RSPBA Annual Pipe Band Workshop - A Brief History, John McKenzie

In the early 1970's the RSPBA began hosting a Summer School in its premises at 45 Washington Street, Glasgow to assist pipers and drummers prepare for RSPBA certificate examinations. Prominent players and teachers taught at the school using the original RSPBA Tutor and Text Books 1 & 2, produced by P/Ms John MacAllister and William Sloane, and D/Ms Alex Duthart and Alex (AD) Hamilton.

In response to the requirements of the attendees, the nature of the school's content evolved over the years from certificate preparation into a workshop format geared primarily towards improving musical skills but including all aspects of piping, drumming and pipe bands. In 1998, in keeping with the changed format, the school was renamed 'Annual Summer Pipe Band Workshop'.

The Workshop is a six-day event and is held in July each year. It starts on the first Sunday of the traditional Glasgow Fair holiday fortnight and finishes the following Friday. July is a good month for the workshop. It is during the national education recess and, being in the summer, it allows players from overseas and the more distant parts of the UK, to combine the workshop with a holiday. It is also a good time for visiting grade one bands at rehearsal when they are working on material for the world championships and the other major championships coming up in the second part of the outdoor contest season.

Growing numbers of pipers and drummers attending the workshop - 2002 saw 50 players from Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, England and Scotland - has necessitated an increase from one piping and one drumming instructor at the early schools, to a team of ten piping and drumming staff. This ensures that a number of classes can run simultaneously and that all the pipers and drummers are provided with suitable tuition and activities consistent with their needs and wants. The instruction team is supported by talented young pipers and drummers acting as assistants.

Until recently, catering for the event was provided by local members of the RSPBA Ladies Committee who gave much time and effort to provide lunches and refreshments for around fifty pipers and drummers plus the instruction team and support staff. Sadly, due to deaths and ill-health, the Ladies Committee is not now able to commit the numbers required for such a task and since 2000 it has been necessary to employ professional caterers. Rita Hepburn in particular, a stalwart of the Committee, worked tirelessly for many years. In addition to the catering, Rita and her colleagues contributed considerably to the friendly atmosphere of the workshop which has been maintained by the new caterers who enjoy the event as much as the players.

The workshop has two directors, John Nevans for piping and John McKenzie for drumming. They took over on the retirement of George Scott in 1995 when it was decided that the event would be better served with joint directors rather than the existing single piping principal with a drumming assistant.

John and John have enjoyed the enthusiastic support of the instruction team in addressing the responsibilities of the growing event. Each year the team provides six piping and four drumming instructors for the workshop. During the last few years the piping instructors have included Jim Semple, Bob McFie, Rab Burns, Iain Simpson, Alvis Kerr, and Margaret Ballantyne. Recent additions to the piping team, Andy Gibbs of Scottish Power, has taught at the 2001 and 2002 workshops, and Wilma Graham, formerly of Lochgelly High School and Dysart & Dundonald, and currently completing her studies for a music degree, joined the staff in 2002.

The drumming team includes Alistair Hepburn, Brian Purves and Neil Whitelaw, with Mick O'Neill, leading drummer of Clan Gregor Society and drumming teacher at George Watson's College, the most recent addition since joining in 2001.

Increasingly, prominent young pipers and drummers are offering support to the instructors whilst gaining teaching experience. Ross Harvie and Jamie Franks of Boghall & Bathgate's grade one band have lent assistance in piping and Stephen Graham of Dysart & Dundonald and Alisdair Brown of Chivas Regal, both world juvenile solo drumming champions, have helped with the drumming. This provides the younger pipers and drummers with identifiable links to their ambitions through contact with these teenage players who have all used the workshop as part of their musical development.

The workshop receives valuable support from top players and bands. Part of the event includes evening visits to grade one bands at rehearsal. Boghall & Bathgate, Vale of Atholl, Dysart & Dundonald and Scottish Power have all welcomed the workshop to their rehearsals and feedback from the 'workshoppers' confirms that observing top outfits making use of their rehearsal time, as well as meeting the pipe majors, leading drummers and players, is a valuable experience. Thanks are due to Boghall & Bathgate and Vale of Atholl for hosting the visits in 2002.

Top pipers and drummers are invited to make guest visits to the workshop to meet with the players and give talks and recitals. Over the last few years the workshop has been visited by Ian Duncan, formerly Vale of Atholl; Gary Killen, David Urquart Travel; Brian Lamond and Paul Turner, Dysart & Dundonald; Ian Roddich (formerly) and Jim Collins, Glasgow Skye Association; Robert Mathieson and Jim Kilpatrick, Shotts & Dykehead; and Robert Wallace and Peter Anderson of the Whistlebinkies. Colin MacLellan and Arthur Cook of Lothian & Borders Police are owed the thanks for providing the guest input in 2002.

Bass and tenor sections are included when it comes to guest invitations and band visits. Scott Currie, formerly of Shotts and currently Strathclyde Police, has given guest instruction, and Stephen McQuillan and Alan Jordan of the Boghall grade one bass section, along with Brian McCommish of the snare section, have visited the workshop to coach and give insight into mid-section work. In 2002, in addition to the visits to Boghall, and Vale of Atholl, where top mid-section work was on view, David Urquart Travel's drum section welcomed the workshop to an evening rehearsal where the flourishing and rhythm work of Norman Macleod and the bass and tenor section was on display. The DUT corps played through their pipe band material and also other arrangements, using additional percussion instruments, which they were rehearsing for a drum festival.

Each day the pipers and drummers are coached, individually and in groups, at their own level. They are encouraged to play at an end of workshop concert on the Friday where friends and family are invited. A previously circulated list is used for the players to select their tunes and they are coached on these during the week. The players may also use tunes from their own repertoires.

The disciplines of pipe band playing are practised at the end of each day when pipes and drums come together to rehearse in bands. A lot of attention is given to sound production and throughout the six days, work is carried out on the instruments. Almost continuously, maintenance can be seen being carried out on bagpipes, while the sound of them being blown is ever present. A visitor to the drumming classes will always find, in addition to drummers constantly working on rudiments, drum scores, and technique development, that one of the instructors will be demonstrating how to coax good sounds out of the drum through maintenance, tuning, and method of play.

For variety, or a break from practice, there are options each day to attend and participate in talks about piping, drumming, pipe bands and music. Piobaireachd is always keenly attended and 2002 saw Bob McFie and Andy Gibbs give an overview on the subject with coaching in the ground of The Little Spree.

Players and teachers now commonly using computer software for writing and playback of music for the bagpipe and the Scottish pipe band drum. For 2002, training in its use was introduced and Ceol Mor Software Ltd. kindly brought computers and printers to the workshop to give coaching to the pipers and drummers.

After the 2002 workshop, feedback from the players, whether starting out or taking a 'busman's holiday', was excellent. The enthusiasm of the instructors, the variety of activities each day, the food, the friendly assistance of the RSPBA staff, the hospitality of the bands, and the input of the visiting guests, all received glowing reports in feedback questionnaires.

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