January 2006
PIPERS’ and PIPE BAND SOCIETY
of ONTARIO, OTTAWA BRANCH
**** www.ppbso-ottawa.org ****
President: Graeme Ogilvie (613) 830-9160
(email: )
Vice-President: Charlie King (613) 830-7418
(email: )
Vice-President: Jenny Putinski (613) 836-7372
(email: )
Treasurer: Jack Yourt (613) 774-3622
(email: )
Secretary: Douglas Heyland (613) 821-2505
(email: )
February Knock-Outs SATURDAY 04 FEBRUARY 2006 (see next page for details)
Judges…. Scott Bell (piping), Chris Bell (drumming)
Recital…. RCMP Pipes, Drums and Dancers
**************************************************************************************************
Major Archie Cairns Cup results…..
The fifth annual Major Archie Cairns Cup was contested Saturday 07 January 2006 at the Walkley Armouries Officers’ Mess. The purpose of this highly regarded competition is to encourage the younger players in our area, with the competitors comprised of those from Grade 4 and below. The tune requirements are a Slow Air and four parts of a 6/8 March, which led to an enjoyable variation in the music picked for the night. Playing to a full house at the Mess, and in front of our judge Bob Worrall, it was a very entertaining evening of music from these very talented youngsters. The winner of this year’s contest (pictured to left) was Scott Cameron of the Sam Scott Memorial Pipe Band. Second place went to Matt Goral (right, above) and third place to William MacNeill (right, below). Providing an extraordinarily varied and musical recital after the contest, Bob Worrall enthralled the audience with his wide range of tunes on the pipes. The top five results for “B” Division knock-out points were as follows:
1st Scott Cameron
2nd Matt Goral
3rd William MacNeill
4th Graeme Ellis
5th Dan Cameron
**************************************************************************************************
Drumming Knock-Out Results
07 January 2006
“A” Division “B” Division
1st Rob MacLeod 1st Doug Crowe
2nd Iain Cleaton 2nd Marielle Lesperance
3rd Brendan Kelly 3rd James Riddick
**************************************************************************************************
FEBRUARY KNOCK-OUT CONTESTS…. Saturday 04 February 2006
Start Time… 7:30 pm. To keep the evening from running too late, all competitors are asked to be registered by 7:15 pm. If you can’t make it by 7:15, please contact any of the Ottawa Branch executive in advance to reserve a spot in the draw. Place… the Walkey Road Armouries, 2100 Walkley Road, between St. Laurent Blvd and Conroy Ave (the Armouries are on the south side of Walkley Ave, right beside the Walkley Bowling Centre parking lot). *** NOTE: do not park in the reserved parking spots, the Armouries are a 24/7 facility ***
Tune Requirements….
“A” Piping…. Slow Air/Hornpipe/Jig (H/J four parts each)
“A” Drumming…. four parts 2/4 March (one or two tunes)
“B” Drumming…. Hornpipe/Jig (minimum 4 parts each)
Piping Judge: Scott Bell, Drumming Judge: Chris Bell
Recital: RCMP Pipes, Drums and Dancers
**************************************************************************************************
Future Ottawa Branch Dates
04 March 2006 Ottawa Branch Knock-Out Finals, Walkley Mess
Piping finalists…. medley of competitors choice, min 3 minutes
01 April 2006 Ottawa Branch Piping Workshop, Open Solo Piping Contest
Workshop Instructor, Open Contest Judge: Maj (Ret’d) Archie Cairns
15 April 2006 Almonte Spring Fling (Smith Falls)
13 May 2006 Winchester In-Door Highland Games
27 May 2006 Kingston Celtfest. This event will again feature band contests for Grades 4 and 5, as well as piping and drumming solo events, and a dancing competition.
07-13 July 2006 Kingston School of Scottish Music & Dance. A bass drumming program will be added this year, instructed by Craig Colquhoun. Craig will be joined by Jim Kilpatrick, John Fisher, Tyler Fry, Bob Worrall, Ken Eller, Ann Gray, Ann Milne, and Sheila Milne. Forms will be available shortly.
Announcements
*** Music Book ***
Music Book by Gord Taylor, Original and Traditional Pipe Tunes, 61 in total.
