Colin MacLellan Resigns from the College of Piping

The College of Piping has announced the following:
‘The College of Piping announces that due to pressure of other commitments, Colin MacLellan has decided to step down from his position as Director of Piping with effect from the end of November 2017.
‘The College is very grateful to Colin for his hard work in the short time he was in the role and is pleased that Colin will remain associated as an adviser and friend of the College.
‘Stuart Letford, editor of the Piping Times, will carry on as Interim Manager at the College until March 31, 2018, while the board continues its strategic review of the College’s vision and activities.’
Read more about the College of Piping here. Colin MacLellan is pictured up top speaking at the Piobaireachd Society Conference in 2015. Colin Maclellan’s website has this bio: ‘In1999 Colin (58) and his wife Jenny Hazzard moved to Scotland, with Colin taking up a position as Head of Piping Studies, being responsible for educational initiatives at the National Piping Centre as well being instrumental in the creation of the BA Scottish Music – Piping degree which is jointly offered by the Centre and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
During this period he served as an external examiner for RSAMD. During 1999 Colin was appointed the Pipe Major of the Lothian and Borders Police Pipe Band which during the previous season had lost its Grade One status for the first time in the Band’s storied history. To Colin fell the task of rebuilding, and within one season the band had secured the Champion of Champions title in the lesser grade and once more took its place in the top flight. He is the last Pipe Major of the Lothian and Borders Police Pipe Band to have lead the band to the finals of the World Pipe Band Championship.


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Colin was appointed the President of Scotland’s Competing Pipers Association in 2000, and during his tenure CPA became an active and influential force. A circuit of six piobaireachd competitions were established at Scottish highland games, and the Duncan Johnstone Memorial competition was founded, an event run in tandem with the National Piping Centre which has become the pre-eminent competition was Scotland’s aspiring professionals. CPA during this time under Colin’s leadership initiated reform of the Joint Committee for Judging with a new structure and reassessment of procedure being established which lead to the return of Senior Adjudicators who had not judged for some years.
In 2001 Colin took up a position as Piping Teacher at The Edinburgh Academy, a post which he filled until December 2007. Colin MacLellan has sat two terms as Chairman of CPA’s Grading Committee as well as returning to international teaching and judging commitments, examining and reedmaking. Instrumental in the reformation of Edinburgh’s famous Eagle Pipers Society, he serves as its Honorary President and was appointed a Senior Judge of Scotland’s Joint Committee for Judging upon his retirement from competition in 2007. Colin also served a term as Chairman of The Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board starting in 2014. He is currently a member of the Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band, and has recently produced a book and CD of his father’s complete piobaireachd compositions..
A Canadian citizen as well as a UK national, Colin lives and works in Edinburgh with his wife Jenny Hazzard. He has a daughter, Emily Kate, who has played in the grade one 78th Highlanders Halifax Citadel and the grade one Toronto Police Pipe Band, and a son Iain, who plays with the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Pipes and Drums.
In August of 2016, Colin was appointed Director of Piping at The College of Piping, Glasgow.
Stay tuned to Piping Press for more.


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