[NSP] Re: Competitions
Hello Sheila More depends on the judge than anything else(!!) and as I'm the judge at the next NSP competitions I offer the following guidelines: * First and foremost I'll be looking for a musical performance * The number of times through, unless otherwise stated in the rules, is entirely up to the player's idea of best effect. When I wrote the rules (very stringent) for Rothbury it was against a background of large numbers of competitors playing long sets (variations on all tunes) and running on into the concert time etc. a happy days!) * If all else is equal, those that play in my favourite style (with North Northumbrian bounce and lilt) i.e. will impress me more * I think it is always a good idea to establish the tune before going into 2nds(or 3rds, ora|). It also lets the judge hear the precise interaction and accuracy of the players before complications set in * As it is a piping competition the pipes should play a prominent part but if another instrument starts a tune and the pipes entry gives a noticeable lift that's a great effect, so do it if it works for you * Tunes not in the standard books are most welcome as long as (you said it) they sit well on the pipes Lastly for what it's worth, when David Oliver arranges tunes for pipes he writes them out in accepted pitch (that means things like clarinets and tuned down fiddles can read directly) and also (on separate sheets) with pipes lines in accepted pitch and other lines transposed accordingly. Hope this helps. Best wishes Anthony --- On Wed, 8/9/10, bri...@aol.com bri...@aol.com wrote: From: bri...@aol.com bri...@aol.com Subject: [NSP] Competitions To: nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu Date: Wednesday, 8 September, 2010, 2:10 Dear piping friends I am sure that to many of you these few questions regarding the competitions are going to seem ridiculous, with very obvious answers, You no doubt find the rules that are set out in the last Newsletter are all that is needed. Those who live in Northumberland and have attended the various competitions for years, are familiar with the unwritten rules for the different classes. However, for those living at some distance, and/or who have never attended previously but who are possibly considering entering, there are still some points which are not quite clear. Possibnly I am not the only outsider who would be grateful for some further clarifications. Warmest regards, Sheila -- To get on or off this list see list information at [1]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: Competitions
On 7 Sep 2010, bri...@aol.com wrote: in the performance section:- 1. How many times does each tune have to be played? Twice is usual unless the tune is very long - sets of variations, and things like Mme Bonaparte or Cameron Highlanders are only played once, on the whole. 2. Supposing it is an A B tune, does each section have to be repeated each time (i.e. AA BB, AABB, AABB ? If the tune is written with repeats then AABB would be normal (this is the advice I would give to a beginner), but (particularly in the case of slow tunes) some are written with repeats but not normally played that way (Keening in the Wind and Elsey's Waltz are two that spring to mind). In the more advanced classes there is room for personal taste (on the player's part) in this matter. 3. Classes 12, 13, and 16 - Duets , Must the tune first be played through completely in unison (AA BB ), before it is played as a duet with tune + harmonies/counter melody? Most judges I have encountered will comment unfavourably if it is not - the test of being able to play in tuneful unison being regarded as important. You cannot enter class 16 (overseas duet) if you will be there and competing in 12 and / or 13 on the day. Does this apply also if there are 5 or 6 players in the group? Don't know. I've only once seen a group of 5 and I can't remember what they did - probably did play some unison. 4. May the duet, if there are actually several people in the group, (for example, Small Pipes, Fiddle, Harp) have several distinct lines - similar to a classical trio or quartette - when playing the second or third time through? Yes. 5. Is the initial Tune to be played each time by the Small pipes? Or may one of the other instruments play the tune while the Small Pipes play the harmony? There is no requirement other than that the group contains a small pipes/BP player. All else is up to the judge. 6. Must the tunes chosen come from one of the NPS published books, or may they be from any source provided that they lie well, and sound well, on the Small Pipes? A complete program of non-Northumbrian music mght be frowned on. However not all N'brian music is in NPS books by any means. Again, up to the judge. Class 3 Compositions: 1. Recently I have been playing through the winning compositions printed in the NPS Magazine. (Many are delightful!) I notice that most are 16-bar tunes. Is this considered to be the ideal length? This is one of the common dance tune lengths in this area. There are also 4-bar reels, 48 bar jigs..etc etc 2. I notice also, that they are all a solo melodic line. Are duets are not considered? It is a melody composition class - I can't speak for other judges, but the tune is the important thing. IIRC, one of the tunes last year had a harmony line as entered