News

Unfortunately we have received news today that Inveraray Highland Games will also be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Anyone who has entered the games will be contacted soon by CLASP admin.

CLASP has been informed that Balloch, Rosneath and Luss Highland Games have all been cancelled for 2020. CLASP admin will be in touch with any members who have entered these events and entries will be closed for these events now.

The NPC recently contacted all current CLASP members to gauge the feeling of an alternative format, which would allow the competition to run on the same day, but remotely using technology.  This will stop gatherings of people and help to keep our members safe, but in this technically advanced world we live in, we believe that things can be kept going. If we knew that this would be the only affected competition this year, I think the option to cancel would be an easier one, but the current situation may go on longer and we do face unknown times.

The idea has been well received so far by members and we can now confirm that the NPC will start preparing to run the competition remotely.  Having listened to members views, the NPC has made a few tweaks to the initial idea and after much thought, here is what we believe will work best and minimise technical issues on the day and give the judges undisturbed audio files to best judge each performance. The National Piping Centre will facilitate competitors where we can with time zone differences, a space to use to make the video call if required (but only a small number) and if it is safe to do so at that time.

For the remote competition, competitors would need the following:

1. Internet and suitable device to make a live video call to CLASP admin
2. Smartphone or recording device to record the audio of the live video call performance with the capacity to email performance on same day to CLASP admin. (Same idea as used for CLASP grading purposes currently).
3. If competitors choose to use Skype, please download Skype (free download) onto your PC/Laptop and make sure that the webcam and mic are working- the webcam and mic tend to be inbuilt in most devices nowadays. We can test that this works before the competition if anyone has not used Skype before.

The competition would work as follows:
The rules for a remote competition will be as follows to allow a level playing field for all taking part:
- All performances will be captured live via video link. CLASP admin staff will make live video contact with each competitor (at their allocated time for Piobaireachd and their allocated time for Light Music) using Skype, WhatsApp, Facetime etc..
- At this time we also ask that each competitor take an audio recording of their live video performance on their smartphone/recording device at the same time as their live video call performance and competitors can then email the audio file using MP3/dropbox/wetransfer to CLASP admin after the live video call has ended.
-Competitors will be asked by CLASP admin to turn on their recording device and admin staff will announce the event and competitor number so every recording will start with this introduction. It will be the audio file taken at this time that will be used by the judges to decide the results and therefore we stress the importance of having devices fully charged and tested prior to the event. A helper could be more relaxing for competitors on the day!
- Tune submissions (Both Light Music and Piobaireachd) should be emailed to the CLASP admin team no later than Friday 20^th March and each competitor will be emailed their tune selection the day prior to the competition (Friday 27^th March).

Saturday 28th March will be used as the competition day where Finlay Johnston (TBC) and Margaret Dunn will collect the live audio recordings from competitors. The audio recordings will then be sent to the judges on Saturday 28th March and the Judges will spend Sunday (29th March) judging and writing Crit sheets for each performance and results will be announced on Sunday afternoon/evening via the CLASP website. Crit sheets will be emailed to competitors after results are issued.

The use of the audio files will take any technical problems out of the equation, this is how all CLASP grading recordings are currently done.

Entries for the CLASP competition will now be open until Friday 20th March and the draw will be emailed to competitors over the weekend (not published online until after the results have been announced on Sunday). To enter the competition or to become a CLASP member please visit www.theclasp.co.uk or if you have any questions please email both fjohnston@thepipingcentre.co.uk and mdunn@thepipingcentre.co.uk

The National Pipng Centre has released this statement today regarding the Coroniavirus (COVID-19):

“In response to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, The National Piping Centre (TNPC) is aware that this is a global crisis and with situations changing daily. Currently, we at TNPC are taking our responsibilities to students and visitors very seriously, trying to ensure the least amount of disruption to staff, studies and visits here whilst putting health and safety first.

“The National Piping Centre is currently operating as usual, with lessons still as planned and shop, restaurant and hotel open for business. We are keenly monitoring Government Guidelines on this.

“We would ask all students and customers to be aware and be sensitive to their personal behaviour as Scotland is at a stage where personal health behaviour is an essential tool in the containment of the virus. These following actions are important:

• Washing your hands often – with soap and water.
• Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in a bin.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are unwell
• If you are worried about symptoms please call your GP or NHS Helpline 0800 028 2816.  Do not go directly to your GP or other healthcare environment – phone instead.
• We strongly encourage a social distancing for all greetings – ie no handshakes, hugs.

