Just over ten years ago saw the start of Piping Press, the online continuation of our Piper Press magazine. The latter was taken over by the Piping Times in 1999. I then edited the PT for 15 years before departing Otago Street in 2014.
Much has happened during the decade including the regrettable, though predictable, demise of the PT and the College of Piping.
Four years ago we had the pandemic and I hope we played our part in seeing everyone through the nightmare of covid. The bug couldn’t stop our online activities. Remember the painting contest? More from the past ten years below.
It is a lot of work running the magazine but I believe we have managed to maintain standards. Thanks to all our readers, writers and advertisers for their support. Here’s to the next ten.
In 2014 I wrote of the serious difficulties facing our Highland games. ‘Though we are only half way through the solo piping season, some worrying competitor statistics have emerged which should be of concern to us all: Fochabers 3, Luss 7, Strathmore 8, Cupar 7, Drumtochty 2, Forres 4, Ceres 5, Aberdeen 12…… Speaking to competing pipers they tell us that the attraction of the graded games is the main reason why they don’t attend the smaller ones….’
Piping Press has steadfastly championed the Highland Games cause and this summer we had very healthy entries at most games, not just the graded events. Attitudes are changing too, with judges and pipers more readily accepting the ‘come all ye’ ethos of the games.
July 2014: ‘Field Marshal Montgomery pipe band from Lisburn, Northern Ireland, kept up their winning streak when they secured the first ever UK title with a quality March, Strathspey and Reel performance in Belfast last month. It showed they could once more excel in both Medley and MSR disciplines, having already won the British title at Bathgate playing the former, and must now be favourites to take a historic tenth World Championship at Glasgow Green next month. At Stormont they were perfection itself. Try as I might, I just couldn’t find anything bad to write about them and for an inveterate curmudgeon you have to understand how frustrating that was…..’
Richard Parkes and his band duly did go on to win the Worlds and I think the 2014 grand slam. The maestro has now retired and can look back on an unbelievable career. The pages of the Piping Times, Pipe Band Magazine and Piping Press will give him great satisfaction, cataloguing as we did his triumphant march to the top of the pipe band tree.
‘It is with regret that we report the passing of popular piping adjudicator Finlay MacRae. He was 91. Finlay was one of the last surviving pupils of Willie Ross when he ran classes in the Highlands before WW2. Finlay, a Skyeman and native Gaelic speaker, was a regular fixture on the bench at the north games for many years and also ran a piobaireachd class in the Easter Ross area introducing dozens of pipers to ceol mor. He was instrumental in the building of a memorial cairn for his old tutor at Willie’s birthplace in Strathfarrar….’
Time flies. Though ten years have passed, Finlay will be well-remembered in the north and elsewhere. Not only a staunch Highlander but an early environmentalist and tree expert. Next time you feast your eyes on the mighty Scots pines in Glen Affric or elsewhere you should think of him and the work he did in preserving this native species.
Ten years of Gold Medals…Since the 2014 the following have entered piping’s most hallowed Hall of Fame:
Oban
2014 Douglas Murray, Cupar, ‘MacNeill of Barra’s March’
2015 John Angus Smith, ‘Lament for Donald Duaghal MacKay’
2016 Ian K. MacDonald, Canada, ‘Mary’s Praise’
2017 Craig Sutherland, Crieff, ‘Lord Lovat’s Lament’
2018 Stuart Easton, NZ, ‘Brother’s Lament’
2019 Andrew Hayes, Canada, ‘Old Men of the Shells’
No contests during covid
2022 Jamie Forrester, London, ‘Phanton Piper of the Corrieyairick’
2023 Alasdair Henderson, Dunoon, ‘Menzies Salute’
2024 Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh, ‘Black Donald’s March’
Inverness
2014 Douglas Murray, Fife, ‘His Father’s Lament for Donald MacKenzie’
2015 Finlay Johnston, Glasgow, ‘Farewell to the Laird of Islay’
2016 Ian K. MacDonald, Toronto, ‘Mary’s Praise’
2017 Alasdair Henderson, Argyll, ‘King’s Taxes’
2018 Dr Peter McCalister, Northern Ireland, ‘War or Peace’
2019 Connor Sinclair, Crieff, ‘End of the High Bridge’
Covid
2022 Nick Hudson, Texas, ‘Laird of Anapool’s Lament’
2023 Dr Innes Smith, Bridge of Allan, ‘Sobieski’s Salute’
2024 Craig Sutherland, Crieff, ‘MacDougall’s Gathering’
No less than two ‘doublers’, Douglas Murray and Ian K MacDonald. I heard several of the winning tunes at Inverness. Douglas Murray, Finlay Johnston, Ian K remain strong in the memory.
And let’s not forget the bands. Worlds winners 2014-24:
2014 Field Marshal
2015 Shotts
2016 Field Marshal
2017 Inveraray
2018 Field Marshal
2019 Inveraray
Covid
2022 Field Marshal
2023 Boghall
2024 Inveraray
I think PP can be proud of the fact that thanks to our campaigning the RSPBA now include pre-1946 World Champion bands in its Worlds programme. These were held at Cowal from 1906 to 1939 with interruptions for the world wars.
