Care was taken to place two or more microphones on stage to prevent the familiar sound of pipes going off into the distance as the competitors marched back and forth. The drone sound was also carefully balanced with the chanters, and the overall EQ of the recording was very good. The quality of playing on this CD is, as anyone would suspect, excellent. There are some highlights that I must mention. First, I thought the tempos adhered to by each of the competitors were extremely musical.
Many young players equate great players with speed.
As these professionals demonstrate, that view could not be further from the truth in most cases. The technique displayed by all of the pipers was exceptional, and again, instructional. My teachers have always taught me that doublings should be open enough to be audible and to fill their place in the rhythmic structure of the music. Finally in the more technical realm of the performances, the quality of the pipes in terms of tuning, balance, and brightness of tone was extremely high for all competitors. I was taught to keep this tune moving, because it can easily die in the water and not to break the rhythm in the phrases.