Bruce Hitchings, Chairman of the Solo Piping Judges Association, has resigned with immediate effect citing health issues.
The Association will now look for an interim Chair to see it through to its AGM in November. Mr Hitchings, who is resident in the USA but who makes regular forays to the UK, had been in post for over two years.
His tenure of office has been marked by some controversy, not least recent allegations of a failure to consult his full membership over a proposed new judging system recently revealed to the piping public in these pages.
This is the worst time in solo piping history where the care of solo pipers has been absolutely neglected by the SPJA. Judges judging competitions that are way beyond their knowledge, judges judging piobaireachd competitions but never played in a senior piobaireachd competition?? It’s become a mess and needs sorted or the solo piping scene is in a total meltdown. I can assure you all that there are very unhappy pipers out there but who are still scared to open their mouths. It’s about time the CPA showed a bit of backbone and represented their members. From a very angry competitor.
So who’s going to continue making the Balance Tone drone reeds and other Highland Reeds products?