CLASP connects with London, expands 2008-09 schedule
Scotland’s Competition League of Amateur Solo Pipers (CLASP) has formed a new relationship with the Scottish Piping Society of London’s annual competitions and will for the first time offer events in November at Glaziers’ Hall in London.
The CLASP prizes will be awarded at London during the awards ceremony for the senior events.
CLASP director Margaret Houlihan said that the Grade 1 World Solo Amateur Piping Competition will be held during the week of the Piping Live! festival in August, with the overall winner of that event receiving an all-expenses-paid trip to New York to compete in the Metro Cup Amateur Competition in February 2009, a prize donated by Eric and Maureen Stein.CLASP Dates 2008-’09
- August 14-15 2008 – World Solo Amateur Piping Championships, Glasgow
- September 5, 2008 – Northern Meeting, Inverness, Scotland
- November 1, 2008 – Scottish Piping Society of London, London
- January 24, 2009 – St. Andrews, Scotland
- February 2009 – Babylon, New York
- April 11, 2009 – National Piping Centre, Glasgow
- June 20, 2009 – Army School of Piping, Edinburgh
Douglas Gardiner of Edinburgh was the big CLASP prize-winner in 2007, winning the grand-prize New York trip. All pipers who maintain amateur status can become members of CLASP for £20. Details are available by e-mail from Houlihan directly.
Just to avoid any confusion, the SPSL Bratach pages state that they are returning to Kensington Conference Centre, rather than Glaziers, for their 2008 Annual Competition. Adding CLASP can only enhance this great gathering of solo pipers. Roger
The Kensington Conference Centre IS booked, (and so are the judges). Kensington has proven a far more popular venue than Glaziers, in terms of both location and facilities, and we are pleased to be returning. Entry forms for the open and juvenile competitions are available for download on the Bratach Gorm page of the website, as are the competition rules. As stated in the pipes/drums article, the amateur events are going to be run with the CLASP organization, and I’ll be posting details about that on the SPSL website later. For the first time, the juvenile competitions are going to include MSR and piobaireachd, as well as the usual Highlands and Islands 4 parted Jig. There will be extra juvenile prizes donated by a well known bagpipe manufacturer for these events, so any under 18’s should start brushing up their tunes now. We are also going to have a number of trade stalls in the foyer of the Kensington Conference Centre, including at least two bagpipe makers. This should help add to the atmosphere of a great day. One of the greatest bagpipe makers in the world is also donating a very special bagpipe to the SPSL, which I will be raffling on the day to benefit the Society, (after I have wiped my envious drool off it). The catering is booked, and we are making sure we won’t run out of beer this year. If you are teetotal, then further good news, the Highland Spring mineral water company will be supplying free bottles of water to competitors and audience members alike, you can drink that. If you are NOT teetotal, then further good news, you can add a dash of real Scottish water to your whisky at no extra cost. I have the feeling that this year’s London comp is going to be great fun. I look forward to seeing some of you there. Adam Sanderson Vice President SPSL http://www.scottishpipingsocietyoflondon.com