Review: ‘Back from the Battlefield’ Recital

‘It will take more than a storm to derail me’, was Duncan MacGillivray’s response to the threat of cancellation of Inverness Piping Society’s recital last Friday night, writes Les Hutt. Duncan’s journey home was to be a serious challenge thanks to Storm Amy and the high winds and rain which blocked many roads and brought down power lines across the Highlands. Nevertheless, an enthusiastic crowd of around 60 came to…

The Importance of Schools Music Education

In Scotland we have become inured to idiotic statements from well paid public employees and politicians struggling to connect the family brain cell with their vocal cords. This produced another candidate for dunce of the decade last week. In a live-streamed statement the Head of Education at East Ayrshire Council declared her opposition to schools music teaching by stating that she was ‘no [not] really seeing the point of a…

Capt. John MacLellan Memorial: Updated with Comment and Photos

The 12th annual Captain John A MacLellan MBE Memorial Piping Championship was held at the Army School at Inchdrewer House, Edinburgh, today (Oct.4). P Piobaireachd, 8 entries, 6 played: 1 Callum Beaumont, £300 – Craigellachie 2 William McCallum, £240 – Edinburgh Piobaireachd 3 Finlay Johnston, £200 – MacLeod of MacLeod’s Lament P MSR, 8 entries, 7 played: 1 Sarah Muir, £190 2 Finlay Johnston, £160 3 William McCallum, £130 4 Callum Beaumont, £110:…

Captain John MacLellan Draws/ Lewis& Harris Juniors/ Glengarry Cup

Sixty-three pipers have entered for the Captain John MacLellan Memorial competition to be held at the Army School HQ, Inchdrewer House, Edinburgh, tomorrow, October 4. The piping begins at 8.30am. There are graded events from P to C with an open hornpipe and jig. The draw in the P Piobaireachd is: S Leask, C Beaumont, G Brown, B Watson-Massey, I Smith, R MacLeod, W McCallum, F Johnston. In the P…

Insights into Pipe Band Ensemble

The study ‘Insights into Pipe Band Ensemble’ is dedicated to improving pipe drum ensemble outcomes in both set and medley competition. With a focus on 2/4 march, strathspey, and reel music, the study follows a basic premise that some MSR pipe tunes are so rhythmically compatible with the music of the competition side drum, that their accompanying drum scores almost write themselves, while other MSR tunes are almost impossible to integrate with…