News
August 13, 2014

Piping Live! Day 3 – sunshine can’t be beaten as festival continues

Calum Watson

The third day of the Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival brought a bright but fairly cool day to patrons of the biggest week on the piping and drumming calendar, with crowds starting the day off with a packed turnout for the live debut of Chris Armstrong’s X-Treme drone reeds, launched officially on pipes|drums in late-July.

With the Grade 1 Qualifier moved this year the Friday, an unusual feeling for a Wednesday seemed to seep in, with a palpable wariness and somewhat tempered consumption of beer.

Glasgow Police Drummers rehearsing before the big show.

Over in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the Greater Glasgow Police Scotland Pipe Band dedicated most of the day to putting the final touches to their Ceolry show, to be staged in the evening. The band seemed loose and in great spirits, as they and guest musicians and compere John Wilson ran through the two-plus-hours program at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, promoted as always by the Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band.

Watch for a full pipes|drums review of the concert.

Living piping legend Jack Lee offered up a splendid lunchtime recital at the National Piping Centre’s auditorium, and the penultimate round of Pipe Idol went to Peoples Ford-Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia member Calum Watson, who will play in the four-piper final on Thursday.

New York Metro gives the crowds a tune on Glasgow’s famed Sauchiehall Street.

Later that evening, a fine recital of tunes from World War I was delivered inside the Centre, while outside Grade 1 Dowco-Triumph Street held an open practice.

Dowco-Triumph Street at their 6 pm National Piping Centre open practice.

A reminder to pipes|drums Magazine readers to get in their Pick The Six ballots before the 6 pm GMT Thursday deadline if they want to have a chance for the winner-take-all prize package worth $2,500, compliments of pipes|drums advertisers.

Tensions are sure to rise ever higher on Thursday, but at least the forecast is good for the next three days, including Thursday evening when pipes|drums buys the first 50 a burger and a beer at our “Little Supper” at 6 pm at the Piping Centre.

Here’s a video of some highlights of what we were able to cover from Day 3 of Piping Live! Enjoy!

NO COMMENTS YET

Subscribers

Registration

Forgotten Password?