Northwest/White Spot United Pipe Band is a joint project of Northwest Junior Pipe Band and White Spot Pipe Band to provide new opportunities for growth by combining talents in a Grade 3/Juvenile level pipe band for the 2010/2011 competition season.
Saturday's event at the Pacific Northwest Highland Games was a Medley competition, and the band managed a first place from one of the piping judges, but a third place from the other. That along with a 2nd in ensemble and 3rd in drumming put us in 2nd place on the day. Sunday, our March, Strathspey & Reel we're competing with at the World Championships continued coming together, and we received two first places in piping, a 2nd in drumming and 3rd in ensemble. Enough for a first place, but just a few points shy of what we needed to win the Grand Aggregate for the season, which we never expected to be in the hunt for.
It was an eye opening year for many of us, competing at this new grade level, and we appreciate the world-class competitors we've faced all season. We finish the North American portion of our season with five first place finishes, the Grade 3 Washington State Championship title, and a great feeling about our upcoming trip to Scotland. See this post for our cap badge, bass drum logo, and our Scotland schedule, and we hope you follow our updates on Facebook. Thanks to our supportive communities worldwide, in British Columbia, and in Washington for your encouragement along the way. We're thrilled with our progress and excited about the next few weeks. Most of us aren't thinking too much about what happens next for us, but we're definitely going to miss working together in this historic and memorable project.
Northwest/White Spot United maintained its overall position in 2nd place after the Portland Highland Games, but the gap closed to within 25 points, a theoretical possibility to win the Grand Aggregate for the season if they place ahead of the current first place band in both events at the Pacific Northwest Highland Games July 30th and 31st. The competition is a world class organization, so the challenge is great, but beginning this project just a year ago, no one in either band considered they would be this close to first place for the season. It's been a remarkable year and everyone involved is incredibly proud of the talented youth of NWWSUPB.
The band's new cap badges arrived. The centerpiece is Mt. Baker, visible both from Canada and the US. Designed by side drummer Eric.
And our Bass Drum cling arrived:
The band's plans for the next couple weeks:
July 30th and 31st: March Strathspey & Reel and Medley competitions, as well as quartet and drum salute events at the Pacific Northwest Highland Games.
August 3rd, most of the band flies to Scotland from the Vancouver, BC airport.
August 4th, arrive in Scotland - first band practice.
August 6th, North Berwick Highland Games - the band plays 3rd of 4 Juvenile bands, beginning at 11:30
August 7th, Bridge of Allan Highland Games - the band plays twice; Medley in Grade 3 and Juvenile, 13th out of 18 bands
at 12:06, then again in Grade 2, the MSR; 18th of 18 bands at 2:33pm.
We're joined by a host of international bands on Thursday August 11th, beginning at 11 am at the well attended and free "Piping In the Square" event at George Square in Glasgow, Scotland. We're up at noon, and if you're in Scotland, we'd love to see you there!
The lineup: Kintyre Schools Pipe Band, one of our top competitors in the Juvenile event, from Scotland.
See all the event schedules on the Piping Live! website. We're sharing the photo of their "Artists" section below, where our logo randomly appears featured with many of the best musicians in the world, click it to follow the link to their website.
Our first win in an event in the very challenging Grade 3 came on the most "Scotland" of days we've competed in yet. There was sunshine as we began final tuning for our MSR competition, and then rain as we entered the competition field. We put on our rain capes and prepared for our Medley competition, and entered the competition field to sunshine. But we played well, and managed a first place in our March, Strathspey & Reel in a field of three bands with a lot of talent and experience at this level. We're very pleased with this result, especially since we're competing at the World Pipe Band Championships in just over a month, August 13th with our MSR. The placings were: 2 first places in piping, 2nd in drumming, and 2nd in ensemble. We ended up 3rd in the Medley event, with 2nd & 3rd in piping, 2nd in drumming and 3rd in ensemble.
