For obvious reasons, band practice has been cancelled since mid-March, and the entire pipe band competition season has been cancelled for the year. As things started to unlock, I found myself wondering if and when we'd be able to meet again - I had assumed it would be fairly soon.
Alas, the news does not sound good: https://bagpipe.news/2020/07/03/covid-19-the-game-changer/
Basically, the risks associated with instruments like the bagpipe are particularly severe - one infected player could very easily infect the whole band. And the measures that are proposed to mitigate it sound all but unworkable - protective screens, extensive shielding, and the like. For serious competition bands I suspect they might be a sacrifice that is worthwhile, but for everyone else I doubt it.
The upshot is that I suspect there will be pretty much no pipe band events, of any sort, until a vaccine is found. Certainly, indoor practices on the pipes, and anything involving a parade will be out of the question.
Solo piping, and the use of the practice chanter, should remain possible. But that's about it... and that's rather disappointing.
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