Scottish Pipe Band Championships: Grade 1 Review Part 1

I have railed already about the dearth of good strathspeys among our bands. At Dumbarton, some pipe corps fought manfully against the 12/8 drumming tide, notably Inveraray, the Power, and Field Marshal, but the ‘band strath’ was in evidence throughout the Grade 1 contest. The other great carbuncle on the handsome face of today’s bands is a form of tune soup, or melody salad, that we are hearing at the…

Editor’s Notebook: Scottish Championships/ Aboyne Games/ Zampogna in Edinburgh/ Hawai’i Pipers

All roads lead to Dumbarton tomorrow for the third major of the pipe band season. Weather is looking pretty good (for the west of Scotland), with perhaps a few showers early on; dry by the March Past. A highly respectable 132 bands have entered for what will be the 25th Scottish Championships to be held under the shadow of the Rock. The sponsors, West Dunbarton Council deserve all credit for…

Piobaireachd Society Announce Details of Annual Recital and Silver Chanter

The Piobaireachd Society has announced the pipers, tunes and the running order for their annual concert to be held in St Cecilia’s Hall, Edinburgh, on August 11th. The concert part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, is entitled ‘Classical Pipe Music – Scotland’s Hidden Treasure’. Information is as follows: The King’s Taxes …………………………………………………………Iain SpeirsMacNeill of Barra’s March………………………………… Cameron MayLament for Patrick Og MacCrimmon……………………. Jack TaylorThe Big Spree …………………………………………………… Matt PantaleoniIntervalLament for…

Mull Games Results and Review

It is always difficult to convince pipers that playing piobaireachd in the pouring rain is character building and in deference to that I offered each the option of performing in the judge’s tent, writes the Editor. Only one did, the rest braving the penetrating summer drizzle so typical of the west coast. Tobermory does not often suffer such a poor day, but on we went, determined to have our way…

Editor’s Notebook: Worlds Tickets/ Ross’s Gig/ Inveraray Info/ King’s Tune/ Argyllshire Gathering 1974

Not to labour the point, but £38 for a seat in the stands at the Worlds? Add this to the £25 average you have to pay to get into the public space that is Glasgow Green and you are looking at an outlay of £63 per person for a Saturday at the Worlds 2024. Still it doesn’t seem to have deterred folk. From what I can gather, Block A is…