Congratulations to our soloists on a challenging weather day at the BC Highland Games June 25th, one of the first days in recent memory many of us remember it raining during the solos and band competitions. We had 15 placings in the top 6:
Grade 4 piping Strathspey & Reel, 15 competed
Jonathan R 4th Grade 3 piping Strathspey & Reel, 14 competed
Marcus D, 5th 2/4 March
Marcus D, 6th Piobaireachd
Marcus D, 6th Grade 2 piping
Liam H, Aggregate winner MSR, 8 competed
Liam H, 1st Piobaireachd, 8 competed
Liam H, 1st Jig, 8 competed
Liam H, 4th Grade 1 piping Hornpipe & Jig, 11 competed
P/M Alexander Schiele, 1st MSR, 12 competed
P/M Alexander Schiele, 3rd Piobaireachd, 11 competed
P/M Alexander Schiele, 4th
Grade 4 Side Drumming 6/8 March, 10 competed
Robert G, 2nd Grade 3 Side Drumming 2/4 March, 5 competed
Eric C, 2nd 6/8 March, 5 competed
Eric C, 4th Grade 2 Side Drumming MSR, 7 competed
Bryce K, 2nd Hornpipe & Jig, 7 competed
Bryce K, 4th
The challenge and commitment to travelling back and forth across the US/Canadian border at least monthly has really paid off for the committed musicians of Northwest/White Spot United Pipe Band. Scotland gets closer each week, and the band is starting to really get excited about it now.
The Annual Gathering in BC, Easter Weekend: 3rd overall, but 2nd in piping, 3rd in piping, 2nd in drumming and 3rd in Ensemble. A great first performance in Grade 3.
Comox Valley Highland Games, Courtenay, BC, May 21st: 2nd of 2, 1st in piping, 2nd in piping, 2nd in drumming, 2nd in ensemble.
Victoria Highland Games, Victoria, BC, May 22nd: 3rd of 3, two 3rds in piping, 2nd in drumming, 2nd in ensemble.
Bellingham Highland Games, Ferndale, WA June 4: Tie for 2nd, won on ensemble preference. 2nd and 3rd in piping, 3rd in drumming,1st in ensemble. A first time out as Lead Stroke for Robbie G, nice work everyone!
Bellingham Solo results:
Grade 4 piping 2/4 March 3rd: Diego A 4th: Caleb V
Grade 4 piping 6/8 March 3rd: Diego A
Aggregate in Grade 3 piping: Marcus D Grade 3 Piping - 2/4 March 1st: Marcus D
Grade 3 Piping - Strathspey & Reel 1st: Marcus D
Grade 2 Piping Aggregate: Liam H Grade 2 Piping Hornpipe & Jig 2nd - Liam H Grade 2 Piping MSR 1st - Liam H
Thanks to Skye Richendrfer from the Celtic Arts Foundation, NW/WSUPB practiced in Mount Vernon at the Elks Lodge, just about half way between Shoreline and Vancouver on Saturday April 2nd. The Elks donated the space free of charge, which is incredibly helpful...and we managed a full day of practice. The band came away feeling very positive about the progress made, and "gelling" more as a team. Band members are looking forward to our final combined practice before the BC Pipers' Annual Gathering (where the band competitions will be streamed live, we'll add the link to this site when we know more) at the Washington Pipers' Association gathering on April 16th. Our first competition is April 24th.
Most of the members of the band from the Seattle area were able to join their team-mates in the band at the Greighlan Crossing/White Spot Pipe Band Robbie Burns Dinner Fundraiser on Saturday, January 29th in Delta, BC. We were missing a few pipers, two at another important Burns dinner, and one at the Celtic Arts Foundation Winter School, but our remaining pipers did a great job, playing several tunes including the below March, Strathspey & Reel that is in development for our World Pipe Band Championships trip this August.
Our thanks go out to McCallum Bagpipes for donating our band chanters, which we thought sounded great in our first outing. The support of our community is critical to our success. To help NW/WSUPB get to Scotland, each organization is accepting donations. Donate directly to NWJPB here>> via paypal or contact White Spot Pipe Band via their contact page>> to donate. The organizations are raising travel, instrument and uniform funding independently and would greatly appreciate your support.
