Results
June 30, 2009

Sound files: 78th Frasers win Georgetown

Georgetown, Ontario – June 13, 2009 – Under sunny, warm weather the Scottish Lion-78th Fraser Highlanders took straight first placings in the Grade 1 band contest at the first outdoor event of the PPBSO season. The Toronto Police came in second playing the band’s latest avant-garde medley, “Idiomatica.”
 
Bands
Grade 1 (medley, four competed)
1st Scottish Lion-78th Fraser Highlanders (1,1,1,1) listen to MP3 here
2nd Toronto Police (2,2,2,3) – listen to MP3 here
3rd Peel Regional Police (3,4,3,2) listen to MP3 here
4th 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) (4,3,4,4) listen to MP3 here
Drumming: SL78FH
Best Bass: SL78FH
Judges: Bob Worrall, Andrew Berthoff (piping); Ken Eller (ensemble); Al Savage (drumming)
 
Grade 2 (medley, two competed)
1st Hamilton Police (1,1,1,1) listen to MP3 here
2nd Niagara Regional Police (2,2,2,2) listen to MP3 here
Judges: Bob Worrall, Andrew Berthoff (piping); Ken Eller (ensemble); Al Savage (drumming)
 
Grade 3 (MSR)
1st Toronto Police (Gr3)
2nd Durham Regional Police
3rd Burnetts & Struth
Judges: Peter Sinclair, Iain Macey (piping); Reay Mackay (ensemble); Greg Dinsdale (drumming)
Grade 4 (medley, eight competed)
1st Hamilton Police
2nd Paris/Port Dover
3rd Brighton Legion
Judges: Bob Worrall, Andrew Berthoff (piping); Ken Eller (ensemble); Al Savage (drumming)
 
Grade 5
1st Durham Regional Police (Gr5)
2nd Paris/Port Dover (Gr5)
3rd Queen’s University
Judges: Peter Sinclair, Iain Macey (piping); Reay Mackay (ensemble); Greg Dinsdale (drumming)
 
Professional Solo Piping
Piobaireachd
1st Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario
2nd James MacHattie, Toronto
3rd Doug MacRae, Houston
4th Michael Grey, Dundas, Ontario
5th Robbie Beaton
6th Bruce Gandy
Judge: Bob Worrall
 
March
1st Ian K. MacDonald
2nd Bruce Gandy
3rd Michael Grey
4th James MacHattie
5th Robbie Beaton
6th Doug MacRae
Judge: Ken Eller
 
Strathspey & Reel
1st Bruce Gandy
2nd Ian K. MacDonald
3rd James MacHattie
4th Michael Grey
5th Robbie Beaton
6th Doug MacRae
Judge: Bill Livingstone
 
Jig:
1st Bruce Gandy
2nd Ian K. MacDonald
3rd James MacHattie
4th Michael Grey
5th Steven Tripp
6th Robbie Beaton
Judge: Reay Mackay

56 COMMENTS

  1. Absolutely! In fact, why dont we all take our tuning phrases and exercises, apply a little chordal harmony and, voila! A new avant guard Medley” or more properly

  2. Re: The Bells Of Perth” You have to admit that it would be torturous to listen to this tune played with a noticeably flat or sharp “B”. Also

  3. Absolutely! In fact, why dont we all take our tuning phrases and exercises, apply a little chordal harmony and, voila! A new avant guard Medley” or more properly

  4. Re: The Bells Of Perth” You have to admit that it would be torturous to listen to this tune played with a noticeably flat or sharp “B”. Also

  5. Toronto Police’s newest creation almost made last years ‘medley’ look normal. I don’t know about anyone else, but I think they are setting a new standard with the pipe band medley. Just wait a couple of years. More bands will catch on…….I hope mine will

  6. Congrats to all the bands, and to Ian K MacDonald – guessing you must have been Prof Piper o’ the Day! Quite the results! See everyone @ Kincardine, land of Ontario Hydro workers, drummers and Bruce County beef. God’s country.

  7. Now that’s more like it. The Toronto Police medley I mean. Right from the start it held my intention with that drum intro and soon after that the impression of rests, interesting rhythms, sound effects, changes of tempi -the way I see it is, this is a great start and I really hope they and others continue to develop this style because there is a long way to go down this kinda road. imho the music really comes out and you can really hear how well a band can play together with this kind of medley. It’s still very ‘harmonic’ for my complete liking, but hey, brilliant, so let’s have loads more of the same and better!

  8. Not forgetting the SL78ths. Loved that – only thing was I felt they’d taken me on a tour of towns, but I wished I’d booked a themed tour. In other words, I loved the individual bits of music but wanted more musical integration in the way they got from one to the other and also more link between the ‘bits’ themselves. But again, loved it, and it’s brilliant being able to hear these recordings of competitions in far away places. Amazingly, you can pick up some of the atmosphere, almost as if you were there (well not quite, but something of it). And hot off the press too!

