A beautiful slow air by the late John D Burgess is published today. ‘Nancy’s Lullaby’ is one of the few tunes John ever composed. John’s widow Sheila has given permission for it to be published on Piping Press. The tune commemorates the passing of Nancy Sutherland the late wife of John’s great friend Col Sutherland, Caithness. Col takes up the story….’I first met John around 1964 in Invergordon when he…

We are grateful to Allan Chatto O.A.M. for the following article. We hope will be of interest to pipe band enthusiasts and students of piping history. Allan writes, ‘As you are probably aware the Glasgow Corporation Transport pipe band was well to the fore in the 1930s winning at Cowal a number of times.  I found this interesting article from Angus MacPhee whose father was a piper in the band…

Thousands of pipers around the world marked Remembrance Day with a tune in town squares, cemeteries, and churches. The day was one of special significance given that it marked 100 years since the end of the Great War. It is estimated that up to 1,900 pipers were either killed or wounded in the conflict. These pipers were up pre-dawn in Northern Ireland: And in Muthill, Perthshire, Piper Andy Renwick did…

The RSPBA have launched the next stage in their Pipe Band College programme by advertising for a Principal of Piping and a Principal of Drumming. This major development by the Association was approved at the 2018 Annual General Meeting which endorsed the formation of the RSPBA Pipe Band College. The main purpose of the College will be to improve standards in education and training for pipers and drummers leading to…

Saturday 3rd November saw the second annual Central Coast Scottish Spectacular held in the scenic seaside town of Gosford, New South Wales. There was a healthy entry of ten competitors in the ‘A’ grade piping, including a few young guns who have stepped up recently. The above picture shows competitors and officials at Gosford. The organisers went to the considerable effort and expense of arranging for Bob Worrall to fly…