Tunes & Changes

In days of yore, bands could be identified from the distance purely by the tunes they played.

I'm not just talking about the great swinging 6/8s of the Edinburgh Police or Muirhead and Sons, tunes such as "Rab's Wedding, Angus McKinnon or Redford Cottage" or later tunes such as "John D Burgess", but also tunes that and types of tunes that were to change the world of the pipe bands.

I know that Redneck and I will never agree on this, but I hate, and I really mean HATE, the recording of the Polkemmet Grorud Pipe Band in the 80s...and yet I acknowledge that they made a major change to the pipe band world. Personally.....I love the 1983 recording of Dysart and Dundonald "live at Ballymena". I also love old recordings from the 60s when bands such as Muirheads and the Edinburgh Police introduced jigs...yep.....jigs....big thing back then !!!!! I just think that Polkemmet took it too far and it's been the downfall of the pipe band world ever since. A mere personal opinion I might add.

If you can get hold of 78 LPs from the 30s.....something amazing happens......

You know how the pipers come in together on "E" nowadays (and for decades)....well guess what.....they didn't always.....that's an 1930s invention.

So come on....speak out.......tunes, innovations........hatreds and loves.....where do they come from....

I think things just evolve really
i was getting ready to give the piping in in the middle 80,s - yeah Rubes I am that old- and went to
the very 1st Pre-Worlds concert at Leith assembly rooms with 78th Frasers - changed my outlook on piping altogether - open hornpipes 200mph reels - it was what we needed then , but is it time to change back ?? Shotts played an older style opener in their medley this year and to be honest after watching the worlds DVD its the only tune i find myself whistling after a few hours, all the rest of the open hornreels just seem to wash over these days !!!!

True_Blue_Piper wrote:In days of yore, bands could be identified from the distance purely by the tunes they played.

I'm not just talking about the great swinging 6/8s of the Edinburgh Police or Muirhead and Sons, tunes such as "Rab's Wedding, Angus McKinnon or Redford Cottage" or later tunes such as "John D Burgess", but also tunes that and types of tunes that were to change the world of the pipe bands.

I know that Redneck and I will never agree on this, but I hate, and I really mean HATE, the recording of the Polkemmet Grorud Pipe Band in the 80s...and yet I acknowledge that they made a major change to the pipe band world. Personally.....I love the 1983 recording of Dysart and Dundonald "live at Ballymena". I also love old recordings from the 60s when bands such as Muirheads and the Edinburgh Police introduced jigs...yep.....jigs....big thing back then !!!!! I just think that Polkemmet took it too far and it's been the downfall of the pipe band world ever since. A mere personal opinion I might add.

If you can get hold of 78 LPs from the 30s.....something amazing happens......

You know how the pipers come in together on "E" nowadays (and for decades)....well guess what.....they didn't always.....that's an 1930s invention.

So come on....speak out.......tunes, innovations........hatreds and loves.....where do they come from....

I couldnt agree more, I was taught by Jimmy Inglis I then went onto the pipes and Tam anderson took over when I played with Wallacestone n/juv. I can remember spinning the old wallacestone record and listening to sandys new chanter untill it eventually stuck in the nut, when I got hold eventually of the music Ohh bliss man, another moment of sheer brilliant was when the frasers played copermill and up to the line as intros infact I think that was the year they 1st won the worlds!!! I honestly think if a PM has the nuts to do so going or rewinding the clock would be the way forward!! Tunes like meglomania arent up to much even though I have a copy I use it for finger practice.

Heres 2 medolies what you think

1st rewind 10 years!!
James a henderson, rocking the baby, kesh jig, farewell to the camraw, fiddlers joy, aa cameron, calypso piper

2 nd lets rewind even further
up to the line, miss drummond o perth, lads o kilmarnock, bundle and go, bean pheadrin, gravel path, kesh jig, old hag (spinning wheel), foxhunters


cheers
SWH

TBP, I often reckoned you could tell the band from the sound they had, big heavy shotts, sharp Dysart etc, as well as the tunes, was this not one of the reasons for 'no tents for judges', as everyone knew who was playing anyway.

I agree with Richard, it is an evolution, I remember playing in G1 Majors in the '80's, and the opening tune in both medleys was a 3/4, I think on the 1983 worlds record, therer was a G1 band who finished with ' The Shoals o' Herrin'.

Edries, evras,. crunluaths were unheard of, ( at least in medleys) now they are pretty common, and a Hornpipe to open is de rigeur.

The old, March/ Sspey/ Reel/Slow air/ Hornipe/Jig set up is long gone too, I heard one P/M describing this as a 'back to front' medley.

The Canadians had a lot to do with this, and I think for the better, as it is a bit more entertaining for the spectators, or listeners as the case may be.

IMO, the way to judge a what is a top band, is not the disco stuff, but in how they play a proper MSR,

Thats my opinion as a certifed 'old Guy'
Cheers

The worlds should be judged on the M.S.R, I Love the medley's, lets the band show it's artistic side if fer a better word.

SWH, ad go fer yer second set m8 ;-)

From a spectator / public point of view ad say the medley would be more entertaining.
Keep the format the same, but, have the M.S.R placing / points as the main deciding factor.