  9. They certainly took us on a whirlwind tour with the Strathspeys and Jigs. Try dancing to those!

  10. The Scottish Lion 78th Fraser Highlanders are so much fun to listen to. The gentleman with the mustache is very handsome.

  11. I must say I’m not a big 78th Frasers fan, but this year’s medley is much better than the last one. I think after hearing the Dizzle medley so many times it became sort of boring after awhile. I don’t think this one will have that effect. But again, Toronto is the band to beat when it comes to medley content. The Frasers weren’t flawless (none of the band’s were), but if Toronto hadn’t those chanters sounds in the chanter break at the beginning, they would’ve won I’m sure. Peel’s on their way up too. This season should be interesting as things progress.

  12. I was a huge fan of Torontos medley last year. From the start and support what they are doing, but personally I didn’t like the piping much at all in this one. Too much of the same thing going on and on and on. On the other hand Doug’s corp. are on another level! The drumming was very brilliant! Definitely an underrated corp. Good luck with it, but I can’t see them winning with out a meltdown by the Fraser’s pipe section. That medley was very nice and if you ask me, is taking a little note from what toronto did last year, and installing it, in a small amount. Good luck to everyone.

  13. agl The beauty of the way toronto put their medleys together, those wee extra chanter sqeaks might actually be part of the content. They could even score trailing drones into their next medley. This could be a new order, and I kinda like it

  14. I can go along with that, but I’m pretty sure the chanter squeaks weren’t supposed to be there. They just don’t seem to fit.

  15. lol avante garde….more like gardy loo…these guys seem to have a fixation on the worst note on the chanter scale…well i mean when they play every notes bad but..come on a whole medley based on the b note..never heard so much discordant harmonies n blooters…must say im a bit like the rspba..would love a look at those crit sheets lol

  16. My, can’t we be our own worst enemies at times? While I agree that the constant theme of B can grate after a while, there is an inherent risk in shooting down attempts like TPPB are making. Aren’t many of the much vaunted (and longer) Piobaireachds based on one theme note throughout? Anyone with half a brain can see that TPPB are posing the question about the current format and accepted convention re the medley. They also ask if a drum corps must/needs to play ALL the time through all tunes. Prudent questions that should be analysed a little more than some seem willing. Most typical medleys these days leave me cold because they are generally too predictable and formulaic. If you break it down to formula and construction, how really ‘different’ are most medleys compared to TPPB? At least with TPPB we have a genuine attempt to press and test the boundaries, which I think should be applauded and encouraged. While it didn’t totally blow my mind, it was a refreshing presentation with a subtle and polite poke at convention. Keep exploring, I say! One day we will all thank them, I’m sure.

  17. At first a first pass listen, it sounds like the judges were BWBS instead of DWB. I would have not enjoyed playing that and did not enjoy listening. Difficult no doubt, but why bother.

  18. hmmm….re. Cammy’s dislike of B”…..I guess he isn’t a fan of “The Bells of Perth”…..That’s a shame! Bob Worrall”

  19. Just listened to Grade 2 Hamilton Police. Very nice!!! Fabulous tone, excellent playing! Good luck at the Worlds this year guys!!! Keep it up!

  20. Toronto’s piece is amazing, and what’s really amazing is how all the players are able to learn and play such a piece. And that it was all created by them, not just borrowed tunes from other composers. Keep it up!

  21. Now that you mention piobaireachd, maybe that will be TPPB’s next medley project. Yeah, TPPB’s 2010 medley will be a piobaireachd named ‘The Lament for the Medleys of the Past and All the Bands That Play Them.’ (Not to bash the rest of the bands in the world. Some of the higher grade medleys, as predictable as they can be, are quite enjoyable.) Anything’s possible I suppose……..TPPB has certainly proved that. Soon enough a Grade 3 or Grade 4 band will try to pull off this same thing and will be the heroes of their region.

  22. Congrats to all Saturdays winners and also TPPB. I will never understand this kind of negativity. Why do people feel the rest of the world needs to hear thier personal reasons for liking or disliking someone elses taste in music? If its not your cuppa fine, don’t listen. TPPB want to try something new, GREAT! maybe just maybe it will instill ideas in others and the template being used for medley creation will change and we will have some diversity.Thanks TPPB and thanks Ian K , Doug and Mike. I am already looking forward to the next adventure.

