WHAT’S UP WITH THE BANDS?

By John Bottomley, of “The Voice”

Drums start it off…..the drones come in, creating an umbrella of tone; the chanters fire up, powering the band into the circle and driving the melodies. The band contest is underway. Just what is involved here?

What do the different grades mean?

Competitive bands in the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA) come in all different skill levels, from bands just entering competitions to groups capable of playing at a very high standard.

Bands start out in Grade 5, where they are expected to master the fundamentals of good band playing. Standard march tunes are what they will be playing here today.

In Grade 4, the bands progress to different types of music. They will be playing a Medley with various dance tunes coming into the performance and a March, Strathspey and Reel (MSR, set of three different tunes) today. The tunes are more technically difficult, the transitions from tune to tune are more complex, and the music is more sophisticated.

Grade 3 bands perform a set program of traditional tunes called a March, Strathspey, and Reel. To play these well a band must develop a solid mastery of all the skills needed to be a top flight band.

Grades 2 and 1 continue this progression with more musically complicated and technically demanding sets.

What are the judges listening for?

The uniforms look great, and they’re a valuable part of the whole show, but they play no part in the judging. Judges are expecting the same things from a pipe band that a listener expects from any type of band.

Judges ask the same questions. First, do I like it? Then it gets harder. We have to analyze precisely why we like it or not. The technical questions start then…Are the instruments all in tune? Do they have a pleasant tone, or are they flat, dull, sharp, shrill and so forth? Pipes are notoriously difficult to tune. There is an old joke: “How do you get the three pipers to play in tune? Shoot two of them.” So, the band that can accomplish the feat without bloodshed, has the advantage right away.

The bands have to play in strict unison. This means that all the sections have to be working together. If the pipes are playing ahead of the snare drums, there’s no unison. The differences are small but significant.

A great Pipe Major summarized it this way: Start together, play together, and stop together. The drum rolls have to be smooth and steady, and in perfect tempo. The drones have to start precisely on the beat. The E’s that start the melody have to be timed and pitched perfectly.

The band has begun playing, more questions arise: are tempos appropriate for the music; is the band playing in the proper idiom for each type of tune; are phrases starting and ending together among all players in the band?

These are the questions we ask ourselves when we are out there with our clipboards. Now you can compare your results with ours!