2008 Southern Branch EUSPBA Annual Meeting

Holiday Inn
Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
September 21, 2008

Sunday morning, 10:00am - Breakfast will be available. Please plan on attending this meeting to discuss issues of importance to be presented to the Executive Committee at the EUSPBA AGM.

 

2007 Southern Branch EUSPBA Annual Meeting

Holiday Inn
Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
September 15, 2007

The Southern Branch Annual meeting was held at the Holiday Inn in Mt. Pleasant, SC on Sunday, September 15, 2007, the morning after the Charleston Highland Games. Attendees came from Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The meeting produced the following proposals which were presented at the EUSPBA AGM on November 10, 2007. Disposition of these proposals is reported here.

Proposals

Proposal: Clarify rules in regards to running contests concurrently.
Rationale: Current rules state that two specific contests, a march and a strathspey/reel cannot be run concurrently. At the Charleston Games, a drumming judge was running multiple contests (QMM and 2/4 March). This was proving difficult for the contestants to keep track of, and no doubt was difficult for the judge to keep track of; he was asked to complete them one at a time.
Current rule: In any grade where a March contest is run as a separate event from a Strathspey and Reel contest, the two separate events may not be run simultaneously. "Simultaneously" is defined as requiring a competitor to play the march and then requiring the strathspey & reel event to be played immediately thereafter before the same judge.

Proposal: Consider offering the Bass/Tenor Judges exam in the near future.
Rationale: This will bring in additional judges who are well versed in the current styles and trends in midsection playing and music scoring.

Proposal: Develop a set list of tunes appropriate for Grade IV Piobaireachd Full Tune contests.
Rationale: Some players at this level are choosing tunes beyond their level and not able to handle the complexity of the music or have the stamina for a lengthy tune.

Proposal: Develop and record a set list of recommended tunes for drumming competitions.
Rationale: It is often difficult for a drummer to find a piper to play at their (the drummer) appointed competition time, not to mention time in advance to practice their piece. Drummers are allowed to bring recorded music to play along with. EUSPBA could help provide a reliable accompaniment and practice partner for drumming competitors.

Proposal: Allow a Midsection Judge to sit in on band contests as a non-sanctioned, non-voting judge, to provide comments only for bass/tenor performance.
Rationale: Midsection judges are frequently finished with their duties by noon on game day, and are available to provide valuable input to contestants. This could possibly turn into a non-sanctioned award for Best Mid Section. If it was deemed valuable after a period of time, it might turn into a regular, sanctioned part of band adjudication.

Proposal: Develop a set of standard Massed Band tenor arrangements or select an existing setting (such as Ty Fry’s settings).
Rationale: Massed Bands are the highlight of the day for most attendees of Highland Games. Tenors are the most visual component of Massed Bands. With each band playing its own arrangement, the result is a muddy sound and a disjointed visual effect. A standard arrangement with consistent flourishing throughout the corps would be more visually appealing. Using a ‘branded’ setting like Ty Fry’s would likely result in more band ‘buy-in.’