Peel Police start Ontario season with win at Georgetown (videos)
Georgetown, Ontario – June 11, 2011 – The Peel Regional Police Pipe Band were the winners in Grade 1 of the first outdoor contest of the Ontario PPBSO season with a medley victory at Georgetown. Weather was overcast throughout the day with only one major show, but otherwise warm and very humid. Forty-two bands competed across the five grades.
In the solos, Andrew Hayes was the Professional Piper of the Day and Ben Reid was on top as the Amateur Piper of Day. Professional Drummer of the Day was Scott Nicholson.
At the massed bands, a special tribute to Bill Livingstone for his contribution to piping and drumming in Ontario was performed by pipers past and present at the event who had played in bands under his direction.
Grade 1 (Medley, five competed)
1st Peel Regional Police (1,2,1,1)
2nd Toronto Police (2,1,2,3)
3rd 78th Fraser Highlanders (3,3,3,2)
Drumming: Peel Police
Judges: Andrew Berthoff, Ken Eller (piping); Michael Hunter (drumming); Reay Mackay (ensemble)
Grade 2 (Medley, five competed)
1st Glengarry
2nd Great Lakes
3rd Rob Roy
Drumming: Great Lakes
Judges: Andrew Berthoff, Ken Eller (piping); Michael Hunter (drumming); Reay Mackay (ensemble)
Grade 3
1st 400 Squadron
2nd Toronto Police (Gr3)
3rd Hamilton Police
Drumming: 400 Squadron
Judges: John Elliott, Glenna Mackay-Johnstone (piping); Crag Stewart (drumming); Bob Worrall (ensemble)
Grade 4
1st Niagara Regional Police
2nd Arnprior-McNab
3rd Penatangore (Gr4)
Judges: Andrew Berthoff, Ken Eller (piping); Michael Hunter (drumming); Reay Mackay (ensemble)
Grade 5
1st Hamilton Police (gr5)
2nd Dofasco (Gr5)
3rd Grand Celtic (Gr5)
Drumming: Hamilton Police
Judges: John Elliott, Glenna Mackay-Johnstone (piping); Crag Stewart (drumming); Bob Worrall (ensemble)
Good job PEEL; Sounding really good overall. Toronto seems to be getting major tone from their pipe section which I assume has been worked extensively considering the style of their medleys. 78th opening and ending with Briscoes Once upon a dream” is something I’ve wanted to hear for a few years now. And Oran Mor is sounding pretty decent. I liked the traditional reels at the end. Played them in Middle School
Is it me, or does the 78ths medley intro tune sound very similar to Tom Petty’s Free Fallin”? Catchy tune in any case
Announcement mistake. Second place in grade 5 was actually Dofasco Pipe Band.
Wow – congratulations to Peel, my old mates @TPPB and 78th! Great to see things so competitive in Ontario! Congrats to all the other bands and soloists as well.
I’m sure glad that we (PPBSO) changed the rule concerning the length of a Gr I selection to be 5-8 minutes…Certainly seeems to be adding some value here……
toronto sounding really well there, big surprise was oran mor – enjoyed listening to them. big improvements for these two bands. what about city of washington opening the medley with a jig?
Great music all around, but what I enjoyed seeing most were the healthy numbers in the Grade 1 and 2 band contests that we haven’t seen in the past few years. I hope that they are sign of good things to come.
Is it just me or do these recordings make the pipes sound kind of average for all of these bands?
yeah I know what you mean about the recording. i think though it has more to do with the fact that the camera is too close to the bands so your hearing just two people versus more of a blended sound. a bit futher back would help.