Category: Bagpipes

London Championship Results

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This annual contest, run by the Scottish Piping Society of London was held in the Caledonian Club, Belgravia, on October 31 and Nov 1. The Bratach Gorm was won for the second year running by Finlay Johnston. Champion Piper: Stuart Liddell Bratach Gorm:1 Finlay Johnston, My Dearest on Earth, Give Me Your Kiss2 Iain Speirs, In Praise of Morag3 Stuart Liddell, Port Urlar4 Cameron Drummond, Lament for the Earl of…

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Editor’s Notebook: Grading and the Games/ Glenfiddich Winner/ Northern Winter School/ SPA Juveniles

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Reader Ben Greeves from Northern Ireland has commented on the recent rule adopted by the Competing Pipers’ Association whereby they will not consider results for their grading process unless these were achieved before an adjudicator accredited by Solo Piping Judges Association. I think many of the solo competitions in Ireland North and South are before SPJA judges, Ben. Recently Logan Tannock did the Piper of the Year in Ballymena and…

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Another Band Folds/ Piobaireachd Society News/ RSPBA Annual Fees

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Another pipe band, the Vale of Atholl Grade 2, has folded. However, the name will continue with the organisation’s newly-promoted Grade 3b band. P/M Jamie Falconer has also decided to leave the band organisation. In a statement the Vale said the decision to disband had not been taken lightly. Focus will now be on building up their 3b band with a programme of youth development. The statement read: ‘The decision…

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‘Beyond Binneas’  – A New Look at a Famous Piobaireachd Collection

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The ground breaking piobaireachd collection ‘Binneas is Boreraig’ (BiB), was published by Dr Roddy Ross some 60 years ago, and aimed to capture the playing of the master piper Malcolm Macpherson.   By Pat Terry It employed notational devices that pipers familiar with the notation used in many other collections of ceòl mòr found strange [colour coded, three-line stave].  In 2022, Chris Terry (a pupil of John MacFadyen) set out…

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Capping Band Numbers: Readers Respond Part 2

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This important topic continues to engage the pipe band community, writes the Editor. A further range of opinions is printed below. People are clearly very concerned at a situation which leaves Scotland with only five Grade 1 bands. Surely something must be done to arrest this ongoing decline? Thanks once more to everyone who has contributed. Andrew Young: I feel a Grade 1A and 1B would work better with a…

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