“Specifically for pipers we would also add:

• Please keep to your own instrument, do not share pipes or chanters and be aware of how you are treating reeds etc.
• The Bagpipe Shop will not allow you to try reeds before purchase for the time being.
• If you are maintaining your pipes, please ensure that all tissues, materials used are disposed of within our building.

“The National Piping Centre is committed to your health, and as such has plentiful soap and water in all public bathrooms, as well as hand-sanitiser through out the building for public use. We are aware that this is a moving and rapidly changing situation and The National Piping Centre team will continue to be led by Government and NHS advice.

CLASP entries have opened for the upcoming CLASP competition on 28th March 2020. The closing date for entries will be Wednesday 19th March 2020.

Entries

National Piping Centre, Otago Street, CLASP Competition – 11th January 2020. Venue address: 16-24 Otago St, Glasgow G12 8JH
Starting Time for both Piobaireachd and Light Music events is 9.30am. Please note that there will be a Piobaireachd performance room and Light Music room running at the same time.

Piobaireachd Order of Play - Starting time 9.30am
Grade 3 - Piobaireachd

1. Joe Moore (Full + Ground)
2. Ulrich Ixkes (Ground only)
3. Rebecca Morris (Full + Ground)
4. Robert Thomson (Full only)
5. Björn Frauendienst (Ground only)
6. Stephen McCusker (Full + Ground)
7. HECTOR THOMSON (Full + Ground)
8. Cameron O’neill (Ground only)
9. John Hunt (Full + Ground)
   10. James McKenna (Full + Ground)

   Grade 2 – Piobaireachd
   
   1. Duncan Lamont
   2. Dorothy Moodie
   3. Dugald Macleod
   4. Dagmar Pesta
   5. David Livingstone
   6. James Carnegie
   7. Lachlan MacDonald

Lunch Break

Grade 1 – Piobaireachd

1. Douglas Maxwell
2. Stewart Allan
3. Janette Greenwood
4. Stuart Robinson
5. David Mackenzie
6. Iain Kirkwood
7. Con Houlihan
8. Bianca Kail
9. Leslie Barrett
10. John Frater
11. Andrew Park
12. James Thomas Murray
13. Sandie Greenwood
14. Gordon Hislop

Results & Prize Giving

Light Music Order of Play - Starting Time 9.30am           

National Piping Centre, Otago Street, CLASP Competition – 11^th Jan 2020
Starting Time 9.30am – Judge Peter Hunt

Grade 1 - 2/4 March/ Strathspey & Reel/ Jig

1. Stuart Robinson
2. Andrew Park
3. Gordon Hislop
4. Stewart Allan
5. Neil Henderson
6. Janette Greenwood
7. James Thomas Murray
8. David Mackenzie
9. James Waugh
10. Iain Kirkwood
11. Con Houlihan
12. John Frater
13. Stephen Whitton
14. Bianca Kail
15. Sandie Greenwood

    Lunch Break

Grade 3 Light Music Events - 2/4 March/ Strathspey & Reel/ Jig

1. Björn Frauendienst
2. Cameron O’neill
3. Robert Thomson
4. John Hunt
5. HECTOR THOMSON
6. James McKenna
7. Joe Moore
8. Ulrich Ixkes
9. Leslie Barrett
10. Brian Nicholson
11. Rebecca Morris
12. Stephen McCusker (M/S&R only)

Grade 2 - 2/4 March/ Strathspey & Reel/ Jig

1. David Livingstone
2. Declan Wilkie
3. Douglas Maxwell
4. Duncan Lamont
5. James Carnegie
6. Dagmar Pesta
7. Dugald Macleod
8. Lachlan MacDonald
9. Stuart Letford
   
   Results & Prize Giving

The first CLASP competition of 2020 will be held in the National Piping Centre, Otago Street, on Saturday 11th January. The closing date for entries will be Sunday 5th January 2020 and the draw will be published on Tuesday 7th January via the CLASP website.

To give competitors an idea of timings; there will be two performance rooms running at the same time, one for Piobaireachd and the other for Light Music. Start time for both Piobaireachd and Light Music will be approximately 9.30am with an approximate finish time of 4.30pm (Numbers dependant).