A special concert is to be held at Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow to celebrate 30 years of the release since the groundbreaking ‘Live ‘n Well’ album by Vale of Atholl Pipe Band under P/M Ian Duncan.
A Gordon Duncan Tribute Band will lead the musical offering at the concert with input from Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton.
P/M Duncan, Gordon’s brother, and Ryan King have hand picked a line up of top pipers to form the band. The date is January 17 at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. MC is Stuart Cassells, founder of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.
Much of the music for the ‘Live ‘n Well’ album was sourced and arranged by Gordon Duncan. Said P/M Ian: ‘This is going to be a spectacular night. We have a super line up of pipers and the music is still as fresh as ever and it will be a heartfelt tribute to Gordon and his music’ Tickets here.
Amateur Championship
The 29th George Sherriff Memorial Amateur Invitational was held last Saturday, November 15, in St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Hamilton, Ontario. There were three different winners for the three events, with Abby Long from Houston, Texas, winning the overall.
The organisers reported a high standard of play in all events with the adjudicators commenting on the high quality of talent they heard throughout the day. There was a supportive and appreciative audience.
Piobaireachd:
1 Abby Long, Lament for the Viscount of Dundee
2 Jean-Sebastien Gamache, Corrienessan’s Salute
3 Magnus Stone, Ronald MacDonald of Morar’s Lament
4 Alexander Walker, Lament for the Children
5 Alex Pavlovic, Rory MacLeod’s Lament
MSR
1 Alex Pavlovic, Brig. Cheape of Tiroran, Cabar Feidh, Fiona MacLeod
2 Abby Long, Dr Allan MacDonald, Catlodge, Fiona MacLeod
3 Magnus Stone, Mrs Duncan MacFadyen, Islay Ball, Little Cascade
4 Jean-Sebastien Gamache, Inveran, Shepherd’s Crook, Sandy Cameron
5 Jim Malcolm, The Conundrum, Doune of Invernochty, Rejected Suitor
6/8 March
1 Magnus Stone, Trees of North Uist/ Ishbel T. MacDonald
2 Abby Long, Dornoch Highland Gathering/ Slainte
3 Jean-Sebastien Gamache, Cameron MacFadyen and Sam Scott
4 Alex Pavlovic, Ishbel T. MacDonald/ Cameron MacFadyen
5 Alexander Walker, Dovecote Park and Caverhill
Overall: 1 Abby Long 2 Magnus Stone 3 Jean-Sebastien Gamache; Judges: C Armstrong, M MacIsaac, S MacKeown
Sponsors included McCallum Bagpipes who donated a set of MacRae engraved pipes to the overall winner, the Pipers’ and Pipe Band Society of Ontario who contributed $1000 to the overall winner for overseas flights for competition/tuition, Naill Bagpipes who presented an engraved long practice chanter to the winner, and RG Hardie who presented a blackwood practice chanter for the overall. The winner of the 6/8s won a Naill blackwood solo chanter. Support came from 45 individuals and pipe bands.
Next year’s event is on November 21, 2026. It will be the 30th year of the George Sherriff Memorial Invitational.
‘Highland Bagpipe Music’ by Donald Morrison – digital book
This book was first produced shortly before Donald died in 1988. Languishing out of print, it surfaced in 2021 following contact between Piping Press editor Robert Wallace and Donald’s daughter Sheona. Sheona agreed that it should be offered to the piping public once more at nominal cost, the aim being to preserve her father’s musical legacy. Donald Morrison was the complete piper a fine teache…
