Atholl Gathering Piping Convenor Jack TayIor: ‘Solo piping entries at the Gathering open today, Friday 14th March. The entry form is here on the Atholl Gathering website.
‘Held on Sunday, May 25th, it is the first outdoor competition of the season and is always busy, so pipers are encouraged to put entries in early.
‘We will try and give everyone the chance to play, but if categories are too big we will have to restrict them on a first come first served basis. There are graded events for all professional grades, plus junior piping.’
RT Shepherd
Following last week’s story about the Fife-based chanter and reedmaker, we received this from reader Åge Jonny Jørgensen in Norway: ‘A friend of mine in Norway ordered recently a pipe chanter from them. They took the order and his money through PayPal, and since then he has not heard from them.
‘How many others have had such experiences with the company? I have only ordered pipe chanter reeds from them once.’
It may well be that the chanter will be delivered Mr Jørgensen but the company really should allay any fears on that score by getting in touch with their customer.
Another reader who didn’t want to be named pointed out that the firm, to their credit, had trained many reed and chanter makers over the years and they would carry on the legacy of excellence established by Bob Shepherd.
SPA Professional
Scottish Pipers’ Association President Logan Tannock: ‘I’m trying to sort things out for the SPA competition on 12 April.
‘The judges have been organised and I am planning for entries to go live on Monday morning 17th March, hopefully by 8.30am if all goes to plan.’
The SPA website is here. Contests for all grades plus a Former Winners’ MSR. Venue is the Piping Centre in MacPhater Street, Glasgow, from 8am.
William Kennedy Piping Festival
Gilbert Cromie: Armagh Pipers Club’s William Kennedy Festival has ended after 30 years. The club wil now focus on other activities. The Festival started in 1994 when the Club suggested commemorating blind piper and master craftsman William Kennedy from Tandragee.
Largely forgotten, his inspirational story was nevertheless celebrated across the world, specifically his modernisation of the bellows-driven union pipes, giving him a credible claim to be the inventor of today’s uilleann pipes.
Bands such as Killeen (Grade 2 All – Ireland Champions), St Laurence O’Toole and Field Marshal Montgomery all played at the festival over the years. The Club is to be congratulated for their tenacity in running the festival for such a long time. It will continue its education programme with high quality low-cost tuition and big-name concerts, all helping to keep the William Kennedy name alive.
Florida School
Here is a nice pic of staff and students at the recent Florida Pipe & Drum Academy. Thanks to ace photographer Courtney Schnee for forwarding. We had a very good school once more, though such was the cold in Jacksonville that playing outside was severely limited. Not what you expect in the sunshine state.
We are looking to move the school to a retreat centre next year so that everyone can live, learn and socialise under the one roof. We are spending too much time in our cars from accommodation to college when we could be hammering technique and sorting pipes.
Thanks to Director Chris McKeown for all his hard work. My fellow instructors were Barry Donaldson, Matt Pantaleoni, Bill Caudill, Simon Hodgett, Stephen Creighton and Steve McClure.
