dates are proposed for the 2022 pipe band season.

Confirmed
Dunbar - 14th May
North Berwick – 6th August
Bridge of Allan – 7th August
Peebles - Sat 3rd September

Still To Be Confirmed
Indoors – 2nd April (James Young High School)
Innerleithen - Sat 4th June
Edinburgh - Sun 19th June

We are still looking for sponsors for the Dunbar and Edinburgh contests, so if anyone is in a position to offer support, the Branch President would be very happy to have a conversation.

At this point we are yet unclear on what Covid related restrictions, if any, will still be in place next summer. However, the Branch Committee have committed to do everything in its power to facilitate a pipe band season if at all possible.

The Branch AGM is scheduled for Sun 28th November 2021 at 3pm, and will be again held online.

Details will be sent out to the band secretaries shortly, so please ensure the Branch have the up-to-date details for your band.

If changes are required, please email the Branch Secretary on secretary@rspba-landb.org with the updated details.

Best regards
John B Hughes
Branch President

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Please share this email with your Pipe Majors, Leading Drummers, and Band Tutors as well as your band members.

The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association - North of England Branch - North West England Section Prepare for 2022, obtain a critique by Playing for Sheets.
The objective of this Open event is to provide a Band with a challenge on their journey of preparing for the 2022 Season as they return to practices following the Covid-19 enforced lockdown. Click the link for details on the Playing for Sheets and how to enter.
John Hughes
Branch President

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Dear Band Secretaries,

Please share this email with your Pipe Majors, Leading Drummers, and Band Tutors as well as your band members.

Stating the obvious, we know this past year has been an incredibly difficult time for bands and the present situation of not being able to hold practices and continue tuition for our pipers and drummers looks set to continue for a while longer.

While some of you may have been able to engage with your membership with virtual online lessons and practices, we understand that many bands will have found this challenging, particularly with your younger members with all the necessary child protection and safeguarding protocols that need to be in place for this kind of activity to take place.

We as a Branch are offering to support our valued membership by providing a series of funded lessons online to pipers and drummers, young and not so young.

All of the tuition would be provided by qualified RSPBA instructors who have gained a lot of experience teaching online.

The initial programme would be a 6 to 8 week course, one hour per week online split between music theory and playing. The course would probably start after the Easter school holidays.

Our initial offer is geared towards PDQB Level 3 and 4, so pipers and drummers who can play a few tunes on the chanter/pipes or on the drum pad/drum, who want to take their playing to the next level.

There is no requirement to sit an exam at the end of this, however the option is there should you wish to, and the Branch would endeavour to support members with a contribution towards the examination fee.

These exams for piping and drumming are recognised by the SQA and having these exams can be a big advantage on any job or university application.

If there are members who would like more beginner classes or more advanced classes than those currently on offer then please let us know. We will do our best to accommodate.

We would encourage all bands to get in touch with their members and tell them about this opportunity to continue their progression on their instrument.

If any of your band members are interested in engaging with this opportunity, please send an email to education@rspba-landb.org with their contact details and we will get in touch.

The closing date for initial notes of interest is Saturday 10th April 2021. That will give us a chance to schedule sufficient instructors to deal with the demand.

We look forward to hearing from you and working with you to further develop the individual playing capability of your band members.

Lee Moore
L&B Geographical Representative
RSPBA Pipe Band College

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Due to the restrictions that we find ourselves in during the Covid 19 virus, I regret to advise that the NBHG committee have decided that the Games scheduled for August 7th 2021 will not take place.

The requirement to apply for Partnership Funding by Friday 12th March, and with associated penalties for cancellation starting in May and increasing thereafter, is not something that we could financially commit to.

So we will hope to reconvene in August 2022 for our 25th Highland Games instead, if all is well health-wise in the world by then.

John Starr
President
North Berwick Highland Games

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In response to the continued Coronavirus pandemic, and in line with national guidance from the Scottish Government, the Lothian & Borders Branch of the RSPBA, in conjunction with our various partners, have taken the decision to cancel all of our outdoor contests during May and June 2021.

As a result, the following contests are cancelled for 2021:

• Dunbar – Saturday 15th May 2021
• Innerleithen – Saturday 5th June 2021
• Edinburgh – Sunday 20th June 2021

John Hughes
Branch President