RSPBA Chairman Confirms Major Championships

As reported in Piping Press two days ago, the RSPBA have announced significant progress in securing the ‘missing’ three major pipe band championships for the 2024 season. In a letter headlined ‘Update on 2024 Major Championships‘ and sent to bands last night, Chairman Kevin Reilly writes: ‘Dear Bands, Over the last 12 months we have reached out to over 100 contacts that included councils, private entities and individuals with regards…

Lochaber Piping Society/ Scots Guards KO/ Piobaireachd Society Conference

Lochaber Piping Society held its AGM recently, writes Ken Cameron, Chairman. We retain the talented team of volunteers who have successfully organised our programme over the past few years, including our Junior Piping and Drumming Competition held in late March, and the Lochaber Gathering held in late August. In addition, we have held popular recitals. Considering that the core at the heart of the Society consists of so few, the…

Niall Stewart Recital/ Donald MacLeod Memorial/ Scottish Pipers Professional

Double Gold medallist Niall Stewart (pictured) is in recital at the Lewis & Harris Piping Society tomorrow evening, January 26. The concert is in the in the Caladh Hotel, Stornoway, at 7.30pm. Niall has been the schools piping tutor for South Skye and Lochalsh for several years. He was originally taught by John Burgess. Niall has won most of the top awards in piping including the Gold Medals at the…

History: Solo Piping in Edinburgh in the 1960s

Once more underlining the critical importance of reports of piping competitions, a sadly dying art, we have this from the Oban Times of November 1967. We presume it is by their then Piping Correspondent John MacFadyen. Look out for the names of George Lumsden who passed away last week, and Malcolm McRae who tonight delivers the latest in the Piobaireachd Society’s popular ‘Talk Piobaireachd’ lectures…. The third annual piping competitions…

History: The London Championship of 1968, John MacFadyen, P/M Angus, Ian Cameron, Bob Brown, Ed Neigh, in the Prizes

This is from the ‘London Correspondent’ of the Oban Times. The contest was held at Buckingham Gate on April 6 that year. Pictured above is John MacFadyen with the Bratach Gorm….. In the piobaireachd for the Bratach Gorm. the winner for the third successive year, was John MacFadyen, Glasgow, with an outstanding performance of the Red Speckled Bull. Second was Robert U. Brown, Balmoral, with another excellent rendition of Patrick…