Eleven Northwest Junior Pipe Band pipers and drummers competed in solo events at the 77^th Annual British Columbia Pipers’ Association Annual Gathering Friday and Saturday April 10^th and 11^th ; the largest turnout of solo competitors to the event in NWJPB history. 10 placed in the top 6, for a total of 15 top six finishes, including:

Piping

• Grade 5 Piping 2/4 March, Megan M 1^st Place. 8 registered to compete
• Grade 4 Piping Strathspey & Reel; Elliot T 1^st place. Matt A 6^th place. 20 registered to compete.
• Grade 3 Piping Strathspey & Reel; Aaron S 5^th place. 23 registered to compete
• Grade 2 Piping March, Strathspey & Reel; Alexander S 1^st place (William Lamont Memorial Trophy). 25 registered to compete
• Grade 2 Piping Piobaireachd; Alexander S 2^nd place. 20 registered to compete.
• Grade 2 Piping Hornpipe & Jig; Alexander S 5^th place. 24 registered to compete.
• Grade 2 Piping Aggregate Winner; Alexander S. Heather MacInnes Collins Memorial Trophy and Scholarship to Mastery of Scottish Arts Winter School, presented by the Celtic Arts Foundation

Drumming

• Grade 4 Drumming 2/4 March; Steven W 2^nd place, Bryce K 4^th place. 11 registered to compete.
• Grade 4 Drumming 6/8 March; Steven W 1^st place, Bryce K 2^nd place. 9 registered to compete.
• Grade 4 Drumming Aggregate Winner; Steven W. BC Pipers’ Association Shield
• Most Promising Drummer; Steven W. Roderick MacLeod Memorial Trophy and Piping Hot Summer Drummer School of Scottish Pipes & Drums Scholarship
• Grade 3 Drumming March, Strathspey & Reel; Amber S 3^rd Place. 9 registered to compete.
• Grade 3 Drumming 6/8 March; Amber S 3rd place.  9 registered to compete.
• Grade 2 Tenor Drumming 2/4 March; Alexander S 3^rd place, Ali N 4th. 5 registered to compete

In the Band Competition, Northwest Junior sent two Grade 4 mini-bands for the first time in our history. Each band was larger than the entire competition band in 2004, with 8 pipers, 2 snare drummers, 2 tenor drummers in NWJPB Grade 4 A, and 7 pipers, 2 snare drummers, 2 tenor drummers in NWJPB Grade 4 B. Bass drummer Morgan S. played for both bands (as allowed by the BCPA competition rules) for a total of 24 Northwest Junior Pipe Band members. Bands competing included White Spot Pipe Band, Keith Highlanders Grade 4, Portland Metro Youth, Robert Malcolm Memorial IV and NWJPB A and B.

Results:

1. Northwest Junior Pipe Band “A”, winning the Malcolm Nicholson Shield for the best Pipe Section, and the John MacKenzie Memorial Trophy.
2. White Spot Pipe Band
3. Keith Highlanders’ Pipe Band
4. Northwest Junior Pipe Band “B”
5. Portland Metro Youth Pipe Band
6. Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band IV

The top three bands all competed and placed at the World Pipe Band Championships in 2008, so the competition is very close in this grade level. Northwest Junior Pipe Band greatly appreciates the hard work of the dedicated volunteers of the British Columbia Pipers’ Association for their work staging an incredible event featuring hundreds of pipers and drummers from the Northwest. Full results from the event will be posted soon at www.bcpipers.org/results.html

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Ken Yiesly in his Piping Live! 2008 T-shirt shows off his silver Bagpipes

NWJPB is an extended family.  This story celebrates the life and history of NWJPB Grandparents celebrating their 52nd anniversary, and pays a lot of attention to bagpipes, and the experiences of a couple of NWJPB members on our recent trip to the World Pipe Band Championships, 2008.  A brief excerpt from the story:

Ken was able to retire from the military shortly after in 1975 and the family was finally able to put down roots. 

To mark the occasion, Mieko bought him a set of silver bagpipes, his favorite instrument since childhood. 

“That’s all he wanted, the nut,” Mieko said. “But he’s my nut.”

Congratulations to Ken and Mieko on your 52 years!

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As predicted by many, the new Triumph Street Pipe Band won the North American Championshps in Maxville, Ontario at the Glengarry Highland Games on August 4th, 2007.  Triumph Street Pipe Band is many talented members of the former Robert Malcom Memorial Pipe Band Grade 2, who took the World Championships in 2006.  Northwest Junior Pipe Band congratulates Triumph Street Pipe Band, and especially the three Northwest Junior Pipe Band Alumni who play pipes and drums with the band.  It seems likely that the 2007/2008 season will see a new Grade 1 band in the BC Pipers Association competition scene after the series of 1st place finishes Triumph Street has had.

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Several of today’s hottest solo piping competitors had their start with the Northwest Junior Pipe Band. Most local pipers know who Micah Babinski is; whether for his skill as a composer (at age 14 he wrote “Afternoon at the Green Monster”, which has become one of the most popular hornpipes of the past year and popularized by the playing of Jack Lee of SFU), or as a solo competitor and adjudicator at WPA. Micah began his piping career with instruction from the Prince Charles Pipe Band of San Fransisco, then continued with Northwest Junior Pipe Band and private lessons with Kevin Auld. This year, Micah has become a rising star on the national solo scene, winning the George Sherriff Memorial Amateur Invitational Solo Piping Competition in Hamilton, Ontario last November. See the article on pipes|drums>>>

Blake Parkinson and Jonathan Farrell are two more NWJPB alumni seeing great success in Grade 1 currently. Blake (who also took lessons for a time from Band Director Kevin Auld) swept the Queen Mary Scottish Festival February 17th and 18th 2007 in Long Beach, CA placing first in Piobairechd, Jig/Hornpipe, and March, Strathspey and Reel. Jonathan Farrell has been placing well at competitions up and down the West coast, most recently following Blake Parkinson in 2nd both in Jig/Hornpipe and MSR, and 3rd in Piobairechd. Jonathan tied for Aggregate at the Pacific Northwest Highland Games 2006 with Micah and Colin Lee (Jack Lee’s son).

Looking back through the Highland Games results from 2006, Blake, Micah, and Jonathan placed consistently in the top 6 at nearly every highland games Grade 1 solo competition.

Micah, Blake and Jonathan were also part of a group referred to as the “I-5 gang” last year – where another band mate started in Vancouver WA, picking them all up on their way to RMM Grade 2 band practice in Vancouver BC every weekend. Micah has recently moved on to Simon Frasier University Pipe Band>>, while Blake and Jonathan have joined many of last year’s RMM Grade 2 performers in the ”updated” Triumph Street Pipe Band>>.

NWJPB wishes these talented alumni all the best during the upcoming competition season.

bagpipe

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We just returned from Stocker Farms Corn maze and Field of Screams.  About a dozen parents and band members navigated the maze and braved the cold, as well as the field of screams.  Photos posted here.

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Congratulate Chandra on being named Student of the Month for Shorecrest HS.

Check out the article in the Shoreline Enterprise paper.

PS Chandra: Next time mention the name of the pipe band you’re in!

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