Please submit your news via your local pipe band representative (see Branches) |
posted May 17, 2012 10:03 PM by Michael Flight
Highland Thistle Pipe Band (Buenos Aires, Argentina) has picked up the Gathering's torch and will be hosting the 5th South American Pipe Band Gathering (G5). They have recently announced the tentative dates as September 13, 14 and 15 2013. More updates will be posted on the G5 page in Facebook. |
posted Feb 15, 2012 9:48 PM by Michael Flight
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updated Feb 16, 2012 3:35 PM
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The 5th South American Pipe Band Gathering scheduled for April 20-22, 2012 to be held in São Paulo, Brazil, was today canceled following a series of unfortunate happenings.
SPBASA's Representatives will be reevaluating the host city/band fixture, and the new dates and venue for the G5 will be communicated soon. |
posted Jul 24, 2011 12:17 PM by Michael Flight
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updated Oct 2, 2011 6:19 AM
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In the spirit of continuous improvement, the SPBASA Representatives have met after each Gathering,to analyse the best practices and lessons learned. The G4 was an especially important learning experience because it hosted the 1st South American pipe band competition. The revised rules and regulations were approved on Friday, July 22 nd, and published today Sunday.
Please contact your local representative if you have comments, questions or further feedback to share. |
posted Jul 9, 2011 6:28 PM by Michael Flight
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updated Jul 9, 2011 11:22 PM
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St. Andrew's Society of São Paulo Pipes and Drums (SASPD) announced today the dates and guests for the 5th South American Pipe Band Gathering (G5). Please mark your calendars for Friday April 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday April 22, 2012!
The instructors and adjudicators for the G5 will be Bob Worrall (a frequent visitor to Montevideo in the past years) and Gordon Graig (also at the G2 - Buenos Aires), as the G5 will be hosting the 2nd South American Pipe Band Competition.
Bob Worrall commentating BBC's 2010 WPBC live stream (source)
Gordon Craig adjudicating at the 2010 WPBC (source)
SASPD also announced that they secured a very good venue and already have permission for Friday's massed bands parade. Details on this and further aspects of the G5 will follow throughout the next weeks and months.
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posted Jun 13, 2011 8:34 PM by Michael Flight
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updated Jun 13, 2011 9:15 PM
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The 2011 Shamrock Cup was the first solo piping competition in South America, held last Saturday June 11th, at The Shannon Irish Pub, Montevideo, Uruguay ( event details). This was a regional milestone for the competitors, for German Villar as the event organiser, and likewise for the local adjudicators Cleve Lightfoot (Chile), Sebastian Geymonat (Uruguay). As reported by Rick Empson (MC), "Camaraderie was the order of the day and the evening was enjoyed by all: players and audience alike."
Standing (L-R): Mariano Pugues, Sebastian Geymonat, Daniel Pereira, Andres Betancourt, Guillermo Santana MacKinlay, Freddy Santana MacKinlay, Gabriel Prieto (The Shannon). Seated (L-R): Andrew McConnell, German Villar (organiser), Richard Empron (MC). (photo credit: Cleve Lightfoot - source) Results: - Novice:
- 1st – Daniel Pereira
- 2nd – Mariano Pigues
- Open:
- MSR
- 1st – Freddy Santana MacKinlay
- 2nd – Guillermo Santana MacKinlay
- 3rd – Andrew McConnell
- Piobaireachd
- 1st – Guillermo Santana MacKinlay
- 2nd – Freddy Santana MacKinlay
- 3rd – Germán Villar
- Solo Piper of the Day (Shamrock Cup): Freddy Santana MacKinlay
Freddy Santana MacKinlay holding the Shamrock Cup (photo credit: Cleve Lightfoot - source)
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posted Nov 7, 2010 4:52 AM by Michael Flight
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updated Jan 5, 2011 9:18 PM
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The SAPA-hosted 4th South American Pipe Band Gathering (G4) concluded after the downtown Buenos Aires massed bands parade and pipe band cocktail on Friday Nov-5th, the pipe band competitions and displays on Saturday at the Belgrano Athletic Club, and the clinics on Saturday and Sunday (BAC and Regimiento de Patricios).
