Bagpipes? Yep. Drums? Yep. It’s that time of year for …drumroll please… the Balmoral Classic Weekend!
Pittsburgh’s own Balmoral School of Piping & Drumming is America’s leader in bagpiping and drumming instruction, performance, and collaboration. This year’s 18th Annual Balmoral Classic will have your ears humming to the piping hot action of pipes and march-tastic beats of drums for two days.
The weekend kicks off with an Opening Reception on Friday, November 1st at 7:30pm in the Carnegie Room of the Courtyard by Marriott (Courtyard Pittsburgh University Center, 100 Lytton Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-1444). Enjoy hor d’oeuvres, a cash bar (for those age 21+ of course), and a recital featuring the piping competition judges: Dr. Angus MacDonald, Matt MacIsaac, and Paula Glendinning. No cover required, but donations are welcome.
Then on Saturday, November 2nd, it’s a full day of bagpiping competitions and drumming competitions as the US Junior Solo Bagpiping & Drumming Championships take place from 9am – 3pm. Join the competitors, judges, and spectators in the CRC Understory, Cathedral of Learning (4200 Fifth Avenue) as the pipers and drummers showcase their skills. The event is free to the public.
The Balmoral Classic is the only solo bagpiping and Scottish snare drumming competition in the US exclusively for those aged 21 and under. Pipers compete in two styles: Pìobaireachd, the classical music of Highland bagpiping, and MSR (March, Strathspey and Reel), the traditional bagpipe competition medley. The best overall piper will head home with a coveted MacRae bagpipe set. Drummers compete in Hornpipe & Jig and MSR with winners in each category as well as an overall winner.
But the day doesn’t end there.
Taking the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall stage (4400 Forbes Avenue) on Saturday night at 8pm is the Canadian band Beòlach. Delighting audiences around the world with their original compositions and unique arrangements of Scottish, Irish, and Cape Breton tunes, Beòlach’s most recent album won two Canadian Folk Music Awards, received four East Coast Music Awards nominations, and a Juno Award. Competition judge and Beòlach member Matt MacIsaac will be featured on pipes, whistles, and guitar. Tickets are required!
According to Balmoral director, George Balderose, “The Balmoral Classic attracts some of the best pipers in North America, ages 21 and younger. And the four musicians in his year’s concert band, Beòlach, are outstanding representatives of Nova Scotia and the music of Cape Breton.”
So get ready for a piping hot weekend and drum up some fun with the best of the best at this year’s Balmoral Classic.
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.
