Month: January 2018

PP Ed's Blog: Government Funding for Piping/ Argyllshire Gathering/ RSPBA Indoor/ Mystery Piper

Posted on      by     

I have some sympathy with composer Sir James MacMillan’s stance on Government interference in the arts. ‘Art for art’s sake’ it has to be. Sir James was writing after the latest tranche of grants was announced by Creative Scotland, the Government’s cash for culture coordinators. Sir James reminded readers in The Times of a meeting called by Fiona Hyslop the Scottish Government’s Arts Minister last May. ‘National Culture Strategy’ was…

More PP Ed's Blog: Government Funding for Piping/ Argyllshire Gathering/ RSPBA Indoor/ Mystery Piper

Competition in Memory of Andrew Bonar / Scots Guards KO/ RSPBANI Burns Dinner

Posted on      by     

The BC Pipers Association have announced the following…. ‘With just under a month until the Boney Music Memorial Invitational Piping Competition and Recital, the event is again shaping up to be one of the BC Pipers’ Association’s highlight events of the year. ‘Featuring the top five finishers from the 2017 Open Piping Grand Aggregate standings [James P. Troy, Kevin McLean, Andrew Lee, Alastair Lee and Jori Chisholm], the performers will…

More Competition in Memory of Andrew Bonar / Scots Guards KO/ RSPBANI Burns Dinner

NZ Piper Stuart Finlayson Talks of His Lessons with P/M Donald MacLeod

Posted on      by     

Stuart Finlayson is the renowned piper and composer from New Zealand. A prizewinner at the highest level, Stuart is well known to all generations via his outstanding compositions – tunes such as Stuart Chisholm’s Walkabout and the Motley Crew. As a teenager he left his homeland and took the long boat trip to Scotland where he studied piping with P/M Donald MacLeod and Duncan Johnstone. In this first part of…

More NZ Piper Stuart Finlayson Talks of His Lessons with P/M Donald MacLeod

PP Ed's Blog: Band Dates/ Andy's Tune/ South Florida

Posted on      by     

Spotted this on the internet and it may be a handy reference for the coming pipe band season: Download a printable PDF here. Northern Ireland piper Andy Wilson (above) achieved a highly commendable second prize in the ‘B’ piobaireachd at the recent Winter Storm contest in Kansas. Here’s part of his prizewinning performance of The Fingerlock: Chieftain at the last European Pipe Band Championships to be held at Forres in…

More PP Ed's Blog: Band Dates/ Andy's Tune/ South Florida

£58k Funding Boost for Young Pipers and Drummers in Dundee 

Posted on      by     

Thanks to a funding boost of £58k from Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust, a new programme of piping and drumming tuition in Dundee will be extended with up to 120 pupils set to benefit.  Above is a picture taken this morning at Fintry Primary School, Dundee, one of the feeder primary schools involved in the project. From l – r: Gregor Murray, Children and Families Convenor, Dundee City Council; Alexandra…

More £58k Funding Boost for Young Pipers and Drummers in Dundee