Silver Medal Piobaireachd
Rules and Regulations
The 2008 Midwest Highland Arts Fund & MidWest Pipe Band Association
United States Silver Medal
Piobaireachd Competition (USSM) Rules and Regulations.
USSM Rules are based on regulations for the Northern Meeting and
Competing Pipers Association - sanctioned competitions. CPA membership
is not required, but encouraged. The Competing Pipers Association
1. Open to Competitors who are graded Professional or Open
by their Pipe Band Association; the Competitor must be a member
of his/her association in good standing the day of the competition
or risk disqualification.
2. Open to Competitors who are eligible to apply to compete for the Silver
Medal competitions at Oban or Inverness, but not those eligible to compete, or
applying to compete, in the Gold Medal or above at the same competitions. Past
USSM Champions shall not be eligible to compete, regardless of eligibility for
Oban or Inverness.
3. The competition is open to the first thirty-five eligible applicants. In the
event more than thirty-five eligible Competitors apply, alternates will be designated
and notified accordingly.
4. There must be more Competitors than prizes or part of the prizes may be withdrawn.
No first prize may be awarded unless there are at least two Competitors. A fourth
prize will be awarded should ten or more Contestants compete and a fifth prize
if fifteen or more compete.
5. All entry forms and fees must be received by MHAF no later than December 20, 2007.
6. Competitors must submit THREE tunes from the Piobaireachd Society’s
set list of tunes for the 2008 Silver Medal competition, one of which they will
be asked to play. Competitors must submit at least one tune from Group 1 and
at least one tune from Group 2 of the set list. Competitors will be
notified of the selected tune prior to entering the final tuning-room (approximately
20 minutes prior to performance time). The Piobaireachd Society
7.
Competitors intending to play a setting of any tune not contained in the staff
or editorial notes of the Piobaireachd Society’s Books or the Kilberry
Book should give written notice of the setting they intend to play at the time
of submitting their entry forms.
8. Any changes in tune selections must be made in writing, and received by MHAF
no later than December 31, 2007.
9. The order of play will be decided by ballot shortly after the closing date
for entries. Competitors will be advised of the order of play as soon as possible
after this date.
10. All Competitors must appear and compete in Highland Dress or uniform and
are expected to remain so attired throughout the day until after the presentation
of prizes. Appropriate headdress must be worn when competing. Bagpipes must have
an appropriate bag cover surrounding the bag. Jackets are optional.
11. Individual competition times will be posted for the first six Competitors;
the remaining Competitors will be subject to an order of play, as designated
by the Stewards. All Competitors will be individually responsible for reporting
to the Stewards at least one hour prior to their competition time.
12. In order to eliminate large gaps in the contest due to players being disqualified
or unable to attend, Competitor order of play is subject to change at the discretion
of the Stewards. All Competitors must be ready to compete when called; otherwise
they may be disqualified.
13. After a Competitor has been called to play, four minutes maximum is allowed
for tuning. A light panel will signal elapsed time to the Competitor and Judges:
Green light = 4 minutes remaining; Yellow Light = 1 minute remaining; red light
= begin play. Upon illumination of the red light, the Competitor must immediately
commence the tune or risk disqualification by the Judges.
14. The Judges are empowered to stop any Competitor while playing if, in their
opinion, the play is such to bar him/her from any chance of winning a prize.
15. Warming-up in a non-designated, public area of the host hotel is disruptive
to other Competitors and guests; therefore, such behavior will result in immediate
disqualification.
16. Any Competitor acting contrary to the rules of the competition, or the orders
of the Judges and Stewards, may be excluded or disqualified from the competition
or prize list.
17. All decisions made by the Judges will be final.
18. Entry in the competition is consent for recording sound and image, and distribution
on any/all media, which shall become property of Midwest Highland Arts Fund.
19. Directors of MHAF, contest sponsors, MHAF judges, and MHAF instructors are
ineligible for entry to the contest.
By applying to the MHAF & MWPBA US Silver Medal, I agree to be bound by these rules.
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