SLOT Glasgow ‘Evolution’ concert coming together; ticket sales strong

With little more than a month to go before the St. Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band of Dublin takes the main stage at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Pipe-Major Terry Tully reports that more than 1,500 tickets have been sold, setting the event ahead of the advance-sales pace set for the band’s 2005 Pre-World’s Concert.

“This is fantastic news,” Tully said. “[Sales are] a lot better than 2005, and it looks like it might be close to a full house.”

The annual concert, considered by in the world piping and drumming community to be the preeminent performance of the pipe band year, is again being promoted by the Grade 2 Phoenix Honda-Glasgow Skye Pipe Band, and St. Laurence O’Toole is modeling the event around a celebration of the band’s centenary, highlighting much of the organization’s history and music since 1910.

As with the 2005 concert, the “Evolution” show will see SLOT joined by top-notch Celtic musicians, including Gold Medallist Alan MacDonald, who will perform a very old Irish air in the first half, as well as a piobaireachd that is directly related to a piece that the band will play on the night.

“There will be plenty . . . to please  everyone’s taste  this time round,” Tully added, “with music from Brittany, Galicia, Scotland, American folk and traditional Irish, in addition to music composed by band members and supporters of the band.”

He said that a new drum salute by SLOT corps member Derek Doyle will be unveiled at the show, and in the second half the band will be joined by the Celtic folk group, Pipe Down.

Tully said that the no more than 21 pipers and five snare drummers will perform at any given time, with players alternating during quarters.

“From my experience at being at the concert every year, any more than five sides seem to upset the balance of sound,” Tully said. “Bearing in mind the concert is being recorded both for CD and DVD,  both [Lead-Drummer] Stephen Creighton and myself    are committed to  making the performances as tight as possible, with less echo, which we hope should lend more clarity to the playing,  the recording and more enjoyable  for the audience.”

He said that the full bass and tenor section will be on stage at all times, and that the concert will once again be emceed by Eric Stein of New York.