News

Entries will close at Midnight on Sunday 18th October 2020.
Please send all tune submissions to both Margaret Dunn & Finlay Johnston by Midnight on Sunday 18th October.

Competitors' tunes will be selected by the judges and posted on the news section of the CLASP website on Saturday 24th October along with the introduction required by each competitor at the start of each video submission (Please note, an introduction at the start of the video recording is only required.  (Introduction between Light Music events is unnecessary).

All video submission links should be sent to Margaret Dunn by Midnight on Sunday 1st November.

Results will be announced on Saturday 7th November at 9pm via the CLASP Facebook page.

CLASP Online Video Submission Competition, 2020
Sunday 25^th October to Sunday 1^st November 2020

Competition Registration - Opens Monday 17^th August 2020 and closes Sunday 18^th October2020

Results Announced– Saturday 7^th November 2020 at 9pm via video link
on CLASP Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheCLASP

CLASP are delighted to add another online event to the remote competition series, which was put in place at the beginning of lockdown. Unfortunately, with continuing restrictions it becomes very challenging to plan for anything other than a remote format at this time.  Therefore, CLASP are offering a final online CLASP competition for 2020, but using a different format to the previous ‘live’ audio competitions. This competition will use a pre-recorded video submission as the mode in which events will be judged.

Competition Overview
Competitors must be CLASP members and must register to compete in this competition via the members section of the CLASP website between Monday 17^th August 2020 and Sunday 18^th October 2020.
Competitors will receive their selected tunes prior to the video submission date and each competitor’s competition submission must be in the format of a pre-recorded video for both Light Music and Piobaireachd events. Video recordings should be submitted between Sunday 25^th October and Sunday 1^st November 2020.  Results will be announced on Saturday 7^th November.
For full competition information/Events and competition rules, please see below.

Competition Information:
This competition is open to adult amateur pipers worldwide (18 years old +) graded 3, 2 or 1. Non graded pipers can submit a recording(s) to obtain a grade. Here is a link to CLASP grading information for those who require a grade https://theclasp.co.uk/grading/

Competitors must be current CLASP members. Membership at this time is £20 and £7.50 per event. More information can be found on CLASP membership via https://theclasp.co.uk/rules-sanctioning/ Here is a direct link to join CLASP https://theclasp.co.uk/membership/

CLASP members should enter this competition via the membership section of the CLASP website.

VIDEO Submissions - Video’s should be submitted separately for Light Music and Piobaireachd events. Light Music recordings should include ALL light music events entered.  Video submissions should be uploaded to You Tube and then competitors should email the link(s) to both mdunn@thepipingcentre.co.uk and fjohnston@thepipingcentre.co.uk

Please see the video link below, which was recorded by CLASP admin and includes the basic steps to uploading a video privately on You Tube using a smartphone and then emailing the link.  https://youtu.be/t-tDxsafFX8
Please be advised that CLASP will provide any technical support and help for members that may need assistance with this process.

All CLASP competitors should introduce themselves at the start of their video recording and include the following information: Competitors Name/ Grade/Light Music or Piobaireachd event/ Name of Competition and year. For example: My name is John Smith and I will be taking part in the Grade 3 Light Music events for the CLASP Competition, 2020.  This information should also be included (typed into description box) when uploading your competition recording(s) on You Tube -  Please see instructional video https://youtu.be/t-tDxsafFX8

Once the submission date passes, competitor’s videos will be sent to their relevant judge(s) on Monday 2nd November 2020 and competition results will be announced via the CLASP Facebook page using a video link on Saturday 7^th November at 9pm (UK time).  Please note that the results will also be published on the news section of the CLASP website following the video results being announced.

COMPETITION DATES

Competition Registration opens via the CLASP membership section of the CLASP website on Monday 17^th August 2020 and closes Sunday 18^th October2020

Competitors in grade 2 and grade 1 will be required to email CLASP admin (mdunn@thepipingcentre.co.uk & fjohnston@thepipingcentre.co.uk ) their tune submissions via email following entry to this competition. Tune selections along with a competitor list will be published on Saturday 24^th October 2020 via the CLASP website https://theclasp.co.uk/news/

Video Submission dates (via You tube link) should be emailed to CLASP admin between Sunday 25^th October to Sunday 1^st November 2020

Adjudication dates – Adjudication will commence on Monday 2^nd November and will end on Friday 6^th November 2020.

