Ohio Scottish Games.

[David Thorpe]

A week from tomorrow!

Ohio Scottish Games

[David Thorpe]

Headed out shortly for Wellington. Stop by the Clan MacTavish tent and say, "Hi".
Be back Sunday evening. Should have some pics to post then.

[creagdhubh]

Enjoy, David!

[unixken]

Happened to see this young lady amidst the sea of 200+ pipers and drummers amassed during the opening ceremonies for the games. She was probably about 10 years old. Made for a terrific photo...

[creagdhubh]

More photos!!!

[unixken]

During the opening ceremonies, some 200+ pipers and drummers (including the young girl in my previous photo... she's amongst the drummers), amassed from individuals and bands, gave a performance to the crowd...

[SlackerDrummer]

Ah yes. Massed bands in the dust bowl. That's one thing I don't miss about drumming at the Ohio Scottish Games.

[creagdhubh]

Ah yes. Massed bands in the dust bowl. That's one thing I don't miss about drumming at the Ohio Scottish Games.

Isn't there a nice, grassy field in which they could perform on?

[unixken]

The performance is given on the fairgrounds race track, directly in front of the grandstands. To place the musicians in the grassy infield at the center of the track would put them 200 feet further away from the audience. Any other grassy areas on the grounds would lack seating for the audience throughout the ceremony.

[SlackerDrummer]

Distance isn't really the issue. At most highland games of any size there is quite a bit of distance between the seating and the bands. The problem is that there is a stage just across the track from the grandstands (see the blue steel girders just behind the bands) and playing in the infield would mean that this stage would be between the bands and the audience. This is a very odd place to play and the bands march in very oddly. At most places the bands march in formation with pipes in front, then bass drums, then tenor drums and snares bringing up the rear. They usually march across a field toward the grandstand, sometimes counter-marching before settling in and almost always counter-marching off the field. Here the bands have to march down the track so they put half the pipers at the front of the procession, then the drummers lined up so the bass drums are all down one side (and across the front when they stop in front of the stands), then the other half of the pipers in the rear. March in one way, out the other.