PP Editor’s Blog: UK Champs Draw/ Willie Lawrie/ PP Audio Archive/ SPA KO

The draw for the UK Pipe Band Championships in Belfast on June 11 has been posted on the RSPBA website. First on in Grade 1 are Dowco Triumph Street from Canada. I presume they are giving the Worlds a miss this year given the expense involved in getting to Stormont two months before.  If this is the case it is a loss to Glasgow Green. This band is always very…

Be a Better Piper: A Few Tips for the Games

The following advice may be of use to all pipers, but especially those who intend competing round the games this summer. Before any public performance be aware that your bagpipe sound is 99% of the battle. You will NEVER do well on an ill-sounding instrument, yet even the more middle of the road piper can excel when his or her instrument displays vibrancy and accuracy of tuning. I say, perhaps…

PP Editor’s Blog: Busy Brighde/ May’s Funeral/ Forres Pix/ ANZAC Day

Last week was a busy and successful time for 17-year-old Skye piper Brighde Chaimbeul. Not only did she pick up first place in the Highlands & Islands C Grade MSR but she also won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award for 2016 – at a glittering ceremony in London’s Royal Albert Hall no less. Brighde won through to the finals from hundreds of young folk musicians from throughout Britain. She…

PP Editor’s Blog: Highlands & Islands/ Skye Gathering/ Oz Livestream/ SPA KO

Spare a thought for piper Darach Urquhart who suffered the opposing emotions of elation and disappointment at the Highlands & Islands Festival on Saturday. Firstly the piping steward read out his name as the winner of the March, Strathspey & Reel contest only for him to realise much later – and after he had been photographed with the winners’ trophy – that in fact there had been a mistake and the prize…

Settlement on Long-Running Bagpipe Seasoning Dispute

Bagpipe manufacturers RG Hardie & Co and businessman Mr David Ogilvie have reached an agreement concerning the famous ‘Airtight’ bag seasoning. An agreed statement as per the settlement agreement, the terms of which are confidential, is as follows: ‘R. G. Hardie & Co Ltd wish it to be known that they accept that Mr Ogilvie purchased the company of Robertsons Original seasoning in good faith and was not fully advised of the longstanding…