Results – Prize winners will be announced using a Facebook video announcement on Saturday 7^th November 2020, at 9pm. https://www.facebook.com/TheCLASP

ADJUDICATORS

Performances in each event will be evaluated by one judge. CLASP prides itself of selecting the best quality pipers and judges.

Crit sheets will be emailed out to each competitor following the announcement of results

Competition events offered are as follows:

Grade 3 (OWN CHOICE)
Full Piobaireachd Event
2/4 March Event
Strathspey & Reel Event
Jig Event

Grade 2
Piobaireachd Event (Submit 2 tunes of choice, play 1)
2/4 March Event (Submit 2 tunes of choice, play 1)
Strathspey & Reel Event (own choice)
Jig Event (own choice)

Grade 1 (OWN CHOICE)
Piobaireachd event (Submit 3 tunes of choice, play 1)
2/4 March event (Submit 2 tunes of choice, play 1)
Strathspey & Reel Event (Submit 2 tunes of choice, play 1)
Jig Event (own choice)

Added extras (for fun)
Best Backdrop (Winner will be selected across all events and grades)
Best Dressed Piper (Winner will be selected across all events and grades)

Competition Rules:

1. PERFORMANCE DRESS
   Highland attire is required.
2. VIDEO Submissions - Videos should be submitted separately for Light Music and Piobaireachd events. Light Music recordings should include ALL light music events entered. Video submissions should be uploaded to You Tube and then competitors should email the link(s) to both mdunn@thepipingcentre.co.uk and fjohnston@thepipingcentre.co.uk
3. Each video submission must be made in one complete take (no editing allowed), but use as many attempts as you want. For Light music events, competitors can stop between events to retune or have a drink of water.
4. Your videos must not be recorded before Sunday 25^th October, 2020
5. All Video submissions must be emailed to CLASP admin by midnight (UK time) on Sunday 1^st November 2020.
6. Your video should show most or all of your body, including your head. Your video must be lighted properly so your face and hands can be clearly seen. Videos with poor lighting or sound may not be accepted.
7. Competitors are allowed to tune up prior to starting their performance, just as you would in a regular competition setting.

8. UPLOADING VIDEO ENTRIES

All entries will be video submitted using the free platform, You Tube. CLASP admin will share each competitors’ video submission link with their relevant judge for the adjudication process. Please note CLASP will provide support and clear steps for competitors uploading video submission. Here is a link to uploading a video using a smart phone https://youtu.be/t-tDxsafFX8

9. PERFORMANCE RIGHTS

By entering this competition, all performers give CLASP permission to publish their performance(s) in part and/or in full on the digital/social media channels selected for the competition.

Aims of the workshop weekend are:

• To create a relaxed learning environment for adult amateur pipers and enthusiastic pipers with an interest in competition solo piping
• Introduce/refine new Piobaireachd set tunes
• Deliver Masterclasses on Light Music
• Improve Tuning
• Improve Technique
• Focus on Performance Presentation and Preparation
• Introduce other interesting and relevant topics

The CLASP online workshop weekend is open to adult amateur solo pipers worldwide and workshop participants are not required to be a CLASP member.
This years CLASP workshops will run remotely using the platform Zoom. Zoom is a free download platform, which can be used for both individual sessions and group sessions.CLASP will run this workshop series for UK/European based pipes and there will also be a later start time for pipers who live outside the UK time zones, such as North America.  This workshop series is specially tailored for competition amateur solo pipers and will offer individual tuition, small group tuition and workshops focusing on improving the key aspects of solo competition performance. Please note that this workshop is for adult pipers only.

» REGISTER NOW!

