Category: Blog

Draw For British Pipe Band Championships Announced

Posted on      by      1 Comment

The first major championship of the pipe band season takes place at Greenock, Inverclyde on May 21. The RSPBA today announced the full list of entrants and judges. Here is the playing order for grade 1 and 2: Grade Two 1  13:30 City of Edinburgh 2  13:39 Portlethen and District 3  13:48 St Joseph’s – Eire 4  13:57 Oban 5  14:06 Bucksburn and District 6  14:15 Uddingston 7  14:24 Royal…

More Draw For British Pipe Band Championships Announced

Editor’s Notebook: Band Numbers/ Tune for Norman/ Film Request/ Henderson Pipes/ Inverness 1990

Posted on      by      1 Comment

I noticed this story in one of the national papers the other day, bandmasters lamenting the lack of trumpets and tubas in our nation’s brass bands. I wonder if pipe bands will be similarly afflicted? I think so. This is why the wise men at the RSPBA have instructed stewards to turn a blind eye to the odd numerical indiscretion they may spot at the flags or in final tuning….

More Editor’s Notebook: Band Numbers/ Tune for Norman/ Film Request/ Henderson Pipes/ Inverness 1990

Skye Gathering Entries Open/ Piping Live Searching for New Talent for 2022 festival

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

Skye Gathering Convenor Piping Cameron MacFadyen reports that they are ‘quietly optimistic’ about returning to normal this summer and running the full programme of piping events at this year’s Skye Games. They will be held on August 2 & 3. Mr MacFadyen has forwarded the information sheet and entry form (see below) for those intending to compete at Portree. The information is also available by clicking the picture above. Skye…

More Skye Gathering Entries Open/ Piping Live Searching for New Talent for 2022 festival

Piobaireachd Society Announce Recommended Set Tunes for 2023

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

The Piobaireachd Society has instituted a new approach to the tunes it recommends for the senior competitions at the Argyllshire Gathering and the Northern Meeting. Ronald McShannon of the Society’s Music Committee: A. SENIOR COMPETITIONS A new approach to setting tunes for the senior competitions is recommended for a trial period of five years.   The aim is to give competitors a wider choice of tunes while still ensuring exposure…

More Piobaireachd Society Announce Recommended Set Tunes for 2023

Half a Century on, this Seminal Work on Piobaireachd Continues to Educate and Entertain

Posted on      by      1 Comment

By The Editor Fifty-five years ago Seumas MacNeill, then Joint Principal of the College of Piping, began work on a book which was to open a thousand eyes and ears to ceòl mòr. ‘Piobaireachd – Classical Pipe Music of the Great Highland Bagpipe’ was a BBC-commissioned publication. Below is an advert it ran in an October 1968 edition of Radio Times, it listings magazine. It reads: ‘Piobaireachd , the classical…

More Half a Century on, this Seminal Work on Piobaireachd Continues to Educate and Entertain