Rarely in my musical life have I experienced flow. Flow is the place that exists above time, feel and groove. Alasdair took me there on a few occasions.

The award was determined this year by the bands themselves in a peer-reviewed process. Each of the 14 Grade 1 finalists was asked to vote for their winner, with the stipulation that they could not choose their own section. According to organizer Craig Colquhoun, who originally sponsored the trophy and gained it back from the RSPBA, 12 of the 14 bands responded and two declined the invitation.

The House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead played with two bass drummers at the 2010 Worlds, so for the first time the prize is officially attached with more than one player. Scott Currie and Steven Roberts manned the big drums for Shotts last year.

The 2008 and 2009 Hosbilt Cup awards were decided in a “people’s choice” format, with pipes|drums Magazine facilitating the contest.

The final result of the 2010 award was The House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead 4, Inveraray & District 3, Simon Fraser University 3, St. Laurence O’Toole 2.

From 1985 until 2003 the Best Bass award was decided by the MSR drumming judge in the Grade 1 final. In 2004 Hosbilt sponsored the award with a new trophy.

The trophy was sponsored by Victoria Wines from 1985 until 2003, and was for “Best Bass Drummer.” According to Colquhoun, the RSPBA approved the change to “Best Bass” when the Hosbilt Cup was donated in 2004.

The RSPBA eliminated Best Bass Section awards in all grades at major championships at its 2008 annual general meeting. The organization did not provide a full explanation for the change, which was purportedly to help save time at closing “march-past” ceremonies.

A petition was launched in 2008 to have the award reinstated, and was signed by 688 people. It was delivered in-person to RSPBA Executive Officer Ian Embelton, but ultimately did not have an impact on reinstating the rule.

Source: pipes|drums ‘Shotts awarded Hosbilt Cup in new peer reviewed contest’ – 19 April, 2011

Fourteen bands played in the finals at the World Pipe Band Championships. Each band in the finals will be polled to chose a section other than themselves for the Cup.

The eligible bass sections include:

• 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band
• Auckland & District Pipe Band
• Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band
• Cullybackey Pipe Band
• Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band
• Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band
• Fide Constabulary Pipe Band
• Inveraray & District Pipe Band
• Robert Wiseman Dairies Vale of Atholl Pipe Band
• ScottishPower Pipe Band
• Simon Fraser University Pipe Band
• St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band
• Strathclyde Police Pipe Band
• The House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead Pipe Band

This new approach differs from the process in the past. From 1985 up until 2007 the award was presented to the bass section of choice by the RSPBA drumming judge in the MSR final at the Worlds Pipe Band Championship. In 2008 and 2009 the public was polled by pipes|drums to determine the popular winner. This year each of the 14 finalist bass sections will determine the winner. A new spin on the old idea of recognizing all of the hard work that mid-sections put into their craft.

The film was shot during the lead up to the 2008 World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland and tells the story of how some of the top pipers and drummers in the world came together from all over the world to create a new band aiming to reach the finals of the Grade 1 event.

The movie features cameos of a number of pipers and drummers including Hosbilt’s own Craig ‘Hoss’ Colquhoun.

Working against the clock to produce three competition standard performances and having to face the stiffest field of competition, does the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band have what it takes to reach the final?

To find out, get yourself along to your nearest Cineplex theatre and book up for the exclusive shows. To keep you going until then, here’s the movie’s official trailer:

Hosbilt is pleased to present our new look website in time to showcase our latest products. We’ve given the website a Carbon Fiber look to match what we’ve been focusing on in the workshop.

We’ve been extremely busy in 2010 developing our next generation Pipe Band Series drums and our brand new Carbon Fiber hoops for upgrading previous models of Hosbilt instruments. We intend to move into the next decade with technological advances which will significantly improve your sound and increase the longevity of your drums and we look forward to taking you with us.

We will have regularly updated news and information on Hosbilt product development and services which you can follow in your favourite reader by subscribing to our RSS feed.

Enjoy the new website and enjoy the new Hosbilt sound even more!