PP Ed’s Blog: Online Band Registrations/ Piob Soc Conf/ Recital Cancelled/Neil in Falklands/ WW1 Tunes

Robert Wallace

7 years ago

The RSPBA have announced that registration for all major championships for 2018 is now available online. Chief Executive Ian Embelton says on the RSPBA website: ‘Online entries are now open for the 2018 championship season.

‘Entries for bands and drum majors will only be available online. We introduced this facility three years ago and in 2017 almost all entries were made online so we have now decided to remove the paper entry forms. Please note the closing dates and online entries will be accepted until 23:59 on the closing date.’

The Piobaireachd Society Conference will be held this weekend. The conference is open to day visitors with a reduced rate of £10 including lunch for students and Competing Pipers Association members. The line-up is as follows:
Saturday
0915-1015 – Evolution in Ceòl Mòr: Hugh Cheape/Decker Forrest
1045-1145 – Progressive Programming: John Mulhearn
1145-1230 – Royal Conservatoire students perform
1345-1400 – Music from PS Bursary piper Bobby Allan
1400-1515 – Competitive Piobaireachd – Glenn Brown, D Nevans
1730-1800 – Donald MacPherson: John Shone
1930 – Dinner and ceilidh

Tunes after the Piobaireachd Society dinner

Sunday
0915-1030 – Excerpts from 2018 Set Tunes played by Robert Frater (Mrs Smith’s Salute, Clan MacNab’s Salute), Decker Forrest (Red Hand in the MacDonald’s Arms, Grain in Hides, Corn in Sacks), Robert Wallace (Brother’s Lament – John Smith MS, MacKenzie of Applecross’s Salute), Dr Jack Taylor (Young Laird of Dungallon’s Salute, Salute to the MacCrimmon Cairn at Borreraig)
1100 AGM

[wds id=”2″]

Alastair Campbell, Secretary, Inverness Piping Society, has announced that this Friday’s recital due to be given by William McCallum has been cancelled due to ill health. It is hoped an alternative date can be arranged as soon as possible. The Society’s next recital, on 20th April, features Roderick MacLeod of the National Piping Centre.

Ex-Scots Guardsman Neil Clark is back from the Falkland Islands where he took the opportunity of remembering fallen comrades with a tune at sunset on top of Mount Tumbledown (top). Neil writes: ‘The Falklands War [2 Apr 1982 – 14 Jun 1982] wasn’t traumatic for me other than being worried about being sent. I was only 17 and in the Guards Depot Piping School. I did have to play all the wounded guys back when they got off the plane.

‘Most of my pals came back, but six have died in the past two years. We were playing and teaching down there on the back of the Shackleton Trust. I have a Skype pupil on the islands and his mum put us in touch with the Trust. My wife teaches clarinet and we visited Port Howard, Stanley, West Falkland and Goose Green. I’ve put two kids through their PDQB exams.’

New letter today from reader Sam Sweeney. Sam is looking for help in checking the provenance of some tunes associated with WW1. Check out the letter here.

[wds id=”10″]