Piping Solos to take place in Lisburn
Pipe Bands by Mervyn McConnell
LISBURN'S Trinity Methodist Church Hall will be the venue for the Co Antrim Piping Solos on Saturday March 7.
The event which will begin at 1.00pm will replace the Seven Towers Solos.
The closing date for entries is March 4 and forms can be obtained from the Northern Ireland branch of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, telephone 02892670445. The names of the adjudicators for the 2009 pipe band season have been published.
The RSPBA has confirmed no international judges have been assigned to any of this year's five major championships.
At the November AGM of the Adjudicators Panel it was decided that all international judges would be required to submit sheets, including those who judged at RSPBA competitions, to keep their eligibility to judge RSPBA contests.
Included in the list are Canadians Greg Dinsdale, Ken Eller and Bob Worrall and Australians Nat Russell, Brian Niven and Sam Young.
Some organizations, including the Canadian PPBSO, do not automatically make duplicates of score sheets, so copying would have to be arranged in advance. A statement from the Australian judges confirmed that their sheets were received by Ian Embelton, Chief Executive of the RSPBA on Feb 2 and forwarded to the Adjudicator Management Board. Unfortunately the list of names for the new season had already been allocated.
George Ussher, President of the RSPBA and Chairman of the Northern Ireland Branch said: "The overseas judges added a great international flavour to the pipe band adjudicating and will be sadly missed."
Scottish Championships May 16
Grade 1 and Juvenile - Wright, Wark, Goddall and Aitken.
Grade 2 - McLellan, Wood, Hutton and Shepherd.
1 Grade 3B, 4A and 4B - Lawrie, McCarlie, Maclnnes and Baxter.
Grade 3A and Novice - Clark, Moles, Mordaunt and Noble.
British Championships June 27
Grade 1 and Juvenile - McLellan, Edgar, Russell and Baxter.
Grade 2 - Snaddon, Pollock, Noble and MacKenzie. Grade 3B, 4A and 4B - Clark, Stevenson, Steele and Aitken.
Grade 3A and Novice - Ingram, Sloan, Parkes and Dear.
European Championships July 25
Grade 1 and Juvenile - Wilson, Hutcheon, Hutton and Mordaunt.
Grade 2 - Campbell, Sloane, Steele and Baxter.
Grade 3B. 4A and 4B - Ronaldson. Moffett, Craig and Noble.
Grade 3A and Novice - Lawrie, Semple, Goodall and Cardwell.
Worlds August 15
Grade 1 Med. And Novice - Wood, Sloane, Craig anc Noble.
Grade 1 qual. and 2 - Ronaldson, Lawrie, Parkes and Cardwell.
Grade 1MSR and juvenile - Mackenzie, Moles, Steele and Clark.
Grade 3A - Campbell, McLellan, Hutton and Aitken. Grade
3B - Wilson, Grant, Goodall and Snaddon. Grade 4A - Nevans, Hutcheon, Mordaunt and Dear Grade
4B - Ingram, Edgar, Russell and Shepherd. Cowal Championships August 29
Grade 1 and Juvenile - Campbell, Ingram-Maclnnes and Dear.
Grade 2 - Wilson, Clark, Craig and Aitken.
Grade 3B, 4A and 4B - Wright, Garrett, Hutton and MacKenzie.
Grade 3A and Novice - Grant, Edgar, Steele and Ronaldson.
The 2009 Festival of Solo Piping and Drumming will take place on Saturday April 25 at Monkstown Community School. Entry forms have been sent out to all secretaries but copies can be obtained from Contest Administrator Mervyn Herron on 4062 4849. The closing date will be April 4. David Montgomery, proprietor of the Essey Musical Store, Albertbridge Road, Belfast, is promoting a special evening entitled 'Fine Tuned' next Friday (February 27) in the Park Avenue Hotel starting at 7pm.
'The evening will feature performances by pipers Craig Munro, Pipe Major of the Clydebank Pipe Band and Alistair Murray from Ballycoan.
A drumming demonstration will be given by John Scullion and Gareth McLees who drums Grade One with Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band. Drumming group Light and Shade' will also feature on the light. The event will include displays of kilt :raking and a range of goods from various suppliers.
There is no entrance charge but due to ;eating restrictions admission is by ticket Ind is open only to those over 16 years of age. David can be contacted on 90 456177. Tommy Millar's 'Touch of Tartan' on BBC Radio Ulster next week will feature performances from Cullybackey, McNeillstown and Castlerock. The series will run for another 6 weeks with a weekly repeat every Sunday afternoon at 2pm.
Ulster Star
20/02/2009