and I pointed out politely to the entrant that this had not been considered. When a few have harmony and the rest don't, that's all that can be done. 3. Most of these tunes are easily sight-read I think you would find some quite prominent players who would disagree with this as they are primarily aural players and read ony with difficulty. Perhaps a tune the judge can't interpret is not likely to get on a shortlist. (Sometimes a tune can have interesting, though unexpected, bars, which may seem difficult initially but become easy after having been practiced a few times. Would these tend to be thrown out immediately by a judge?) Depends on the judge. Some like to think of it as tunes accessible to many players, others go for the best tune. Its a very personal thing. I do remember early in m piping career, a tune requiring more than 7 keys being highly commended but not placed on the grounds that it was not accessible to many nsp players. Again, judge- specific. 4. Are compositions sent in showing the actual name of the composer? Or are pseudonyms used so that the judge is not biased in his/her expectations? In theory they are judged anonymously. How that it is interpreted by individual judges I couldn't say. I am not sure whether Anne Moore removes composers' names before sending them on - the one year year I took over that job (the flood year I think) I passed the tunes on to the judge with code numbers only, and provided a sealed key. I don't know what the judge did. Class 4, Composition of Variations 1. The majority of sets with variations for the Small Pipes seem to keep the last 2 bars of each section of the theme unchanged in each strain of the variations. Is this considered to be essential? desirable? Traditional for melodic divisions is the way I'd describe it - but the tag can be varied later in the piece, and is in any case of varying length. Study of existing sets is the only way to understand this one. 2. Are the variations supposed to maintain melodic and rhythmic interest with, or despite,
[NSP] Re: 4-bar reels
Probably not a typo. The 'n-bar' description seems to apply indiscriminately to tunes of total length n bars, and tunes with strains that long. I'd call Peacock's Bonny Pit Laddie a 6-bar jig; but a tune like The Hexham Quadrille, with 3 eight bar strains repeated, is often called a 48-bar jig. This usage makes sense when playing for dancing, as the dance might need 48 bars of music, say. As abstract music, the strain length might be what the player cares about. A lot of old reels are 4 bar ones in the former sense - but I can't think of any fitting the latter usage - perhaps we should have a new composition class with a suitably lavish prize next month? John -Original Message- From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of Richard York Sent: 08 September 2010 12:37 To: julia@nspipes.co.uk; NSP group Subject: [NSP] Re: Competitions It seems mean of me to pick up typos, Julia, 'cos I certianly maek planty, but I do like the idea of a 4 bar reel. Perhaps this should be a special class of its own in the said competitions. :) Richard. On 08/09/2010 11:05, Julia Say wrote: 1. Recently I have been playing through the winning compositions printed in the NPS Magazine. (Many are delightful!) I notice that most are 16-bar tunes. Is this considered to be the ideal length? This is one of the common dance tune lengths in this area. There are also 4-ba r reels, 48 bar jigs..etc etc -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: 4-bar reels
On 8 Sep 2010, Gibbons, John wrote:
Probably not a typo.
No, John is correct. Not a typo.
There are quite a few of these scattered through society publications (and
elsewhere, but I'll stick to what I know about). As a tune form they are
widespread, but survive alive and played in our area and Shetland for just two.
Try The Steam Plough and Harlow Hill Lads (early C19) in NPS 3 , Dear Tobacco
(prob. C17) in the Charlton Memorial (amongst many others therein).
As to who writes those now? well here you go:
(fans of simple abc may need to remove the mtex dialect bits)
X:5943
T:The Snow Wind
C:J Say, Jan 2009
M:C|
L:1/8
E:11
K:G
DF|:G2\
\segno r
BG dGeG|cBAG FGAD/F/|G2 BG dGeG|1 cAFA G2 GD/F/:|2 cAFA\
E:11
G2 Gd||\
g2 eg dgBg|Ggfg agfg|g2 eg dgBg|\
agfd g2 gd|*
g2 eg dgBg|Ggfg agfg|g2 eg dgBg|cAFA G2 \
GD/F/\
\zcharnote s {D.S.}
||Ggaf\
\zcharnote t {Last time}
g2 g2||**
There's a picture of this on my Facebook page which can be seen by all at:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=218192l=7627d258f1id=10860900639
(or so the Facebook instructions tell me!)
I am not the only one who writes them, nor is this the only one I have.
Hope this helps
Julia
To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: 4-bar reels
I grovel.
- and of course you're right.
Yours in deep humility,
Richard.
On 08/09/2010 15:26, Julia Say wrote:
On 8 Sep 2010, Gibbons, John wrote:
Probably not a typo.
No, John is correct. Not a typo.
There are quite a few of these scattered through society publications (and
elsewhere, but I'll stick to what I know about). As a tune form they are
widespread, but survive alive and played in our area and Shetland for just two.
Try The Steam Plough and Harlow Hill Lads (early C19) in NPS 3 , Dear Tobacco
(prob. C17) in the Charlton Memorial (amongst many others therein).
