Author: Piping Press

History: Judge’s Dilemma at Glenfiddich Competition

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In 1993 there was a boycott of the main piping competitions by a large tranche of the competing piping community. They had been driven to take such drastic action by what they perceived as the poor standard of judging then extant. The boycott led to the formation of the Joint Committee for Judging representing all interested parties, pipers, promoters, judges. It was to oversee matters of dispute. Andrew Wright was…

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Playing Requirements for 2026 Band Season Announced

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The Board of Directors of the RSPBA met last Saturday at their Washington Street HQ in Glasgow and among other things confirmed the band playing requirements for the 2026 season. These are as follows: To download a copy of this sheet click on the two right-pointing arrows top right. Marketing and Media Convenor Jackie Allan also issued the following press release: The RSPBA’s Board of Directors had a busy weekend….

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Scottish Schools Entries/ CLASP Results

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The Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships will be held on Sunday, 8th March, 2026. Entries close on January 30th. The venue is the William McIlvaney Campus in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Enter here. No entry fee. There are categories for Quartets, Junior C, Junior B, Junior A, Novice Juvenile B, Novice Juvenile A, Juvenile and Freestyle, plus the Eilidh MacLeod Endeavour Award, which honours dedication and spirit. Substantial prizes are on offer: Travel grants:…

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History: The First Pipe Band Competitions

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We continue our look at the early days of the pipe band movement…. One of the first pipe band competitions was held at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow in the 1890s under the auspices of the Govan Police sports committee. The winners were the Govan Police pipe band themselves, and among the bands taking part were volunteer battalion bands under Pipe Majors John MacDougall Gillies and Farquhar MacRae. The next competition…

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History: Pipe Bands From Early Days in the Army to a Worldwide Fraternity

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The following is taken from a special supplement produced to mark the 75th Anniversary of the RSPBA in 2005. It was written by piping historian Jeannie Campbell and edited by Robert Wallace…. Though the bagpipe had been in use in the Army for a long time the pipe band as we know it did not come into existence until the mid 19th century. Marching in step was introduced, at first…

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