Category: Blog

Pitlochry Games Results

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Warm and dry for the final Highland games of the season. There was a two-minute silence for HM The Queen and a lone piper played the lament. Twenty played in the seniors, eight in the juniors. Champion Piper was Craig Sutherland who is pictured above on the boards today. A composing competition to mark the 170th Anniversary of the Pitlochry Games has been won by Niall Matheson, Inverness. Niall was…

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Her Majesty The Queen

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As pipers we will add to the tide of grief, mourning, and gratitude that has followed the death of HM The Queen. For every day of her domestic life she rose to the sound of our national instrument. She appointed thirteen different Sovereign’s Pipers during her 70-year reign. They attest to her knowledge of the tunes, and woe betide those guilty of lazy repeats. By The Editor In her support…

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Northern Ireland Round-Up: Belfast Tattoo/ Pipe Band College/ World Solo Drumming/ Blackthorn/ All Irelands

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After two years absence, the Belfast International Tattoo finally returned on September 2nd and 3rd with three shows at the SSE Arena. The cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 shows placed many challenges at the door of the organisers. I was present on the Saturday night when there was a very good attendance and I understand that was the case across the other two shows. This has obviously encouraged the…

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Northern Ireland Pipe Band Round – Up: Part 1

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The second half of the Northern Ireland competition season got underway with the Ulster Championships on July 23rd in the grounds of Ballymena Academy. It proved to be a very successful event with a large crowd and decent weather except for a heavy shower mid-afternoon. There were thirty one band entries and twenty six drum majors. A Highland dancing competition was also in full swing throughout the day such is…

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The View from the Bench: A Review of the Northern Meeting Gold Clasp 2022

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At just after 08.30 on day two of the Northern Meeting, Greg Wilson stepped on to the stage of the Eden Court Theatre, tuned calmly and played the ‘Big Nameless tune’ – Cherede Darievea smoothly and softly on a sweet pipe with just minor technical imperfections. The judges settled, ears agog. The audience sank into their seats, eyes half-closing already. Business as usual. Then Roderick MacLeod gave us Donald Ban….

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