Harry: whozit judges, chanter banter, Biggar’s better

every other year having big entries, as bands go in two-year travel cycles. But 10 Grade 2 bands certainly bodes well for North American pipe banding. Could the USA have more Grade 1 bands than Canada in five years?

You know those “Laser Floyd” shows, where a Pink Floyd tribute band performs the hits of the real band? Or “The Beatles Experience”? Or that “Zoso” thing about Led Zeppelin? An interesting development is the reenactment of the 1987 Ballymena, Northern Ireland, concert by some original 78th Fraser Highlanders, or rather, a reenactment by those who were in that band then, and who, with a few exceptions, are no longer in that band. Celtic Connections in January 2016 has apparently agreed to mount this project. I wonder how the members of the current 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band feel about it. It’s not like this band no longer exists, after all. Does today’s band have a say in what group can use their name in a ticket-selling manner? Do they get a cut of the gate? The 78th Frasers of today get royalties from the Live In Ireland recording. Apparently former Pipe-Major Bill Livingstone – who left the current band in 2010 – will do his foot-stomping thing centre-stage, with Reid Maxwell leading the drumming as they attempt to recreate that zeitgeist moment in pipe band history. “Laser Fraser,” anyone?

Call it a Biggar smaller event, as in John Biggar, organizer of the Pleasanton Highland Games in California, taking the law into his own hands by creating new rules so that his contest can have a Grade 1 competition. Instead of hoping and praying to little avail that massive top-grade bands will make the trip to his event, Biggar has decided that he’ll bring three bands of eight pipers, four snares, two tenors and a bass to the contest. Presumably, Dowco Triumph Street, Greater Glasgow Police Scotland and LA Scots (what, no SFU?) will select their very best players for the trip. Interesting thought: won’t this make these bands even tighter with sound and unison? I should think so. Harry’s heard enough of the messy “big” sounds of bands scrounging for warm bodies to fill the ranks in order to keep up with appearances. Bring on smaller with better quality. Is Biggar better?

Harry’s seen quite a few new names on judging panels this year. Relatively few are familiar to even me, and I know everyone who’s ever done anything. Some he’s never heard of before – especially in Scotland. Suddenly, there are more unknowns than ever judging championships. No one but their close friends seems to know who they are. And when I look on association sites for background profiles on the judges, there’s nothing to be found anywhere. Here’s the thing, associations: if you’re going to accredit new judges, then do us a favour and publish information about them. Tell us why they were qualified to sit those exams. Tell us which Grade 1 bands they played with and for how long. Tell us what solo prizes they won and when. Tell us their . . .