Further to our story on the Ford Pipe Band reader Steve Thomson has kindly done a bit of research on another ‘motown’ pipe band. Steve writes: ‘The march the Detroit Highlanders was composed by Archibald MacNeill (the blind piper) in Glasgow. The Detroit Highlanders were a very successful band on the Ontario games circuit during the 1930s and 40s that really put Detroit on the piping map. ‘The Pipe Major…

So there we have it. All the judges for the 2020 season of pipe band major championships issued timeously by the volunteers of the RSPBA. Regular as dawn, year after year. The season begins to take shape and bands feel the excitement grow as May approaches. Remember this when next you read of these attempts to undermine Willie Sloan’s 90 year old creation. It has been, and remains, a force…

By The Editor A couple of days ago we reported on the 1938 spat between DR MacLennan and an Oban Times reviewer (anonymous) who had the temerity to question GS McLennan’s predilection for G gracenotes on birls at the ends of marches. The subject of the review was P/M Willie Ross’s Book 3, first published that year. There are some other interesting points of information in the text and we…

In a new venture, the Piobaireachd Society are running a Summer School of Ceol Mor in late May 2020. Tuition at the school is free to all members of the Society. The tutors are myself and former President Dr Jack Taylor. The venue is the spacious and well appointed Gartmore House just south of Aberfoyle, about 45 minutes from Glasgow. As I say, the tuition is free. Participants only have…

Alan Cardwell has kindly forwarded the above picture of the Royal Ulster Constabulary Pipe Band in 1977 featuring his father, the late Denver. The band is pictured with its first Chairman, Chief Constable Sir John Hermon. Alan tells me the band’s first practice of that year took place on February 9th. If anyone has any more on the founding of the band, now known as the Police Service of Northern…