2024 World’s Grade 1 first day done and dusted
The 14 Grade 1 bands competing finished the first round of MSR and Medley performances under dry, fairly bright, and somewhat windy weather before a large crowd at Glasgow Green. Every band arrived at the line exactly at their assigned time, once again demonstrating the RSPBA’s uncanny ability to run complicated competitions flawlessly — something the pipe band world often takes for granted.
Judges for the Friday events were MSR: Barry Donaldson, Bill Garrett (piping); Adrian Hoy (drumming); Jennifer Hutcheon (ensemble). Medley: Bob Worrall, Cameron Edgar (piping); B. Black (drumming); David Brown (ensemble).
The RSPBA keeps the Friday results under lock and key until they can be factored with the judges’ scores from Saturday when the Grade 1 bands will play their other MSR and Medley. All other grades will compete on Saturday.
Notably, the 78th Fraser Highlanders from Canada played without Leading-Drummer Drew Duthart in the Medley, creating much discussion on the park. A source close to the matter said, on condition of anonymity, that the situation was due to severely cracked skin on one hand impeding Duthart’s ability to play.
Glasgow Life live-streamed both Grade 1 events at no charge, and about 2,700 watched at the peak. The program was free of performance critiques but included casual interviews with Fergus Muirhead with those in the crowd. Muirhead said that 35,000 will attend the World’s over the two days and that 7,000 of them are members of bands. With 204 bands entered, an average of 34 members per band.
Unfortunately, the live stream suffered from several glitches, especially during ScottishPower and Simon Fraser University’s medley performances and, later, St. Thomas Alumni’s medley.
During ScottishPower and SFU, the broadcast appeared to resort to using a phone and then suffered from overlapping two audio streams, replete with the A/V team’s audible technical discussions as SFU played. But hey, it’s free, and the broadcast was otherwise exceptional.
Stay tuned to pipes|drums for more from the 2024 World Pipe Band Championships.
Maybe that’s why the livestream is crap? Make it better and make it pay per view, but FFS come into the modern world. Makes a laughing stock of world piping
Does anyone have the list of tunes played by the G1 Bands in their MSR and Medley contests today? Is there one available for tomorrows finals???
Worlds should make the program downloadable at a modest fee for us long distance enthusiasts. It might attract more advertisers.
This what the Glengarry games at Maxville, Ontario, Canada do.