Duncan Johnstone Memorial Results 2023 – Updated with Picture and Comment

This competition for junior professionals was held today (Sat, March 11) at the National Piping Centre, Otago Street and McPhater Street, Glasgow. There were large entries in all categories, 33 in the C Piobaireachd and 30 in the C MSR. There were 23 in the B Piob and 21 in the B MSR. Pictured above are all the trophy winners with Champion Piper Callum Wynd far left. B Grade Piobaireachd,…

Jimmy McIntosh Scholarship/ Balmoral Summer Camps

The inaugural cycle of the Jimmy McIntosh Piobaireachd Scholarship was completed with a culminating piobaireachd workshop held the last weekend of February, at Carnegie Mellon University, writes Joyce McIntosh. Thirty-two registered piobaireachd enthusiasts travelled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from eight different states to receive high-level tuition with Mike Cusack and Andrew Carlisle.  Each of the two scholarship winners played a tune he/she had learned over the eight-month course of the scholarship. …

Uist & Barra 2023 Results

This competition was held today, March 4, at the Piping Centre, McPhater Street, Glasgow. Pipers were given their tunes one week in advance. There was a large and appreciative audience throughout the day. It was the first U&B since 2020. Ceòl Mòr, Glasgow Highland Club Medal and Finlay MacKenzie Challenge Trophy1 Craig Sutherland, Park Piobaireachd No.22 John Mulhearn, Queen Anne’s Lament3 Angus D MacColl, End of the High Bridge 4 Sandy Cameron,…

Uist & Barra Draw and Tune Selections

The Uist and Barra is the first major professional solo piping event of the year. It takes place on Saturday (March 4) in the Piping Centre, McPhater Street, Glasgow. Thirteen pipers have been invited to take part. For what is probably the first time at the U&B, a father and son will compete in the same competition: Angus J and Angus D MacColl. Here is the order in which competitors…

History: Solo Piping in 1985 and the Day the Gold Medal was Paused for Communion

The following is taken from the Oban Times piping column written by Alfred Morrison in late August 1985. He begins in characteristically trenchant fashion with a comment on the Silver Chanter: On Wednesday evening this piping recital was held in Dunvegan Castle. This event in piping used to be a competition for pipers who had already won the Gold Medal at Oban or Inverness, but this year it was demoted…