Mike,
Bellingham Highland Games (actually in Hovander Park in Ferndale) are the best
in the state. June 7. Cool & pleasant. The Enumclaw Games is the only other
games in the state where you can catch SFU Pipe Band to my knowledge, but being
that they are in late July, are hotter than hades. Come on up! Great meat
pies & beer!
John,
I'm sure the Black Watch massed bands & castle would be impressive, and massed
bands are a special treat, but for pure playing skills, it's hard to beat the
sound and precision of a champion band up close. In tune, no mistakes, no
sloppy drumming. They have a tuner dude walking around with an electronic
tuning device during warmups, getting everybody right on pitch. Once they step
out of the trees and onto the parade grounds, however, all bets are off. The
individuals playing a 10-12 minute piobreachdt can't retune once they start.
Part of the competition. It's painful to hear a drone start drifting off tune
in the middle of a piece, and sometimes the piper will shake his head and roll
his eyes, knowing his score is going down the toilet and there's nothing he can
do about it. Or a reed will blow out. Bagpiping is a double edged sword. Not
unusual for good pipes to run from $4,000 to $10,000. Temperature, humidity,
the inconsistencies of wood, bag conditioning, reed choice & care... it's a
nightmare for the pipers as well as the listeners, at times. But when it all
comes together, it's a blast!
Rich
|