Category: Bagpipes

Letters: Bruce Gandy on Oban and Inverness/ Duncan Watson on March Playing

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Correspondence to Piping Press is always welcome. Recent letters are carried below. Subjects are this week’s article on the prospect of an Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting being held this year and Donald Shaw Ramsay’s comments on pipe marches. Firstly Bruce Gandy, Nova Scotia, one of the world’s leading pipers, on the uncertainty surrounding Oban and Inverness. Bruce writes: ‘Good article; hopefully this will push the promoters a wee bit…

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A Pipe Band is Judged By Its Poorest Players – P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay BEM

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The second part of the article from a 1960s issue of the Piping, Drumming and Dancing Journal by P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay, a brilliant player, pipe major and composer. Here he considers march tempi, and then offers an introduction to ceòl mòr or piobaireachd. Read the first excerpt here. How fast should a piper play?  This again is a very controversial point, but try playing a march at a speed of…

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Big Two Solo Contests at the Northern Meeting and Argyllshire Gathering Looking Less Likely

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Not much has changed since we last spoke about this, but with each day that passes the odds against there being 2021 Gold and Silver Medal competitions at Oban and Inverness lengthen. I say this because neither the competing pipers themselves nor the sponsors want them to happen without the presence of overseas competitors. By Robert Wallace These top players have already entered for the Northern Meeting and the Argyllshire…

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Irish Citizen Army Restore Fintan Lalor With Funds from Leading Republicans and USA

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We continue with part two of the history of one of Ireland’s most famous bands, Fintan Lalor, Dublin. In 1918 the Army Council of the Irish Citizen Army decided to reactivate the Fintan Lalor with Stephen Murphy as pipe major and in the council’s correspondence the title ‘Irish Citizen Army Pipers’ Band’ is used as much as the original one. An appeal for funds in 1919 brought donations from public…

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False Fingering an ‘Unforgiveable Error’- Playing Advice from One of the Greats of Piping and Pipe Bands

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The following is from the Piping, Drumming and Dancing Journal, 1960s. P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay was a brilliant player, pipe major and composer. Tunes to his credit include classics such as the 6/8 Miss Lily Christie, the 2/4 march Jimmy Young, and the hornpipe Tam Bain’s Lum. He won World Championships with the City of Edinburgh Police Pipe Band and came close to doing the same with the legendary Invergordon…

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