Army School Features in National Press/ Jimmy McIntosh Memorial Weekend Workshop

One of the UK’s largest selling newspapers, the Daily Telegraph, has a full length feature on the Army School of Piping and Drumming today. It follows last week’s story which revealed the late Queen’s concern for the school’s future.

In today’s article the School’s current Director, Major Gordon Rowan, reveals he piped around the Queen’s dining table on many occasions and talks of her pride in ‘her pipers’.

His second in command, Senior Pipe Major Captain Ross McCrindle, who it is understood will take over as Director of the School next year, talks of how he came from a small village in Ayrshire, and, thanks to Army piping, travelled the world playing in ‘mind blowing places and situations’ most pipers could only dream of.

Major Rowan and Captain McCrindle have already played for King Charles at the Ghillie’s Ball at Balmoral. ‘The continuation of this tradition is music to our ears because it shows the King is taking a keen interest in the Pipes and Drums,’ says Major Rowan.

The article reveals that there is no shortage of recruits for the school. Last year 171 students taught by five instructors graduated at various levels.

It goes on to talk of Queen Victoria’s interest in piping and of the School’s early days when it began as the Army Class funded by the Piobaireachd Society.

• Read the full article here.

Jimmy McIntosh Scholarship

The Pittsburgh Piping Society in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon University [CMU] will host the second Jimmy McIntosh MBE Piobaireachd Workshop from February 9^th to 11^th 2024, writes Andrew Carlisle. 

The workshop will be held in the Cohon University Center at CMU.  Instructors will be Mike Cusack, Amy Garson and Andrew Carlisle.   

The weekend begins with a scheduled Evening of Piping on the Friday at 7:30pm with the Pittsburgh Piping Society, the charity which the Jimmy McIntosh MBE Piobaireachd Scholarship is a part of. 

The Society was founded in 2014 by myself, Palmer Shonk and Nick Hudson as a venue for pipers of all abilities and backgrounds to come together to perform in front of one another in an encouraging environment. The current PPS location is a live music venue, recently converted from an old, restored movie theatre in Squirrel Hill.

A typical evening consists of pipers of all abilities performing for around five minutes. To close the night, there is always a featured piper who plays a longer selection including a piobaireachd. 

Saturday, there will be a morning and afternoon workshop at CMU.  At the close of the afternoon session, the two Jimmy McIntosh MBE Scholarship recipients for 2023, Anthony Rossi of New Jersey and Ray Flanagan of Michigan, will perform one of their new piobaireachds in a short recital. 

On Saturday evening, there will be an informal gathering where pipers can socialise and share some informal tunes. Sunday morning will conclude the workshop (9:30-12:30), again at Carnegie Mellon University.  Cost for the weekend workshop is $140 and can be paid here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/729419462247?aff=oddtdtcreator  

To be eligible to register, we ask that students are already able to play at least one piobaireachd on the bagpipe. No competition experience is necessary; however, we are expanding this year to include Grade Four competitors and novice piobaireachd enthusiasts.  We will consider a limited number of needs-based discounts for pipers wishing to attend but cannot afford the full cost of the workshop.