“Tune, then tune again” – pipers be ready
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Simon Fraser University Pipe Band pipers spent the first half of their daily practice Thursday tuning and re-tuning every bagpipe, a ritual that simply can’t be overdone, says Pipe Major Terry Lee.
“We tune, then tune again – it goes on like this for a reason,” says Lee, whose trained ear picks up every nuance. “The goal is perfection. The better tuned, the better we sound.”
The skies cleared for yesterday’s practice and sweat became a bigger factor, while a brisk wind helped cut the heat.
The final day before the championships will see the band go through the motions of their performances for tomorrow and focus on the strengths they are collectively bringing to the competition.
They’ll also sit back and enjoy a band dinner out on the town – featuring brief speeches from the half dozen ‘rookie’ players in the band this year – including Lee’s nephew John – son of Pipe Sergeant Jack Lee.
“The dinner is a chance to say, ‘we’ve done all we can do, now let’s take a break and relax,” he says. “We have a long day ahead, so it’s a good dinner, early night, then we’ll be ready.”
The band leaves early for Glasgow Green, about 40 km from Stirling, where they’ve stayed this week. While they have guaranteed entry to the afternoon finals they want ample time to watch the activities and get themselves settled on the field.
The band’s opening set is a required March, Strathspey and Reel, followed by a second performance of a medley, created by the band. The first can be likened to the compulsories in skating competitions, with a free-style performance to follow. The combined marks determine the band’s score.
Pipe Major Terry Lee says much thought goes into producing the medley and this year’s performance covers a range of genres, from traditional to contemporary.
The SFU band is among 25 Grade 1 bands competing this year. The top six bands have already qualified for the finals and another eight will move on from a preliminary round.
SFU, along with two Irish bands, Field Marshal Montgomery of Northern Ireland, and St. Laurence O’Toole Band from Dublin, are expected to be the main contenders.
In all, a record 239 bands from 16 countries are competing in eight different categories. More than 40,000 people are expected to attend the event, which includes a drum major competition, highland dancing and the Glasgow World Highland Games. Tickets to the Grade 1 event have long been sold out.
The announcement of the winners is expected at about 6 p.m. (10 a.m. Vancouver time).
You can watch it all on a live stream from BBC Scotland, by way of bbc.co.uk/worlds. Glasgow time is eight hours later than Vancouver time.