As to who writes those now? well here you go:
(fans of simple abc may need to remove the mtex dialect bits)
X:5943
T:The Snow Wind
C:J Say, Jan 2009
M:C|
L:1/8
E:11
K:G
DF|:G2\
\segno r
BG dGeG|cBAG FGAD/F/|G2 BG dGeG|1 cAFA G2 GD/F/:|2 cAFA\
E:11
G2 Gd||\
g2 eg dgBg|Ggfg agfg|g2 eg dgBg|\
agfd g2 gd|*
g2 eg dgBg|Ggfg agfg|g2 eg dgBg|cAFA G2 \
GD/F/\
\zcharnote s {D.S.}
||Ggaf\
\zcharnote t {Last time}
g2 g2||**
There's a picture of this on my Facebook page which can be seen by all at:
[1]http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=218192l=7627d258f1id=10860900639
(or so the Facebook instructions tell me!)
I am not the only one who writes them, nor is this the only one I have.
Hope this helps
Julia
--
References
1.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=218192l=7627d258f1id=10860900639
To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: pipe cases
I wondered if anyone had tried one of Tom and Will trumpet cases: http://www.tomandwill.com/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=22TP%2D555Cat=Cases+%26+Bags+%2D+Trumpet as a case for as set of NSP? On paper they look about the same size as the rigid case I already have. I suspect the issue might be getting the bellows in the bottom? I do like the idea of a separate music case and being able to carry the whole thing on my back though. Sorry, especially in my first post to potentially set the cases thread off again! -- This message was sent on behalf of msdi...@btinternet.com at openSubscriber.com http://opensubscriber.com/message/nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu/13438472.html To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[no subject]
4-bar jigs are worth thinking about too - see 'I cannot get time to play with my hinny' (both versions) on FARNE, or of course 'Wylam Away'. There are a few others, like Blowzabella, but maybe there should be more! John -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: 4-bar reels
Sent this to Julia by mistake earlier, instead of to everyone...
-Original Message-
From: Gibbons, John
Sent: 08 September 2010 15:58
To: 'julia@nspipes.co.uk'
Subject: RE: [NSP] Re: 4-bar reels
It should also be noted that a lot of older '8-bar' reels have the structure of
a 4-bar reel with a slightly varied repeat (like Julia's 2nd strain), so the
structure is schematically |:A A' :||: B B' :|. Buttered Peas is of this type.
Most strathspeys are on the 4-bar pattern,
|:A :| B B' | usually with a variant ornamented tag in the 2nd strain.
The 4-bar form is nowhere near as limiting as you'd guess, and the fact that
there are so many of the things around, from Clare to Shetland and most places
in between, shows there is still a lot going for it. The reels are rhythmically
powerful, in general - and the underlying harmonic rhythm is often much clearer
than in tunes with longer phrases.
John
-Original Message-
From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of
Julia Say
Sent: 08 September 2010 15:26
To: nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu; Richard York
Subject: [NSP] Re: 4-bar reels
On 8 Sep 2010, Gibbons, John wrote:
Probably not a typo.
No, John is correct. Not a typo.
There are quite a few of these scattered through society publications (and
elsewhere, but I'll stick to what I know about). As a tune form they are
widespread, but survive alive and played in our area and Shetland for just two.
Try The Steam Plough and Harlow Hill Lads (early C19) in NPS 3 , Dear Tobacco
(prob. C17) in the Charlton Memorial (amongst many others therein).
As to who writes those now? well here you go:
(fans of simple abc may need to remove the mtex dialect bits)
X:5943
T:The Snow Wind
C:J Say, Jan 2009
M:C|
L:1/8
E:11
K:G
DF|:G2\
\segno r
BG dGeG|cBAG FGAD/F/|G2 BG dGeG|1 cAFA G2 GD/F/:|2 cAFA\
E:11
G2 Gd||\
g2 eg dgBg|Ggfg agfg|g2 eg dgBg|\
agfd g2 gd|*
g2 eg dgBg|Ggfg agfg|g2 eg dgBg|cAFA G2 \
GD/F/\
\zcharnote s {D.S.}
||Ggaf\
\zcharnote t {Last time}
g2 g2||**
There's a picture of this on my Facebook page which can be seen by all at:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=218192l=7627d258f1id=10860900639
(or so the Facebook instructions tell me!)
I am not the only one who writes them, nor is this the only one I have.
Hope this helps
Julia
To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re:
Will the Barber (or won't he?) On Wed, Sep 8, 2010 at 5:14 PM, Gibbons, John [1]j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk wrote: 4-bar jigs are worth thinking about too - see 'I cannot get time to play with my hinny' (both versions) on FARNE, or of course 'Wylam Away'. There are a few others, like Blowzabella, but maybe there should be more! John -- To get on or off this list see list information at [2]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. mailto:j.gibb...@imperial.ac.uk 2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: Will the Barber
Well remembered! It's also a grand tune. John -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
