New England Champions...Again!

This last weekend was the New Hampshire Highland Games at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, NH. Surprise - the Band won the Grade V contest for the second year running! Here's the video:

We also competed on Sunday, with the drum corps taking third in the open drum salute, and the Band taking seventh(?) in the open medley. It was our first time out with the medley - lots of work to do on it still, but a good base to work from.

Claddagh Mhor on TV

The Band stopped by WCSH6 in Portland for a brief interview on our trip to the Worlds yesterday, playing a few tunes while we were there. Check it out here:

Worlds 2019

Well, the Worlds has come and gone. It was a fun trip, and a lot of work. Even though we didn't make it into the qualifiers, the Band made great strides forward while we were over there. By the end of the week, we were producing the best tone I've heard out of any group from our area. I personally picked up some tips on tuning and band setup, and learned a lot from watching the Grade 1 and 2 bands getting ready to go on the field. I'm also planning on taking a page from one particular group, and making a tuning rig out of a toy lightsaber. Whoever came up with that must be both brilliant and nerdy.

Highlights

Standing a a few feet behind ScottishPower as they got ready to go on, and having someone borrow my sgian dubh to cut a stray fringe off Chris Armstrong's cords:

Also standing a few feet behind SFU:

Visiting Loch Lomond, where my mom's side of the family came from before the rout of Glen Fruin:

Not to mention a good deal of time spent at the National Piping Centre, and listening to good music. Hopefully we go back for another shot at the Worlds in the next couple of years.

TV Story

TV story on the band aired this week!

The Season So Far

I've been quite busy, so I haven't been posting much. Here's a quick recap of what's been going on competition wise:

• I started the season in February at Casco Bay Solos in Old Orchard Beach, earning  1st in the 2/4 March (with an above grade) and H/J, 2nd in the S&R, and 3rd in the piobaireachd (thanks, in part to some major errors).
• The next event was the New Hampshire Indoor Scottish Festival in Salem, NH. I had horrible moisture problems, but managed to eke out a 1st in the S&R, and 4th in the 2/4 and H/J. THe piobaireachd was the roughest. I decided to cut my losses and take a breakdown. The band earned its second 1st place ever, showing last fall at Loon wasn't a fluke.
• With the Rhode Island games cancelled, the Band took to the Round Hill Highland Games in Connecticut, taking 2nd. I earned a 2nd in the piobaireachd with Lament for the Iolaire, 4th in the 2/4 March, and 5th in the S&R. Tempermental weather. With the piobaireachd, I warmed up in direct sun, tuned under cloud cover, had a few drops of rain when I started the piece, and finished during a downpour.
• A sweltering day at Glasgowlands in Florence, MA - temperatures near 100 degrees, and a heat index somewhere in the ballpark of 110. 1st in the 2/4 March and 4th in the S&R in a large field. Unfortunately, unplaced in the piobaireachd. I just about nailed the ground of  Lament for the Iolaire, but lost my concentration during the taorluath singling and couldn't recover. The band took another 1st place, despite major errors at the strike-in and cut-off. The drum corps took 1st with an above grade mark.

Glasgowlands was a good final stop on our way to Scotland, showing we're in fighting shape. I have a lot of work to do before my solo competition over there. When I play well, I play really well. Same thing when I play poorly. I need to work on consistency.

Pardon Our Dust!

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