Category: Blog

Oban and Inverness Cancelled

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Both major solo contests at the Northern Meeting and Argyllshire Gathering have been cancelled for 2021, it was announced today. Alan Forbes for the NM: ‘With great regret, the Northern Meeting Piping Committee has decided to cancel the competition again this year, due to the ongoing uncertainty created by the coronavirus epidemic.  ‘Progress with the vaccination programme and the relaxation of many of the constraints associated with the epidemic give…

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Atholl Gathering Online Piping 2021

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Results  Overall Champion John Dew (above) Under 18 Champion Robin Sulzer  P/A/non CPA Piobaireachd 1 Ben McClamrock – Park Piobaireachd 2 2 Pipe Major Ben Duncan – MacDougall’s Gathering 3 Jamie Forrester – Battle of Bealach nam Brog  Judges: I Duncan, C MacLellan  7 played.  B Piobaireachd 1 Scott Armstrong – Big Spree 2 John Dew – Isabel MacKay 3 Fraser Allison – Rory MacLoude’s Lament  Judges – Final: A MacDonald, R Hawke; Heats: C Armstrong, A…

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Editor’s Notebook: Northern Ireland Leads the Breakout/ Interview/ SPA Solos/ Queen’s Own Pictures/ Jakez’s Tune for Bob Hardie

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Cue Steve McQueen and his motorbike……The Northern Ireland Branch of the RSPBA are leading the great escape with an announcement yesterday of their summer festival. And it will include competitiive solo piping and drumming. It is not clear if these will be held outdoors or in, but anything live and I’ll take it. The date is August 21 in Cookstown. The branch have other summer festival events lined up, though…

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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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