Greetings friends! Happy New Year, and Happy Hogmanay to you all! Yet again, January was another very busy month for the Birmingham Bagpiper! Gearing up for a busy year as well! Made several bookings for the month, and also had a very good Burns' Night performance with Heritage Pipes & Drums. I should have some pics to post soon, and maybe even some video, thanks to friend Robert Stewart. As it turns out, my Mum's partner Lloyd and I pulled a GREAT birthday surprise for my Mum, who's birthday was only two days before. I had the ENTIRE band learn "Happy Birthday" on the pipes and we played it for her in the middle of our set. Our friend Diana brought out a cake too! It was great! Caledonian Society member attendance was down from last year, but many of my friends came to support me and the band. Much thanks to all who came!
For now, I am practicing religiously for my first competition with the Bushmills Irish Pipers for the Queen Mary event in Long Beach. Sherry will be coming as well as friend Diana. We will be flying out Friday morning and arriving round noon in LA. I am sure we will have a bullock-busting practice session Friday night, and I am sure Mike will put in all new reeds AND a new chanter for me. We compete medley on Saturday and then MSR on Sunday. Feeling good with all the music, so I am confident we will do well. We will return late Monday. I will DEFINITELY be sure to get copious amounts of pics to catalog this event!!!
Also renewed discussions with Adrian of Tartanic. Looking forward to some gigs with them in late Spring, as well as an appreance on their third album. Our first gig will be a few weekends at the Pleasure Faire in CA. I am looking forward to participating in this as it will give me a chance to do something with the pipes other than pipe band stuff, and it will also mae it possible for me to bring in some of my own compositions and arrangements. Will keep everyone posted as this develops.
Had a great birthday Friday! Now beginning my 33rd year! I KNOW it will be a good one too! Had a good day with many well-wishes from MySpace friends (THANKS!!!) and a great party that evening! Was gifted a new bottle of Glenfiddich and one of my favs McClelland's. Enjoyed another nosing of Lagavulin at the second gathering of the Scotch Guard, our secret society of aspiring whisky nosing aficionados and viscemetrists. Finished up with a nice bottle of John Barr from Glasgow. Lovely evening!
Also added some new pics from our attendance to the Apollo Ball this past Saturday evening. We went with friend and neighbor, Birmingham City Council District 2 representative Carol Reynolds, and were driven by friend and neighbor James Meredith in "Helen", his gold and black Rolls Royce, pictured behind us. Sported my new formal evening attire. Had a great time!
Below are some pics from the reception following the wedding of our friend Brian and Betty Boyd Sullivan's daughter. Another booking at the Mountain Brook Club. LOVE playing there!
Will write more after competition in two weeks! WISH ME LUCK!!!
