The North American season end is drawing near for Northwest Junior Pipe Band. The Grade 4 band went to the Portland Highland Games at Mt. Hood Community College on July 19th. The drum corps placed first, the ensemble judge placed the band first, and the band tied with White Spot Pipe Band in another close contest between these bands this year. The points were tied, but NWJPB won on ensemble preference. The victory at Portland makes 4th straight first place finish for Northwest Junior Pipe Band.
Two competitions remain before the band leaves for Scotland. NWJPB’s Grade 4 and 5 bands will perform at a free concert on Friday evening at 7:00 PM at the Pacific Northwest Highland Games in Enumclaw Washington, then both Grade 4 and Grade 5 bands will compete both Saturday and Sunday July 26th and 27th. The band has signed up two bagpipe quartet competition groups, the Grade 5 drum corps drum salute and a bunch of solo competitors as well.
Here’s a shot of the band leaving the competition circle in front of the packed grandstands at Portland:
Last year, pipers in NWJPB, their parents, and pipers around the world were teased by the idea of a video game featuring bagpipes. It certainly got people in our community talking…and a bit disappointed to discover it was a joke.
Here’s a video:
Well, this one isn’t a joke. Nintendo is coming out with “Wii music” where you can choose from up to 60 instruments. Among those are the bagpipes. Check out the GameSpot article. You play the pipes by holding the remote upward and pressing the “1 and 2 buttons”. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any pictures of the game with a bagpiper, but it sounds like it could be fun.
Northwest Junior Pipe Band started off the week learning they are the only youth bagpipe band from the United States scheduled to compete at the ultimate competition for pipe bands, the World Pipe Band Championships on August 16th, 2008. 33 youth pipe bands from around the world will compete, with the young band from Washington as the only US entry. The recent draw listing the order of play for the two 
qualifying competition heats puts NWJPB up first at 9:00 am.
Northwest Junior Pipe Band Grade 4 then went on to wrap up a two day competition at the sunny Skagit Valley Highland Games in Mount Vernon, WA on July 13th, winning the title “Washington State Grade 4 Pipe Band Champions.” The band placed 1st of 5 bands on Saturday and 1st of 3 bands on Sunday, winning best drum corps both days.
The Grade 5 band performed very well Saturday, turning in one of their best ensemble performances of the season and finishing with a first place award. The beginner drum corps wowed and surprised the crowd Sunday, winning the drum salute competition in a field of 3 drum corps entries from Grades 3, 4, and 5.
Solo competitions were a great success for band members as well, with many top placings in both piping and drumming.
