orchestral gigs this week

[OC Richard]

For many musicians, especially singers and brass players, but also for pipers, Christmas time is gig time, with all the Christmas concerts everywhere.

Last night was the rehearsal, and tonight is the concert, of Holiday Brass Los Angeles, a wonderful ensemble including many of the top players in the area, from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and some of the top 'studio' players (the people you hear on all the movie soundtracks).

This is the third year they've had me come and play Highland Cathedral with them. They have an awesome arrangement, I believe from one of the British military Bandmasters.

Here it is! They have a pic of me taken at rehearsal... not very impressive, with a black t-shirt!

http://www.holidaybrassla.com/holida....com/Home.html

And this Friday night I and another piper are playing a newly composed piece Far Far Away On Judea's Plains expressly written for choir, orchestra, and bagpipes, at Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa.

The group is the Orange County Millennial Choirs & Orchestras. Here they are

http://www.millennial.org/orange-county/

For both these gigs I need to play spot-on in Concert Pitch. For you pipers out there I'm using a McCallum B-flat 466 chanter with a Steve Megarity reed. The bass drone I can just lengthen to suit, but for the tenor (I'm only using one) I have an old Wygent reed on a long home-made brass tubing extender, which I can move in or out so that the tenor is tuning exactly where it's happiest, high up on the pin. (My pipes are c1900 Lawries, Lawries of this era being known for high-tuning tenors and a low-tuning bass.)

About what to wear (this is a kiltwearing forum after all) in past years I've worn a Prince Charlie with wing collar and bow tie at the Holiday Brass concerts, due to all the men being in tuxes. This year I'm thinking about doing something different, wearing my Black Watch pipers' uniform.