St. Andrew's Society of Winnipeg Pipe Band... limited number of copies available.
Price only $15, all proceeds to go to the Pipe Band.
Please contact Beth Bisaillion at for any information.
KEMPTVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT PIPE BAND
The Kemptville Fire Department is interested in starting a new pipe band. Initial interest is good, and they are therefore looking for volunteer pipers and drummers. For more information, please contact Milfred Harper at (613) 258-5375.
PPBSO OTTAWA BRANCH ELECTIONS - MARCH 2006
This is an advanced notice of the subject elections. They will be held in conjunction with the Ottawa Branch Knock-Out Finals the night of Saturday 04 March. As a minimum, one Vice-President position will be open this year. Please consider if you'd like to help the Branch in this capacity. For any information on the position's terms of reference, please contact Graeme Ogilvie at 830-9160.
COST OF NEWSLETTERS
During most of the piping year, a monthly newsletter is distributed to the Ottawa Branch membership. It contains results of competitions, information on upcoming events, instruments for sale, workshops, articles on prominent members of the piping and drumming community, and other important and interesting items. Some receive the letter via email, others download it from the Branch’s web-site, and still others receive copies through the mail. The easy form of transmission is posting it on the web-site (with the biggest bonus…. colour photos!!!). When it comes to mailed version things become a bit more complicated. There are some eleven different steps in getting the newsletter into the mail, the major ones including photocopying, addressing the envelops, stuffing the envelopes and finally delivering the letters to the post office. The mailed version is also expensive. Photocopying, even at a steep discount, adds up for a six-page newsletter and there is also the stamped envelopes for each newsletter. PST and GST are added in all cases. This newsletter will result in 242 letters in the mail. If you multiply that by the number of letters per year and the cost tops $1,500.00. Would you like to save the Ottawa Branch considerable money? It’s easy; subscribe to the email distribution list for notification when the newsletter is available for download from the web-site. Douglas Heyland, Ottawa Branch Secretary
Toronto Indoor Games - Saturday 15 April 2006 (Dennison Armoury, Downsview)
Solo Piping Events: Grades 5 through Professional (including Prof 45+), Piobaireachd
Solo Drumming - Snare: Grades 5 through Professional
Solo Drumming – Other: Bass, Tenor (Rhythm and Flourishing)
Quartettes: Grade 1 & 2 Combined (MSR, H/J), Grade 3 & 4 Combined (MSR), Grade 5 (MM)
Drummers’ Fanfare: Grade 1 & 2 Combined (tbd), Grade 3 & 4 Combined (tbd), Grade 5 (tbd)
Celeidh Contest: This will be an Open Contest. A minimum of one piper is required, play will be between 3 and 10 minutes. Further information will be made available.
NOTES: Solo Events will be run under PPBSO rules, Champion Supreme points awarded. Competitors must be PPBSO members or affiliates. Quartettes: This is not a PPBSO event. Competitors do not have to be PPBSO members. A quartette consists of 4 pipers. Competitors do not have to be from the same band. All competitors must be in appropriate highland dress as described in the PPBSO rule book. Any event with less than three (3) competitors will cancelled. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Gary Moore at .
“AMAZING GRACE” (Part 1)
The Lyrics:
The words to the hymn Amazing Grace were written by John Newton (1725 – 1807). He was originally a Captain of a slave trading ship, and on one of his trips, his ship encountered a severe storm. According to his journal he experienced “a deliverance” which, presumably was the beginning off his conversion to a religious man. He continued as a slave trader, but as a result of this conversion, he subsequently ensured that the slaves on his ship were at least treated more humanely.
In 1755 after a serious illness, he quit the sea and became a surveyor of tides in Liverpool. At the same time he befriended George Whitefield, a Church of England deacon. Through this acquaintance he later applied to become a minister and eventually was ordained by the Bishop of Lincoln, preaching in Olney, Buckinghamshire. The poet, William Cowper, had settled in Olney in 1767 and they became good friends. These two collaborated in the writing of hymns – their goal being the writing of a new hymn for every church service or meeting. The first edition of the “Olney Hymns” was published in 1779 and a later edition was published in 1808 (the year after Newton’s death). The words to the hymn, which eventually became known as “Amazing Grace”, appeared in both editions, comprising the following six verses:
1. Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see. / 4. The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
2. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d! / 5. Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
3. Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home. / 6. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.