  23. So then Lobman why do I NEED to hear (or is that heir) your take on the TPPB…? I listened..I don’t like….this time…It’s one thing telling me to listen with an open mind which I did last year and heard that medley played live – but this one doesn’t do it for me at all. The drum corps might as well wear a DCI uniform and have done…sorry guys! ( and Nathan I’m a big fan) but to me it just don’t work. It’s not negativity – it’s called subjective reasoning…like it/don’t like it take yer pick but don’t tell the pipe band world that we’re all stuckin themudlosersbecausewedontlikeitkindapeople”…that would be a bit silly…”

  24. Jamie Troy. If you haven’t found the Professional drumming results yet, see the PPBSO site for all Georgetown results. Congrats re your recent piping successes! When can we expect to see you winning the world solo drumming championships?

  25. Hey Daz Not quite sure what the (heir) reference is all about but………..I did not voice my opinion on TPPB’s medley. I simply thanked them for doing and look forward to the next one , just as I look forward to SL78TH, SFU , FMM , shotts etc……….someone wants to break new ground great. I just don’t understand people feeling they need to make personal attacks on members of TPPB or any pipe band.

  26. Lobman – fair one fella…I was posting whilst in a ranting mood which is never a good combination! My apologies to you fella. I think what I was trying to get across is different to what I wrote….I’ll leave it there!! TPPB are a fabulous band with amazing ideas and are to be congratulated on the work they are doing with the music right now….Regards Daz

  27. A quick question for those who were there: What’s up with the announcer talking while the bands were playing their attacks? Who was that? And why didn’t anyone say anything after the first time it happened? Surely people noticed…

  28. I was there. The announcer is actually very good and has been doing it for years. He talked over a band once, and I thought it was just because they were late to the starting line. After he did it during the first Grade 1 band, I had a polite word with him and he was very apologetic and stopped. I guess after all these years no one had ever let him know that he should avoid that. Amazing what actual communications with people can do!

  29. I thought I had heard the announcer speaking while Niagara and 78th started. I must be mistaken…Thanks for posting the mp3s and for the insight into what looks like a really exciting time and place in pipe bands!

  30. Toronto Police’s newest creation almost made last years ‘medley’ look normal. I don’t know about anyone else, but I think they are setting a new standard with the pipe band medley. Just wait a couple of years. More bands will catch on…….I hope mine will

  31. Congrats to all the bands, and to Ian K MacDonald – guessing you must have been Prof Piper o’ the Day! Quite the results! See everyone @ Kincardine, land of Ontario Hydro workers, drummers and Bruce County beef. God’s country.

  32. Now that’s more like it. The Toronto Police medley I mean. Right from the start it held my intention with that drum intro and soon after that the impression of rests, interesting rhythms, sound effects, changes of tempi -the way I see it is, this is a great start and I really hope they and others continue to develop this style because there is a long way to go down this kinda road. imho the music really comes out and you can really hear how well a band can play together with this kind of medley. It’s still very ‘harmonic’ for my complete liking, but hey, brilliant, so let’s have loads more of the same and better!

  33. Not forgetting the SL78ths. Loved that – only thing was I felt they’d taken me on a tour of towns, but I wished I’d booked a themed tour. In other words, I loved the individual bits of music but wanted more musical integration in the way they got from one to the other and also more link between the ‘bits’ themselves. But again, loved it, and it’s brilliant being able to hear these recordings of competitions in far away places. Amazingly, you can pick up some of the atmosphere, almost as if you were there (well not quite, but something of it). And hot off the press too!

  34. They certainly took us on a whirlwind tour with the Strathspeys and Jigs. Try dancing to those!

  35. The Scottish Lion 78th Fraser Highlanders are so much fun to listen to. The gentleman with the mustache is very handsome.

  36. I must say I’m not a big 78th Frasers fan, but this year’s medley is much better than the last one. I think after hearing the Dizzle medley so many times it became sort of boring after awhile. I don’t think this one will have that effect. But again, Toronto is the band to beat when it comes to medley content. The Frasers weren’t flawless (none of the band’s were), but if Toronto hadn’t those chanters sounds in the chanter break at the beginning, they would’ve won I’m sure. Peel’s on their way up too. This season should be interesting as things progress.

  37. I was a huge fan of Torontos medley last year. From the start and support what they are doing, but personally I didn’t like the piping much at all in this one. Too much of the same thing going on and on and on. On the other hand Doug’s corp. are on another level! The drumming was very brilliant! Definitely an underrated corp. Good luck with it, but I can’t see them winning with out a meltdown by the Fraser’s pipe section. That medley was very nice and if you ask me, is taking a little note from what toronto did last year, and installing it, in a small amount. Good luck to everyone.

  38. agl The beauty of the way toronto put their medleys together, those wee extra chanter sqeaks might actually be part of the content. They could even score trailing drones into their next medley. This could be a new order, and I kinda like it

  39. I can go along with that, but I’m pretty sure the chanter squeaks weren’t supposed to be there. They just don’t seem to fit.

