Music Judges

Piping:              Brendan Eade, Nigel Foster, Brian Niven, Brian Switalla

Drumming:  Stuart Eeles, Robert Turner

Ensemble:     William Livingstone, Craig Meinsmith

Other non music judges have also been appointed for the event and they are :

Drum Major’s competition Robert Buckton

Dress                                                    John Agnew

Mace Flourishing                       Rod Millar

Marching                                          Peter Eeles, Rod Millar, Jill Vincent

Display                 Ensemble          tba

     Non-Music       Malcolm Irving

     Guest                  Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby

Kitto Trophy:                                 tba

Numbers this year are reportedly down, and as a result fewer tutors than usual have been employed. This is not taking away from the experience this week, with several interesting workshops and evening activities planned.

The Foundation Youth Pipe Band is attending the week, and will be spending the afternoons working on their intensive competition and concert repertoire. On Wednesday night they will be practicing under the direction of Jack Lee, Reid Maxwell and Tyler Fry.

Tonight is the annual Tutors Recital, with special appearances from groups and soloists. This is $10 and begins at 7pm at Christchurch Boys “Big Room”.

The week will culminate with a Students Recital on Thursday, where all students will perform; including the Youth Band.

PBNews will be on hand all week, taking photos and videos and will be uploading them as available. Stay tuned for more news from the 2012 National Summer School.

It is a voluntary position which has very few demands; the only one being that you deliver the news fast, efficiently, and to the best of your ability. Occasionally you may be asked to write specific articles for specific purposes, but most often it will be up to you.

We want people with a passion for piping and drumming and who have a bit of a way with words.

If you’re interested, contact either the Owner or Editor with expressions of interest.

This year, we have added an additional poll – the Greatest Pipe Band Moment of the Year – which is open to international as well as domestic events.

Polls close on the 10th of January.

Click here to take survey

Changes to the event include the removal of the piping solo events, which have been harder to organise in the past few years due to P&D rules which have meant judges are harder to find. Drumming solos will take place as normal, starting at 9.30.

Judges for the event have yet to be confirmed.

Entry forms are available here, along with the schedule.

Chris Stevens took over the magazine exactly 10 years ago, and has overseen the publication of 40 editions of the magazine. Chris has also seen readership and subscriptions increase over the last 10 years, going against the grain of modernisation and the move away from print to internet and online media. Highlights from the last 10 years include Stewart McKenzie’s “Systematic approach to sound”, Tyler Fry’s mid section articles, and Geoff Hore’s NZ composers – which has spurred on young composers to being to write and has seen the emergence of further NZ compositions.

Libby, currently a writer and photographer with the Taupo Times, has a long career and interest in journalism, initially writing for the Taupo Times, and moving onto the print/onlineteen magazine Tearaway. She wrote articles for Pipes|Drums magazine, which saw her discuss and analyse Piping Live! events through to Palmerston North Square Day. She also wrote articles for Piping Today – the National Piping Centre’s publication – and for the NZPBM.

On behalf of the piping and pipe band fraternity in New Zealand, we want to thank Chris for his tireless efforts in producing the only NZ print magazine available to pipers and drummers and making the content always relevant and interesting. We wish Libby all the success in her big endeavour and the team behind her.

Ulster Championships

1st  Field Marshal Montgomery

2nd Manawatu Scottish Society (Ensemble Preference)

3rd  Cullybackey

North Berwick

MSR

1st  Boghall and Bathgate Caledonian

2nd Dysart and Dundonald

3rd Canterbury Caledonian Society

Medley

1st Boghall and Bathgate Caledonian

2nd Oran Mor

3rd Canterbury Caledonian Society

Bridge of Allan

1st Inveraray and Districts

2nd  Oran Mor

3rd  Vale of Athol

4th  Lothian and Borders

5th Canterbury Caledonian Society

Placing 10th at the 2009 World Pipe Band Championships, the band is going across again in 2011 to try and qualify and better their 2009 placing. The band will spend a week in Northern Ireland, competing at the Ulster Championships against bands such as Field Marshal Montgomery and Cullybackey, and will venture across to Glasgow for Piping Live Week.

The band will be playing in George Square on Thursday, alongside Grade 1 Band, the 78th Fraser Highlanders. They will also take part in the RT Shepherd and Sons Quartet Challenge, where they will go up against Inverary and District, Scottish Power Pipe Band, Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band, St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band, Strathclyde Police Pipe Band and the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band.

Further details will be available when they come to hand.

“[Richard Hawke] is one of the leading piping tutors in Australasia and has tutored for the past 30 years, working in both paid and unpaid capacities, and developing a reputation for being able to recognize and nurture young talent.” said the official statement from the Government. “He has held a number of positions since 1979 including Principal at the New Zealand College of Piping from 1994-2002. He is a founding tutor of the National Summer Schools, an initiative promoted by the Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands Association.”

As Pipe Major, Richard has led the band to two runner-up awards at Palmerston North Square Day, a credible 4th at the Bridge of Allan Highland Games, 2nd at North Berwick Highland Games. The band was also crowned Champion of Champions Grade 1 for the 2010/11 season. As a band director, he has taken St Andrews College to win both Grade 3 and Grade 2 titles at New Zealand championships, to gain 3rd and 5th at the 2007 and 2010 World Pipe Band Championships respectively, and taught hundreds of pipers throughout his tenure since 2005.

As a solo piper, he is undoubtedly one of the greatest competitive pipers in the world, having won the Northern Meeting A MSR, Oban Gold Medal, Dunvegan Medal (twice) as well as several other prestigious titles. He has won over 20 New Zealand solo piping championships, and as a tutor has had students win the Gold Medal, Silver Medal, Silver Chanter, and several other New Zealand Championships.

Several prominent pipers and drummers posted on Richard Hawke’s ‘Facebook’ page with congratulatory messages. According to a statement made to Pipes|Drums, Richard said “This was a totally unexpected honour and I was very humbled to even be considered for such a National Honour. This is not only an honour for me personally however fantastic recognition for piping and pipe bands by the greater community.”