The RSPBA have announced the following dates and venues for next year’s major championships.
- British Championships – 23rd May at Paisley
- United Kingdom Championships – 13th June at Lurgan
- European Championships – 27th June at Inverness
- Scottish Championships – 25th July at Dumbarton
- World Championships – 14th/15th August at Glasgow
A thought occurred whilst listening to last week’s Clasp contest at Inverness, and one which was not included in my subsequent review. Would the music pedalled by the ‘revisionists’ who continue to misinterpret the writings of Donald MacDonald have produced a day of such captivating brilliance?
The same pipes, fingers, venue, preparation are all in place. On come the pipers and rattle through this stuff as they’re told it should be played. What would have been the musical effect? Ultimately that is all that matters isn’t it? Not the dogma, the theorising, the self promoting grandstanding.
I wonder if the Clan Donald Lands Trust, generous sponsors of the Northern Meeting and the Clan Donald Quaich, appreciate this.
[wds id=”2″]I’m told a leading drummer in a US band signed up to play with another North American band at the Worlds (though subsequently did not). Is there an anomaly here? Would an RSPBA registered Grade 1 piper or drummer be able travel over to the PPBSO’s North American Championship at Maxville to compete with, say, the 78th Highlanders?
I wonder where we are with the computerised international registration of pipers and drummers that was talked about a few years ago. I am not saying there’s anything untoward going on but consistency is all in the increasingly intercontinental pipe band world.
Queensland Highland Pipers’ Society: The Brisbane Boys Club Solo Piping & Drumming Championships is an annual event held at Brisbane Boys’ College. The contest on Sept 21 will be held under the Pipe Band Australia contest rules and conditions. The event is open to members of the public to come along and enjoy a great day of piping and drumming. Competitors will need to enter via the following link.
Reminder: entries for this year’s Inverness Piping Society’s Junior Solos on September 14 close on Friday (Sept 6). Try to support this contest if you can. Entry forms here.
All to play for in the Junior and Senior piobaireachd in the John Milne Fine Arts Grampian League. The final event of the summer is Braemar Gathering on Saturday (Sept 7). Here are the standings after the recent Lonach Gathering courtesy Patricia Grant. Cash prizes will be awarded at Braemar to the winners:
Seniors Piob
Greig Canning 10
Allan Russell 8
George Taylor 7
Calum Brown 5
John MacDonald 4
Gordon McCready 4
Ben Duncan 4
John Dew 4
Jonathan Simpson 4
Anna Kummerlöw 4
Angus MacPhee 3
Brad Davidson 2
Neil Clark 1
Senior Light Music
Calum Brown 43
Alan Russell 24
Ben Duncan 23
Gordon McCready 20
Greig Canning 16
Jeffery Lawson 13
George Taylor 10
Colin Gordon 8
John MacDonald 7
Craig Black 6
Ross Shand 6
Gordon Barclay 5
Angus MacPhee 4
Ben Hall 4
Ross Miller 4
Michael Laing 2
Neil Clark 1
Edward Gaul 1
John Dew 1
Jonathan Simpson 1
Junior Piob
Jake Robertson 5
Craig Mitchell 5
Rory Robson 4
Campbell Wilson 4
Kyle Cameron 4
Christopher Happs 3
Calan Daniels 3
Calum Robertson 3
Aiden Phimister 2
Liam Brown 2
Alistair Williams 1
Junior Light Music
Jake Robertson 37
Liam Brown 14
Eosaph Caimbuel 10
Keiran Walker 10
Travis Gordon 8
Campbell Wilson 8
Hazel Walker 7
Rory Robson 6
Emely Feeney 6
Calan Daniels 6
Ciara Anderson 5
Craig Mitchell 5
Kyle Cameron 4
Eilidh MacGregor 4
Katelyn Keir 4
Christopher Happs 3
Shannon Thomson 3
Kenzie Stephen 3
Thomas Stevenson 3
Sarah Keir 3
Ewan Allan 2
Josh Davidson 2
Caryn Strachan 2
Callum Ross 2
Alistair Rawles 1
