Season off and running with multi-event weekend

No fewer than five significant competitions were scheduled over the May 10-11 weekend, with soloist and bands off and running with the 2008 season.

In North America, the Dr. Dan Reid Memorial and the Livingstone Invitational were held in San Francisco and Toronto, respectively, each attracting top soloists, while in Scotland the towns of Dunbar and Gourock played host to the first outdoor band events. Meanwhile, Ottawa had a rare opportunity to bring its annual spring event outdoors on an unlikely warm and sunny day.

“It seems like this year more and more events will be competing for attention, and it’s harder and harder for competitions to be the only thing happening on a given day,” said one competitor.

It’s also becoming more popular for UK pipers to compete at North American competitions, evidenced by Simon McKerrell (pictured right) of Glasgow taking the Livingstone and Willie McCallum of Bearsden, Scotland, winning the overall at the Dan Reid.

The season continues apace with the Scottish Pipe Band Championships at Dumbarton, Scotland, on May 24.

Season off and running with multi-event weekend

No fewer than five significant competitions were scheduled over the May 10-11 weekend, with soloists and bands off and running with the 2008 season.In North America, the Dr. Dan Reid Memorial and the Livingstone Invitational were held in San Francisco and Toronto, respectively, each attracting top soloists, while in Scotland the towns of Dunbar and Gourock played host to the first outdoor band events. Meanwhile,Ottawa had a rare opportunity to bring its annual spring event outdoors on an unlikely warm and sunny day.”It seems like this year more and more events will be competing for attention, and it’s harder and harder for competitions to be the only thing happening on a given day,” said one competitor.It’s also becoming more popular for UK pipers to compete at North American competitions, evidenced by Simon McKerrell of Glasgow taking the Livingstone and Willie McCallum (pictured right) of Bearsden, Scotland, winning the overall at the Dan Reid.The season continues apace with the Scottish Pipe Band Championships at Dumbarton, Scotland, on May 24.p|dWhat do you think? We always want to hear from our readers, so please use our comments system to provide your thoughts!Do you have news? Be sure to send your information to pipes|drums. We can’t report what we don’t know about! Please remember to support the businesses that advertise and make the not-for-profit p|d possible.