Month: November 2015

PP Editor’s Blog: Ross & Cromarty Concerts/ Band Regradings/ Andrew Pitkeathly/ Letters

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Gail Laird of the Ross & Cromarty Pipes and Drums School has sent this: ‘The Ross and Cromarty Pipes and Drums School rounded off their successful competing season by a three-night mini tour of Ross-shire. ‘The concerts were an outstanding success. The band was delighted at the level of  community support at every venue. The main band was outstanding, showcasing their talent under the brilliant tutelage of Niall Matheson  (Pipe Major)…

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A Look Back at the Scottish Piping Society of London Competitions 2015

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Because of the vagaries of the calendar, the Scottish Piping Society of London’s annual competitions took place on 31st October and not in November. They were held on Oidhche Shamhna, the eve of An t-Samhain, which is the ancient Celtic New Year’s day.  It is a great feat of organisation to fit 14 adult  and three junior competitions into one day, but under the excellent administration of Jackie Roberts, the…

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South Hall by John McLellan, Dunoon

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We are grateful to John Don MacKenzie, Dornie, for supplying this original hand-written copy of the classic 2/4 march South Hall. The tune is of course by one of our greatest composers, John McLellan DCM, Dunoon, but the hand written music you can see is by P/M Willie Ross, written when he was directing the Army School of Piping at Edinburgh Castle. Here is the tune in full, beautifully laid out:…

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PP Editor’s Blog: All Happening in the South West etc…..

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To Dumfries the other night for a recital by Gordon McCready at the Hole in the Wa’ pub. The crowd enjoy a full evening of quality piping on a very good instrument.  Gordon was supported by 86-year-old Hamish Thow – clearly a player of note in his day, Alan Clement, and a very promising, clean fingered 11-year-girl, May Cranmer. Alan is, I think, Stuart Liddell’s cousin, and like the maestro, taught by his…

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Captain Andrew Pitkeathly, Audio Recording and History

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Thanks to Patrick Molard in Brittany we are today able to hear some of the superb piping of Captain Andrew Pitkeathly, former Piper to HM The Queen, and Director of Army Bagpipe Music at Edinburgh Castle. Patrick writes: ‘Hi Rab, here is a recording; it is Andrew Pitkeathly when he came over to Brittany in 1973 ( Batz-sur-Mer near La Baule), for a piping workshop and a competition. The quality of…

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