All piping eyes today turn from the World Championship and Glasgow Green to the West Highland town of Oban where the first of piping’s two most important solo gatherings gets underway. The Argyllshire Gathering hosts four major piobaireachd competitions: the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal, the Silver Medal, the Senior Piobaireachd and the MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd for intermediate level. Success in these events are highlights in every piper’s career….

Twelve bands have made it through to tomorrow’s final in the World Pipe Band Championships Grade 1 competition. After a full day of playing sometimes in rain and always with a cold wind, two sets of four judges settled on the following names. They are: Johnstone St Laurence O’Toole Simon Fraser Fife Police Inveraray Boghall 78th Frasers Shotts Vale of Atholl Field Marshal Scottish Power Dowco Triumph Street This is…

Ángel Hernando, President: Dear Friends: We inform you that the Band of Gaitas (Galician bagpipes) Lume de Biqueira has just arrived to China, to participate in the China International Wind Music Festival. The performances will be made basically in the coastal city of Dalian, to finish in Beijing and a concert in the Great Wall of China. According to our information, Lume de Biqueira is the first Spanish band (of any genre) that…

Midst all the mayhem of Worlds Week, where the pipe band rules no question, piobaireachd, classical pipe music, could still be found by those looking for a more measured and contemplative bagpipe experience. The Piobaireachd Society was to the fore in providing just such an opportunity and here we have reviews from two recitals the Society promoted over the past seven days, the first in Edinburgh and the second in…

The 2018 Worlds Grade 1 competitions will be streamed live over the internet tomorrow (Aug 17) and Saturday. The Grade 1 qualification tomorrow (Friday) will be streamed live (from 10.30am) from the main arena by promoter Glasgow Life. Viewers will see one performance from each the 22 G1 bands, 11 bands from Qualifier 1 playing their MSR in the morning then the remaining 11 bands from Qualifier 2 playing their…