  40. lol avante garde….more like gardy loo…these guys seem to have a fixation on the worst note on the chanter scale…well i mean when they play every notes bad but..come on a whole medley based on the b note..never heard so much discordant harmonies n blooters…must say im a bit like the rspba..would love a look at those crit sheets lol

  41. My, can’t we be our own worst enemies at times? While I agree that the constant theme of B can grate after a while, there is an inherent risk in shooting down attempts like TPPB are making. Aren’t many of the much vaunted (and longer) Piobaireachds based on one theme note throughout? Anyone with half a brain can see that TPPB are posing the question about the current format and accepted convention re the medley. They also ask if a drum corps must/needs to play ALL the time through all tunes. Prudent questions that should be analysed a little more than some seem willing. Most typical medleys these days leave me cold because they are generally too predictable and formulaic. If you break it down to formula and construction, how really ‘different’ are most medleys compared to TPPB? At least with TPPB we have a genuine attempt to press and test the boundaries, which I think should be applauded and encouraged. While it didn’t totally blow my mind, it was a refreshing presentation with a subtle and polite poke at convention. Keep exploring, I say! One day we will all thank them, I’m sure.

  42. At first a first pass listen, it sounds like the judges were BWBS instead of DWB. I would have not enjoyed playing that and did not enjoy listening. Difficult no doubt, but why bother.

  43. hmmm….re. Cammy’s dislike of B”…..I guess he isn’t a fan of “The Bells of Perth”…..That’s a shame! Bob Worrall”

  44. Just listened to Grade 2 Hamilton Police. Very nice!!! Fabulous tone, excellent playing! Good luck at the Worlds this year guys!!! Keep it up!

  45. Toronto’s piece is amazing, and what’s really amazing is how all the players are able to learn and play such a piece. And that it was all created by them, not just borrowed tunes from other composers. Keep it up!

  46. Now that you mention piobaireachd, maybe that will be TPPB’s next medley project. Yeah, TPPB’s 2010 medley will be a piobaireachd named ‘The Lament for the Medleys of the Past and All the Bands That Play Them.’ (Not to bash the rest of the bands in the world. Some of the higher grade medleys, as predictable as they can be, are quite enjoyable.) Anything’s possible I suppose……..TPPB has certainly proved that. Soon enough a Grade 3 or Grade 4 band will try to pull off this same thing and will be the heroes of their region.

  47. Congrats to all Saturdays winners and also TPPB. I will never understand this kind of negativity. Why do people feel the rest of the world needs to hear thier personal reasons for liking or disliking someone elses taste in music? If its not your cuppa fine, don’t listen. TPPB want to try something new, GREAT! maybe just maybe it will instill ideas in others and the template being used for medley creation will change and we will have some diversity.Thanks TPPB and thanks Ian K , Doug and Mike. I am already looking forward to the next adventure.

  48. So then Lobman why do I NEED to hear (or is that heir) your take on the TPPB…? I listened..I don’t like….this time…It’s one thing telling me to listen with an open mind which I did last year and heard that medley played live – but this one doesn’t do it for me at all. The drum corps might as well wear a DCI uniform and have done…sorry guys! ( and Nathan I’m a big fan) but to me it just don’t work. It’s not negativity – it’s called subjective reasoning…like it/don’t like it take yer pick but don’t tell the pipe band world that we’re all stuckin themudlosersbecausewedontlikeitkindapeople”…that would be a bit silly…”

  49. Jamie Troy. If you haven’t found the Professional drumming results yet, see the PPBSO site for all Georgetown results. Congrats re your recent piping successes! When can we expect to see you winning the world solo drumming championships?

  50. Hey Daz Not quite sure what the (heir) reference is all about but………..I did not voice my opinion on TPPB’s medley. I simply thanked them for doing and look forward to the next one , just as I look forward to SL78TH, SFU , FMM , shotts etc……….someone wants to break new ground great. I just don’t understand people feeling they need to make personal attacks on members of TPPB or any pipe band.

  51. Lobman – fair one fella…I was posting whilst in a ranting mood which is never a good combination! My apologies to you fella. I think what I was trying to get across is different to what I wrote….I’ll leave it there!! TPPB are a fabulous band with amazing ideas and are to be congratulated on the work they are doing with the music right now….Regards Daz

  52. A quick question for those who were there: What’s up with the announcer talking while the bands were playing their attacks? Who was that? And why didn’t anyone say anything after the first time it happened? Surely people noticed…

  53. I was there. The announcer is actually very good and has been doing it for years. He talked over a band once, and I thought it was just because they were late to the starting line. After he did it during the first Grade 1 band, I had a polite word with him and he was very apologetic and stopped. I guess after all these years no one had ever let him know that he should avoid that. Amazing what actual communications with people can do!

  54. I thought I had heard the announcer speaking while Niagara and 78th started. I must be mistaken…Thanks for posting the mp3s and for the insight into what looks like a really exciting time and place in pipe bands!

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