CLASP Results from ‘The World Solo Amateur Piping Competition’@ Piping Live! 2020

Video link to results https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2405338223102041

Overall Winners

Grade 1 Overall Winner of ‘The World Solo Amateur Piping Competition’@ Piping Live! 2020 is Stuart Robinson

Grade 2 Overall Winner of ‘The World Solo Amateur Piping Competition’@ Piping Live! 2020 is Liza McFarquhar

Grade 3 Overall Winner of ‘The World Solo Amateur Piping Competition’@ Piping Live! 2020 is Robert Cunningham

Grade 3 – Piobaireachd Ground

1^st Sven Vollberg
2^nd Matteo Fornasari
3^rd Roddy Garden
4^th Robert Thomson
5^th Joe Moore
6^th Danielle Warren

Grade 3 – Full Piobaireachd

1^st Anthony Kelly
2^nd Robert Cunningham
3^rd Matteo Fornasari
4^th Colin MacKenzie
5^th Roddy Garden
6^th Alasdair Beaton

Grade 2 – Piobaireachd

1. James Carnegie
2. Billy Wardrope
3. Dagmar Pesta
4. Ted Hales
5. Hector Thomson
6. Bernhard Cohen

Grade 1 Piobaireachd

1. Stuart Robinson
   2. Robert Wilson
   3.Justin Howland
   4.Evan Wraga
   5.Stephen Ross
   6.Gordon HislopGrade 3 – Light Music Results

Grade 3 – 2/4 March
1^st Alasdair Beaton
2nd Rebecca Morris
3rd Roddy Garden
4th Anthony Kelly
5th Robert Cunningham
6th Martin Lee

Grade 3 – Strathspey & Reel
1st Kim Greeley
2nd Robert Cunningham
3rd Danielle Warren
4th Sven Vollberg
5th Alasdair Beaton
6th Rebecca Morris

Grade 3 - Jig
1^st Alasdair Beaton
2^nd Danielle Warren
3^rd Robert Cunningham
4^th Sven Vollberg
5^th Jamie Acheson
6^th Kim Greeley

Grade 2 Light Music Results

2/4 March

1st Christian Beutler
2nd Ben Hall
3rd Liza McFarquhar
4th Edmund Boland
5th Andrea Jones
6th James Carnegie

Strathspey and Reel

1st Ben Hall
2nd Liza McFarquhar
3rd Douglas Maxwell
4th Bill Copland
5th Andrea Jones
6th Balint Kiss

Grade 2 - Jig
1^st Liza MacFarquhar
2^nd Douglas Hamilton
3^rd Cameron O’Neill
4^th Esther Scheren
5^th Andrea Jones
6^th Anne Gallo

Grade 1- Light Music Results
MSR
1^st Stuart Robinson
2^nd Colin Innes
3^rd Justin Howland
4^th Brady Webb
5^th Gordon Hislop
6^th Scott Long

Grade 1 - Hornpipe & Jig
1^st Stuart Robinson
2^nd Justin Howland
3^rd Colin Innes
4^th Scott Long
5^th Brady Webb
6^th Dane Grant

Attached is the order of play and performance times for each competitor for both Light Music and Piobaireachd events. Please note there are two tabs at the bottom of the file (One for Piobaireachd order of play and the other for Light Music order of play).

Click on the link below to view both Piobaireachd & Light music order of play
8th August Draw

If you are using Skype or Zoom as your mode of live video connection, please check prior to the competition day that you have been added by your designated ‘Live Video Steward’ and that you accept the contact request.

Listed on each event will be the judge and a designated ‘Live Video steward’ who will contact you via live video call at each competitors allocated performance time. After connection has been made, the steward will ask each competitor to start their audio devise and the steward will then announce each competitor at the start of the audio recording. Here are some guidelines to follow with regards to the audio recording, which will be used to judge each event.

The following points should be read by each competitor prior to the steward making the live video connection:

* If using your smart phone as audio recording devise- please place it on flight mode.

* Competitors can tune before their performance / or between Light Music events, but we ask that competitors keep tuning to a minimum.

* Please do not stop your audio recording prior to completing all performance events. For example do not stop recording between your March and your Strathspey and Reel or Jig events.  However, you can retune/ have a drink of water between Light Music events - just don’t stop the recording.

* If for any reason the live video link disconnects after the steward has made the introduction at the start of the audio recording- keep going- it does not matter if any disconnection happens after the introduction has happened at the start of the audio recording and the steward will not try to reconnect with you (as you should be in the middle of a performance!)

* Once each competitor has finished their performance please send the audio recordings, immediately (On 8th August), to mdunn@thepipingcentre.co.uk

Results
CLASP will announce full competition results via video link on the CLASP Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheCLASP/ at 9pm (UK time) on Monday 10th August 2020.

Good luck to all!

Gill Cairns: Staying connected