Pipes for Aberdeen Pupils/ Lochaber Juniors Contest Entry

Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust: Aberdeenshire pupils are on the road to a life-time of piping success, thanks to an award of new, on loan pipes. Fifteen pupils at Meldrum Academy and Rayne North Primary will benefit from the award. Pictured are some of the pupils at Meldrum Academy with their new pipes, alongside their piping tutor Andrew Gray.  Linda Moggach, Faculty Head of Performing Arts at Meldrum Academy…

Senior Piper Claims Age Discrimination After Solo Contest Upholds Rule on Mandatory Jig Entry

Piper Brian Mulhearn is claiming he has technically been barred from taking part in next month’s Duncan Johnstone Memorial competition on grounds of his age. Brian (69) is pictured above. He says he only wants to enter the Piobaireachd section. The Duncan Johnstone has a rule that all competitors must play in the Jig events too. This rule was instituted several years ago to ensure pipers stuck around for the…

History: Pipe Band Association Meeting that Marked the Beginning of the International Movement

This article is based on the minutes of a meeting held on Sunday, June 30th, 1968, at the Leapark Hotel in Grangemouth, Stirlingshire. The industrial town had been the venue for the World Pipe Band Championships the day before. The picture above shows the Robert Armstrong Memorial Pipe Band, Northern Ireland, on the contest field that day. All the big names from the then Scottish Pipe Band Association were in…

World Online Contest Entries Open/ New Tune for Norman

Jori Chisholm has launched the spring edition of his ‘World Online’ competitions for pipers and drummers. To enter the band/ duet contest click here. To enter the solo contest click here. Here’s how the online competitions work:• Register by March 8, 2022• Video entries by March 23• Judges watch videos and write comments for every performance• Results and winning performances posted online March 30 Prolific composer Niall Matheson has written…

The Blind Piper’s Eight Part Version of the Classic Strathspey Maggie Cameron

I came across this while cleaning out some old piping manuscripts, writes Peter Aumonier. It is parts 5-8 of Maggie Cameron. As readers can see, the parts come from the pen of Archie MacNeill, the blind piper. It was given to me years ago by Jock Low at the Vancouver Island Piper’s Club, Victoria, British Columbia. By Peter Aumonier and Jack Lee Jock Low did the P/M course during WW2…