Photo: Jason Mayne's wall photos
The G4 marked a milestone for having had the 1st pipe band competition in the region. This 1st time the bands competed with a quick march medley. Though some South American pipe bands had competition experience, this was the 1st time a competition was held in this region.
Six out of eight pipe bands competed and the prize list is as follows:
Pipe Band overall: 2nd: SAPA 3rd: St. Andrew's Society of São Paulo Pipes and Drums
Pipe corps: 1st: Highland Thistle Pipe Band 2nd: SAPA 3rd: St. Andrew's Society of São Paulo Pipes and Drums
Drum corps: 1st: SAPA 2nd: Highland Thistle Pipe Band 3rd: St. Andrew's Society of São Paulo Pipes and Drums
Highland Thistle Pipe Band - Photo: Jeannine Facht The adjudicators and instructors were David Hilder (pipes), Blake Parkinson (pipes), Andre Tessier (drums) and Stacy Dye-Williamson (dancing). It is always an amazing experience to have such talented guests in South America, and this case was certainly no exception. Their knowledge, teaching skills and experience in the field were proof that they were an excellent choice.
The general impression is that all pipe bands have made a notorious improvement since the first Gathering, but especially since the G3 in Chile. Though it was thought that the camaraderie would pay the price of this improvement through competition, this aspect was also at its best.
Based on this experience, please note that SPBASA will continue to improve the gathering and competition rules. Feel free to contact your respective Representative should you have any feedback you would like to share.
Thanks to SAPA (and friends) for such an enjoyable weekend, thanks to all the pipers, drummers, dancers for participating, and congratulations Highland Thistle for the taking the SPBASA Cup!
The next South American Pipe Band Gathering (G5), will be held in São Paulo, Brazil, hosted by St. Andrew's Society of São Paulo Pipes and Drums. Mark your calendars for April 2012, more details will soon be available!
More info: |
posted Aug 15, 2010 8:26 AM by Michael Flight
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updated Aug 16, 2010 6:59 AM
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Last night SPBASA's website got it's 4th renovation in 6 years; the main leap being the last migration of its [to date] 145 pages to Google Sites and the re-pointing of the spbasa.org domain. This milestone eliminates the hosting costs and makes the site's updating a far easier task.
Google Sites is a widespread free hosting tool that includes simple editing tools, sharing functionality, back-up services, as well as a growing number of "widgets".
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posted Aug 14, 2010 10:14 PM by Michael Flight
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updated Aug 14, 2010 11:04 PM
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A phenomenal day in the pipe band history!
SLOT's P/M Terry Tully ( RSPBA photo) |
posted Mar 26, 2010 9:41 PM by Michael Flight
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updated Aug 15, 2010 9:00 AM
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On March 18th, SPBASA's Executive Committee approved a set of rules for competitions that had been in debate and revision since last November (see SPBASA.org > Documents > Event Requirements > Competitions). These rules will be put into practice for the first time at the 4th South American Pipe Band Gathering (G4 - Nov 2010) in Buenos Aires, Argentina (see SPBASA.org > Gathetings for more information). All pipe bands will compete this time in the Quick March Medley category, but the new set of rules also includes categories for Solo Piping, Solo Drumming, Piping Quartet, Drumming Corps, and Pipe Band with Dancing Corps.
Click here for more details. |
posted Dec 10, 2009 8:43 PM by Michael Flight
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updated Dec 10, 2009 8:52 PM
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SPBASA's Executive Committee approved on November 30, 2009 a new and improved criteria for hosting Gatherings. The new criteria establishes mainly that Gatherings will be hosted by pipe bands on a rotating city and rotating pipe band order, at an interval of 18 months. Though this has been the general pattern so far, this established criteria allows for long term planning. Both hosting and visiting pipe bands can now plan for at least three years in advance.
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