The Tune:
The origin of the melody is unknown. There is some speculation that it may have been the tune of a song sung by slaves on the plantations of the southeastern United States. Also, there are those who believe the tune to have been Scottish or Irish in origin.
While similar tunes have been published, with different lyrics, over the years beginning in the early 1800’s, one William Walker, of South Carolina, in 1835 published a collection of tunes entitled “Sothern Harmony”. Newton’s “Amazing Grace”, set to a tune called “New Britain”, was included in that collection.
In Philadelphia, in 1844, Benjamin Franklin White, published 'Amazing Grace' with the tune 'New Britain', in a collection entitled “The Sacred Harp”.
The Popularity:
There are two recordings which contributed to the original popularity of “Amazing Grace”. The first was by Judy Collins and it made the pop charts in both the USA and Britain starting in 1970 and lasting at total of 67 weeks. It was re-released in 1971 and again in 1972 and made the charts in the UK both times.
The second was a recording by the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in 1972 and it went to number 1 on the charts. It eventually became the biggest selling single in the UK in 1972, and also in Australia.
The origins of the Band can be traced back to 1678 when the 3rd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) were formed. At that time the Band played as a mounted ensemble, common with cavalry Bands of the era. The early instrumentations were kettle drums and trumpets, although as dragoons the Scots Greys were allowed to have hautbois, an early form of oboe. The Band steadily grew so that by 1696 it numbered 16 hautbois and 16 drummers. The Band wore a special uniform since it was at this time that grenadiers were being introduced into the British Army and European armies as a whole as special elite troops. In recognition of this, the Greys wore a special a grenadier cap. The earliest confirmed record of a band in the regiment was 1777 when for dismounted parades the trumpeters of the Greys played on clarinets, bassoons and horns. A civilian music teacher was paid for by the officers to instruct them. Since early times, The Regiment rode grey horses, hence the title of the Regiment. The Regiment has distinguished itself throughout history at Waterloo, the Crimea, WWI and WWII. The RSDGs were the armored spearhead for the Desert Rats in Desert Storm in 1991.
The Pipe Band was formed in 1946 when several Scottish territorial pipe bands were disbanded, one managing to find a home with the Greys. King George took a personal interest in the Band and allowed them to wear Royal Stewart kilts. The Pipe Band quickly became one of the best in the British Army, with the drummers among the first to perfect modern drumming techniques, an innovation which many pipe bands now take for granted. When not on parade, the pipes and drums personnel serve as tank crewmen.
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards were formed with the amalgamation of the “Royal Scots Greys” with the “3rd Carabiniers”, Scotland’s only cavalry regiment in the British Army, on 02 July 1971. RCA Records made a recording to commemorate this amalgamation and it was titled “Farewell to the Greys”. The record featured both the pipes and drums, and the brass and reed, playing combined pieces tunes – which was considered somewhat of an innovation at the time. In two days both bands had finished almost all the tracks required for the album, something many ensembles at the time would have found difficult to do. It was at this point that Bandmaster S. Fairburn and Pipe Major J. Pryde suggested a new tune that both bands had been working on and which they thought might be a nice addition to the record. The tune was "Amazing Grace", but given a new touch with brass/reed band and pipes. All present in the RCA recording studio thought something special had just been caught for posterity, but it was not until some months later that a late night radio program decided to air the piece which led to its success.
UK International
Cover Cover
In a pop music world that still allowed some deviation, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards suddenly found themselves with a mega-hit. At this time they were stationed in West Germany, unaware that an album track of theirs was gaining huge listener reaction after being played on radio, starting with BBC Radio Two. The huge reaction and public demand forced RCA to release it as a single. It spent 24 weeks on the chart initially, and after two more minor hits it re-entered at Christmas to give it a total of 27 weeks on chart. It reached number 1 in the UK in the spring of 1972 until displaced off the top spot by "Metal Guru" by T-Rex.