We have a new pipe band website

Its been a long and weary day as it's been spent with young KB setting up a new website.
Please check it out and give us your feedback.

http://jerseypipeband.vpweb.co.uk

We begin practice on Thursday night so we look forward to seeing you all again then.
Its amazing to think that our new website can be accessed by mobile phone! Life is so cool man! In fact its A W E S O M E !

Yours in piping.....

Summer is over and we start at the hall again

Well, that's the summer over and my goodness has autumn come in like a lion! We will be learning the competition set and in all there are four tunes but nothing too difficult. The music for the first two tunes will be on your email so take it with you so we can run through them this Thursday, 15th September from 7 p.m. at the academy part of the evening. The main band players will artrive from 7.45 p.m. as usual.

The photo below was taken at Howard Davis Park in August, which prompts me to update you on the progress of the new tartan:

We are making arrangements to get the new tartan sample down to the island and our kilt maker is trying to get flights down on one of the preferred three suggested week ends:17/18th; 24/25th September and 1/2 October. The aim is to get as many of the band members measured up for the new kit on the week end and to get some of us trained on how to measure for kilts, jackets, waistcoats etc.  Clearly we will not all be around at the time of the kilt makers visit so don't worry if you are not as someone will be able to take them for you when you are available.

We are also at the stage of getting our new tartan name approved by the Jersey authorities. This is a necessary prerequisite to getting our tartan registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans.

Dates for the diary

Remember the following please:

• Busking St Helier 11.30 am on Saturday 6th August
• Howard Davis Park evening of 9th August
• Wedding - 27th August (more details top follow)

The Academy takes a break in August but the main band players will not, and so the last event of the academy will be the workshop on Sunday 31 July 9.00 to 11.00 a.m. (refer below)

Howard Davis Park

Well done to V for her first public appearance with the band on the evening of 19 July 2011. It was great to have her in the ranks to play "Teribus and Corrichoillies Welcome" and "the girl did well!"Keep up the good work V!

We have agreed a workshop session for Sunday 30 July from 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. which will be the last practice for the Academy members before summer break. We will reconvene on September on 8th September at 7.00 p.m. In August the main band will press on to learn new tunes.

More details will be given on Thursday night re the venue, so hope you can make it. If you can't then email me and i will supply the info  you need.

Home bakes are not guaranteed....................................

We intend to have a tutor available for each attendee so please confirm to me so that I can make suitable arrangements for you. The idea is to have group sessions and then have short break-out sessions with a tutor so that you can ask questions etc and work to find the best way for you to learn new tunes. I will make sure we have some coffee, tea and buns to hand!

Chanter workshop-getting it together

OK-I've agreed with the Pipe Major that we run a chanter workshop to help members memorise and learn pipe tunes.

If you feel you want to participate please let me know by email what dates and time suit.

My own preference is a short, two hour session- one week end-maybe the morning. The idea is to work as a group but then have breakup sessions on a one-to-one basis where you can try out the method shown or adapt to suit your own way of learning.

We need two hours as what I aim to do is teach one part with a view to playing it on the pipes before the end of the workshop.

Please get in touch so that I can make sure that enough "tutors" are on hand to help out.

(Remember there is no charge and its all voluntary!! Must be a Scottish band after all!!)

Thanks very much.

Tartan by design

As you know we have been working on a new tartan since coming up with the idea in January 2010. We have progressed this a lot and are nearing the final stage. We need to choose the colour and dye swatches and the latest CAD below shows the general appearance. Computer screens can make the colours appear very different from the real swatch dyes, but the finish is more rust than orange!

We showed you a copy of the print last week at practice but here it is again so do let us have your thoughts:

Sun, sausages and salads

The summer BBQ was well attended this year so thanks for coming. It was great to see so many of the younger players attend and the music was flowing by the end of the day.

Thanks to W for all her hard work, and who created a truly relaxing day for all of us. She proves again that a band is not just its pipers and drummers!

Thanks too for all the salads, desserts and other goodies so willingly given by so many. We missed some folks whose lives took them away but perhaps we can organise another social event later in the year-though I don't think we will be sitting around trying to remember how to play badminton!!