April Town Hall Update

Feb 25, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Mar 30, 2021

Last Thursday was our first Southern Branch meeting of 2021. During this meeting we gave general business updates for the branch, officially launched the Southern Branch Website, announced the southern branch virtual contest, and had a great Q&A with Stuart Marshall, 2020 winner of the Nicol-Brown piping contest. Over 30 members were present for the meeting, which is a great turnout, but I believe we can do better for our next meeting on April 22nd at 7pm EST.

During our next meeting, we will follow the same agenda: General business items, discuss the results of the branches virtual contest, and have a Q&A with Michael Grey. You will not want to miss this meeting.

Here is a little bit about Michael Grey:

Born in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Michael Grey received his first lessons at twelve from George Walker of the 48th Highlanders of Canada and was a member of this illustrious band for three years. He studied under John Wilson, one of the twentieth century’s greatest players, and received extensive tuition from Bill Livingstone and John Walsh. He has four times won the North American Championship, the overall title at the Vancouver Indoor Meet twice, the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal and that venue’s March, Strathspey and Reel and Former Winners’ MSR on the same day. In 1989 he won the aggregate championship at the Cowal Highland Gathering. He has seventeen times won the professional Ontario Championship Supreme awards for both piobaireachd and light music. In 1995 he won the Toronto Piper’s Society Knock-Out final; in 2003 he again won this testing event – for the third year in succession.

Since his early piping years Michael has been a prolific and innovative composer. Evidence of this remarkable composing success is apparent in the on-going popularity of his tunes with bands and individuals at the major competitions: at 1990’s World Pipe Band Championship in Glasgow, there were more examples of bands performing Grey’s tunes than any other composer, living or dead. In 2001 he was commissioned by Piper & Drummer magazine to compose a new piobaireachd aimed at pushing the musical boundaries of the traditional form.

A founding member of the 1987 World Pipe Band Champion 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band, he left that organization in 1995 and became Pipe Major of Peel Regional Police Pipe Band, one of the world’s top bands. In 1999 Michael left the PRP Pipe Band to focus on solo piping; this same year he won the Scottish Piping Society of London’s (UK) Strachan Cup and again was the aggregate winner of the Vancouver Indoor Meet.

In 2003 Michael consulted with renowned composer John Beckwith on Beckwith’s commission for pipes and orchestra, “A New Pibroch”. Grey performed the piece’s premiere in March 2003; the piece aired in June of that year on CBC Radio 2.

An adjudicator, workshop leader and a serious student of written pipe tunes and their composers, Michael has four published books of music and five solo recordings including the October 2003 release, “Nine Blasted Notes”. His fifth book, “Music for Everybody”, was published in November 2006. His sixth solo recording, Shimla Hum, was released May 8, 2006. Festival distributes his music in Canada, Celticmusic USA in the US and Highlander Music in Europe. He is a partner in his own label, Dunaber Music.

Michael Iannuzzi Branch Chair

Topic: EUSPBA Southern Branch Townhall Meeting

Time: Apr 22, 2021 06:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84053868988?pwd=MnNUZmR4UWN2THpnUjBiL1ZFc1ZhQT09

Meeting ID: 840 5386 8988

Passcode: 410245

One tap mobile

+19292056099,,84053868988#,,,,*410245# US (New York)

+13017158592,,84053868988#,,,,*410245# US (Washington DC)

Dial by your location