PHSD CAMP-DAY 1
Last night we arrived at the Silver Star Ski resort and bagpipe refugee camp. The resort itself is about 20 minutes outside of Vernon, BC up a steep hill, thus the ski area. The trip to Vernon was predictably devilish with allot of July 4th weekend traffic. We’d figured Friday that we could reach Pentiction by nightfall but at 9:30 pm we finally found a dog-friendly hotel in Okanogan. Saturday was much better. The drive up the Okanogan valley was really scenic. I love the high desert country and the hot breath of the land as you stroll through parks along the river. My sense is that driving through, the Okanogan has become the secret playground of the mostly rich. Dams that back the water up and create calm, lakes with sandy beaches bedevil the Okanogan River. These lakes were full of boats and water skis. Though the land is pretty, I would love to see it pre-irrigation in its dry, spiky splendor.
Having found groceries and scotch, we arrived at the Silver Star resort. It is a pretty place, full of trees and ravens. The resort makes a little city in a bowl at the bottom of the ski run. Each building is brightly painted in yellows and purples, reds and greens. Right now it is completely quiet except for a wedding party.
I meet my first piper named Shannon who has a funny Glasgow bumper sticker on his car. He has been playing for 30 years. We chit chat for a bit and agree to meet up when class starts, though he will surely be in a more advanced class. We settle in and get ready for tomorrow.
Day 1
Woke up around 7:00 and took the dog for a short walk, returning, I found that the hot water nozzle in the show is broken. Could waking up to “bad” pipes be an omen of what is in store? That’s OK. Perhaps going grubby with help my nerves.
At 9:00 I walk down for registration and meet the mother of a kid who came all the way from Birmingham, England for this class. I am constantly amazed that with no experience of my own, I have managed to surround myself with the very best of pipers. I get my music packet, t-shirt and head over for auditions.
I stand in line for my class entry audition and meet the young piper from England. He is in a grade 3 band with one defeat and a high ranking at the worlds. In short—He is probably very good. He admits that he is very nervous. An 11 year-old from Minneapolis is asked if he plays better when he is nervous. He laughs and gives an amused, disgusted “no!”, as if that was the dumbest idea in the world. I can look in the door at the present auditioner as I stand in line. He is playing for Jack Lee. Jack Lee seems much younger than he does on stage. But he has the same aire of self-assured kindness. It is my turn. I enter the room, shake hands and tell him I am from Port Angeles. We banter a bit and then I play a snippet of Mist Covered Mountains. He says “OK, Great” “So it is clear you have played on the pipes for a while”. I say, “Yes” and he taps some keys on his computer. “OK, well see you at one…. next!” I had just ended my first audition with Jack Lee.
The students were to meet up for an orientation 2 hours later at 1 p.m., Loraine and I took Kenai on a long hike and I played my chanter. While we were gone, a plumber fixed our pipes.
The afternoon lessons got going quickly. Every piper was given a packet of 45 songs. We were assigned groups. Each group is named after a famous piper of yore. My group is the “Robert Dwyer Joyce” group. There are 8 of us, all over 40, all men, 4 of them are named “Jim”(it’s true). Almost all of them are in bands and some have up to 10 years of experience. One person told me that Jack Lee has a very good eye for a student’s talent and present skill level. Even though it looks as if I am in over my head compared with the other students, I plan to accept that Jack has paid me a compliment and see what happens. The first day is spent playing chanter exercises for the teacher and going over songs we might play in the Ceilidh, a Scottish gathering on Thursday night. Each group must play one tune. We decide to play “The Dark Island”, a Slow Air by J. McLaughlan. As we play our chanters and pipes I come to realize that Jori has helped me make up for some of my inexperience by making me really practice my embellishments and note reading. I still feel a bit behind. But my embellishments are as good as any in the class.
Last night the teachers, mostly from the SFU pipe band, put on a show. Jack Lee, Jori, and a host of others played for about 2 1/2 hours. It was a great end to the first day.
Having found groceries and scotch, we arrived at the Silver Star resort. It is a pretty place, full of trees and ravens. The resort makes a little city in a bowl at the bottom of the ski run. Each building is brightly painted in yellows and purples, reds and greens. Right now it is completely quiet except for a wedding party.
I meet my first piper named Shannon who has a funny Glasgow bumper sticker on his car. He has been playing for 30 years. We chit chat for a bit and agree to meet up when class starts, though he will surely be in a more advanced class. We settle in and get ready for tomorrow.
Day 1
Woke up around 7:00 and took the dog for a short walk, returning, I found that the hot water nozzle in the show is broken. Could waking up to “bad” pipes be an omen of what is in store? That’s OK. Perhaps going grubby with help my nerves.
At 9:00 I walk down for registration and meet the mother of a kid who came all the way from Birmingham, England for this class. I am constantly amazed that with no experience of my own, I have managed to surround myself with the very best of pipers. I get my music packet, t-shirt and head over for auditions.
I stand in line for my class entry audition and meet the young piper from England. He is in a grade 3 band with one defeat and a high ranking at the worlds. In short—He is probably very good. He admits that he is very nervous. An 11 year-old from Minneapolis is asked if he plays better when he is nervous. He laughs and gives an amused, disgusted “no!”, as if that was the dumbest idea in the world. I can look in the door at the present auditioner as I stand in line. He is playing for Jack Lee. Jack Lee seems much younger than he does on stage. But he has the same aire of self-assured kindness. It is my turn. I enter the room, shake hands and tell him I am from Port Angeles. We banter a bit and then I play a snippet of Mist Covered Mountains. He says “OK, Great” “So it is clear you have played on the pipes for a while”. I say, “Yes” and he taps some keys on his computer. “OK, well see you at one…. next!” I had just ended my first audition with Jack Lee.
The students were to meet up for an orientation 2 hours later at 1 p.m., Loraine and I took Kenai on a long hike and I played my chanter. While we were gone, a plumber fixed our pipes.
The afternoon lessons got going quickly. Every piper was given a packet of 45 songs. We were assigned groups. Each group is named after a famous piper of yore. My group is the “Robert Dwyer Joyce” group. There are 8 of us, all over 40, all men, 4 of them are named “Jim”(it’s true). Almost all of them are in bands and some have up to 10 years of experience. One person told me that Jack Lee has a very good eye for a student’s talent and present skill level. Even though it looks as if I am in over my head compared with the other students, I plan to accept that Jack has paid me a compliment and see what happens. The first day is spent playing chanter exercises for the teacher and going over songs we might play in the Ceilidh, a Scottish gathering on Thursday night. Each group must play one tune. We decide to play “The Dark Island”, a Slow Air by J. McLaughlan. As we play our chanters and pipes I come to realize that Jori has helped me make up for some of my inexperience by making me really practice my embellishments and note reading. I still feel a bit behind. But my embellishments are as good as any in the class.
Last night the teachers, mostly from the SFU pipe band, put on a show. Jack Lee, Jori, and a host of others played for about 2 1/2 hours. It was a great end to the first day.
posted by Viceroy De Los Osos at 6:06 PM
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