Set Tunes for 2010: Clasp & Gold Own Choice Tunes

Greg Wilson, the Secretary of the CNP Music Committee, today announced the 2010 tunes to be played at the 2010 Hawkes Bay Highland Games.

Clasp Competition

Competitors are to submit six (6) tunes of their own choice, one of which they will be asked to play. The winner receives the First Prize, the Louis MacKinnon Challenge Cup and a Clasp for the Gold Medal. The competition is confined to winners of the Society’s Gold Medal. There must be a minimum of 3 competitors or the event will not be held.

Gold Medal Competition

Competitors are to submit four (4) tunes of their own choice, one of which they will be asked to play. The winner receives the First Prize, The Highland Society of London Trophy for one year, and the Comunn na Piobaireachd (New Zealand) Inc. Gold Medal. Former winners are not eligible to compete. Entry to the Gold Medal competition is restricted to pipers who have not previously won the Gold Medal event and who are:

1. Pipers with a P&D Assn ‘A’ Grade, or
2. Pipers who have been awarded a prize (other than first prize) in a previous Comunn na Piobaireachd Gold Medal competition since 1990, or
3. Pipers who have previously won the Comunn na Piobaireachd Silver Medal competition.

No medal will be awarded if the judges are of the opinion that the standard does not warrant the award.

Silver Medal Competition

1. The Garden of Roses – DM Bk 1
2. Lament for the Rowan Tree – DM Bk 1
3. Weighing from Land – PS Bk  2
4. You’re Welcome, Ewen Lochiel – PS Bk  2
5. Fair Honey – PS Bk  9
6. Corrienessan’s Salute – PS Bk  8

The winner receives the First Prize and the Comunn na Piobaireachd (New Zealand) Inc Silver Medal. Former winners are not eligible to compete. Competitors are to submit 3 tunes chosen from the list of 6 Silver Medal tunes above, one of which they will be required to play. Entry to the Silver Medal competition is restricted to pipers who have not previously won the Silver Medal event and who are Pipers with a P&D Assn ‘B’ Grade or lower.

No medal will be awarded if the judges are of the opinion that the standard does not warrant the award.

DM = Donald MacLeod’s Collection of Piobaireachd Book 1
PS = Piobaireachd Society Collection

Greg Wilson Wins Clasp

This is fantastic news. Not only does he win the big prizes, but he is passing on his passion to so many NZ players.

clipped from www.pipesdrums.com Inverness, Scotland – September 5, 2008 – The highlight of the second day of the Northern Meeting is the Clasp competition, considered by most to be the pinnacle award in solo piping, which Greg Wilson of New Zealand won for the third time in his career.

BBC Pipeline features Greg Wilson

Well worth a listen any time, but this week’s Pipeline features Greg Wilson. It also has performances of Munro’s Salute and Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel’s Salute from Breton piper Patrick Molard, some rip snorting playing from Stuart Liddell and other fantastic music. IMHO one of the more interesting programmes. Click here to listen.

2008 Piobaireachd Seminar Photo

You had to be there!

Henderson & Wilson Engaged to Run Seminars

Comunn na Piobaireachd NZ today announced the appointment of Murray Henderson and Greg Wilson to teach at a series of Piobaireachd Seminars in 2008. These seminars will take place during the week after Easter 2008 and will be on the set list tunes for the following year, 2009.

The first session will be held on the 24th to the 27th of March in Apiti (near Feilding). This will be a residential ‘Master Class’ programme for senior and advanced players in the set tunes for the 2009 CNP Gold Medal and Clasp competitions and in set tunes for the comparable Scottish competitions in August and September 2008. Cost: $300-$350 (approx). Transport will be available from Hastings to Apiti and from Apiti to Palmerston North or Wellington.

There will be a one day seminar for teachers of Piobaireachd on the 28th of March at no charge in Christchurch. This will be followed by a two day seminar, also in Christchurch, for intermediate players on the set tunes for the 2009 Silver Medal competition. Cost: $100-$200 (approx).

Expressions of interest in attending the Gold Medal and Clasp seminars – return to George Mason george.mason@dol.govt.nz. Expressions of interest in attending the teachers’ seminar or the Silver Medal seminar – return to Don Smith dsmith23@xtra.co.nz.