Army School of Piping CLASP Results

Margaret Dunn reports: Please find attached the results from today’s CLASP competition. The competition was in the Army School of Piping, Inchdrewer House, Edinburgh,  a great and inviting venue for pipers. Picture from left to right: Cameron Drummond (judge). John Campbell (Grade 2), Bob Low (Grade 1), Gill Cairns (Grade 3) and Greig Canning (judge). Overall Winners: Grade 1 Bob Low Grade 2 John Campbell Grade 3 Gill Cairns Grade 1 Piobaireachd 1st Bob…

PP Audio Archive/ National Mod/ Composing Competition/ Letters

Launched today is the new PP Audio Archive page which will carry  recordings of this and previous generations of pipers and pipe bands.  Our first recording is of the great Donald MacPherson recorded from the BBC in 1972. It has been supplied by his former pupil Donald McBride and we would ask other readers who have other suitable recordings to forward them to us at the usual address. This recording ties in…

Grading of Solo Competing Pipers/PP Miscellany

The Editor: Just to add a little flesh to my earlier comments about flaws in the grading system, I do think the whole business needs re-assessed with greater involvement of the judging fraternity. After all, it is the judges who sit through lengthy contests listening intently to each player as they come forward – something the current Competing Pipers’ Association Grading Committee don’t seem to do. They operate primarily on…

PP Editor’s Blog: Readers, MacCrimmon Trophy, USPF, WW2 Letter, New England Schedule

I am constantly, and pleasantly, surprised by the breadth of readership we get here at Piping Press. This week alone (Sun – Tues inc.) we have had 2,560 readers come to the site from, among others, the following countries: UK, USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, Germany, Netherlands, France, Ireland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brazil, Oman and the Philipines. What is interesting too is that it is not always the current features that people are…

VE Day Commemoration – Tears for Piper George Morrison, Black Watch

One of the most touching moments in the VE Day commemoration concert at the weekend came when actress Jane Horrocks wept whilst reading the last letter home of Lieutenant George F Morrison of the 7th Battalion of the Black Watch.  Lt. Morrison was a piper and talks of going into battle ‘happy as a cricket’ with his ‘chanter in his knapsack’. He was from Crieff in Perthshire the son of Andrew…