The Judging of the Pipe Bands

Dear Angus,
I have been a big fan of the pipe band competition at Celtic Classic for several years now and would like to know how they are judged. After the first two or three, I usually can’t tell the different bands apart, let alone judge which is the best!

- PIPE JUDGING CHALLENGED

Dear Challenged,
By the time the last band marches off the field, ye’re joined by many in your confusion. Just pick out the best looking legs of each band and focus on them to help ye distinguish just who is playing. As for the judging, our professionals at the Celtic Classic inform me that the pipe bands are judged for several things, including attack (a nice, neat start-up), tone/tuning (quality of sound), expression (tempo, rhythm and duration of musical notes), pitch (sharpness or flatness), execution (how clean the playing is), unison (do they sound like one piper; or one drummer?) and ensemble (how well do they complement each other?). So, jest as we are listening for the most put together band, so are they!
Guid luck, and I hope ye remembered ta bring ye’re earplugs.

ANGUS