Piping Along The Route

As mentioned in my earlier post, this weekend was Fredericton Race Weekend. As part of a group representing Team Diabetes, I was out bright and early on Sunday to set up a cheering zone. We were located at the turnaround point for the 10k route. This meant that all the 10k runners as well as the Half Marathoners and the Marathoners passed us at least once. Total registrations were well over 2000 runners so I'm guessing at least 1500 passed by where we were set up. I brought my pipes, dressed in a kilt and Team Diabetes shirt and played for them. Got lots of great reactions! A couple of people called out special requests (eg. Amazing Grace) and one runner asked for a Strathspey and she stopped to dance a few steps. Lots of smiles, clapping, "thank you"'s and "I love the pipes" from the runners.

Fredericton Marathon

This weekend is Race Weekend in Fredericton. The Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10k and 5k take place on Sunday morning. I have run in this event a few times but since I've not been running much of late, this year I am giving time as a volunteer on Saturday and as a Cheer Team member with the Team Diabetes group on Sunday. As long as the weather is decent, I plan to bring my pipes and "serenade" the runners. For some, those who love the pipes, this will cause their hearts to beat all that much stronger and will push them on to a strong performance. For those who claim to hate the pipes, this will cause them to pick up the pace to get away from the noise. Truly a win-win and best of all, I get some outdoor practise time plus I will be promoting the NB Highland Games Kilted 5k fun run/walk that I organize for July.

Music Repertoire

At this stage of my development as a piper, I am still trying hard to broaden my musical repertoire. Here are the tunes that I have (mostly) mastered: Mairi's Wedding & Brown Haired Maiden Scotland The Brave, The Rowan Tree & Wings A Tune For Emily & Onaping Falls Lord Lovatt's Lament & March of the Champions Supreme Mist Covered Mountains Flowers of the Forest MacDougall's Lament Muir of Ord I See Mull Green Hills of Tyrol & The Battle's O'er Auld Hoose, We're No Awa Tae Bide Awa, Bluebells of Scotland Melodie Loudeac, Crags of Tumbledown Mountain, Castle Dangerous & The Gardens of Skye Currently working to improve on: McFail from Bunessan, The Fittie Boatman, The Fair Swan, Molly Connell & Merry Boys of Greenland The Atholl and Breadalbane Gathering Atholl Highlanders, Bonnie Dundee & Steamboat And about to start on a new 4/4 march entitled Prince Edward Island

Spring Tea & Ceilidh

One of the fun events that our band puts on every year in late April/early May is a "Spring Tea, Ceilidh and Silent Auction". Not sure how many years it has been running but I suspect its been for several decades. It is a combination of end of year music recital and fundraiser. Everyone from the Pipes & Drums Academy program as well as from the Band is encouraged to play a solo or as a duet or small group. The beginners play on their chanters and drum pads while the more experienced play on pipes and drums. There are also highland dancers on the agenda and of course the band plays to wrap things up. These once-a-year events are a great time to assess one's progress. Last year I played a solo, "MacDougall's Lament" and really struggled to get all the way through it. This year I played a well know Slow Air, "Mist Covered Mountains" and while I was far from perfect, I felt way more confident and my technique was definitely better. I was also much more solid playing with the band on our parade marches - 4/4's Lord Lovatt's Lament & March of The Champions Supreme, 6/8's A Tune For Emily & Onaping Falls, and our competition march medley Melodie Loudeac, The Crags of Tumbledown Mountain, Castle Dangerous & The Gardens of Skye. Also good news that we raised about $1500 at the event.

Inactivity

Yikes - it's been more than six months since I last wrote something for this blog. I'm going to try and be more dedicated to posting over the weeks and months ahead. Since last I wrote, things have continued to progress with my piping. I have restarted my private lessons with Pipe Major Gord Perry which is a huge help both to my learning and to my confidence. Gord is always so positive and encouraging and like all great instructors, he can make complicated problems seem so simple. I consider my weekly lessons one part music and one part therapy!! I'm of course still playing with the Fredericton Society of St Andrew Pipe Band (Grade V) and we practise every Saturday morning for a couple of hours. Last year, my first competing as a member of the band, I often felt like I was barely hanging on - struggling to learn the tunes, marginal technique and a lack of playing stamina. What a difference a year makes! Now I feel like a solid middle player - by no means the best but certainly not the weakest link either. My plans for this coming competition season are to compete as a soloist in Grade V March playing the Atholl and Breadalbane Gathering, in Amateur Jig playing The Fittie Boatman and with the FSSAPB Grade V band in both March Medley and Medley.