Editor’s Notebook: Malcolm Ferguson and Remembrance Sunday/ Piper Poem/ City Mural/ Kiwi Film

Malcolm Ferguson’s grandson Colin Moulson has responded to our request for a picture. ‘Sadly we do not believe we have any of him in uniform or in whatever bands he was in post war. ‘The attached does however show some of his action in the First World War. He had a bullet lodged in his neck from being shot (on which occasion we are not sure) whilst leading troops to…

Entries Closing for George Watson’s Caritas Banner/ RSPBA Junior Contests This Weekend

Entries for the ‘Caritas Banner’ (pictured above) close tomorrow, Friday, November 8. The competition is run by George Watson’s College Pipe Band. It has so far attracted some of the best young players in the country but there are still spaces available in all events. The competition takes place on Sunday 24 November 2024 at the Edinburgh-based College. Sponsors are David Glen, Bagpipe-makers and the Piobaireachd Society. All competitors must…

History: ‘A great deal more could be done to give Scots, and visitors to Scotland, a chance of enjoying our unique musical heritage..’

The following article appeared in the Scotsman newspaper, and subsequently the Piping Times, 60 years ago. It is by Seumas MacNeill, co-founder of the now defunct College of Piping and a Gold Medallist. He also had the ability to write about piping in a cogent, entertaining, yet deeply felt manner. This article, is of its time, yet still relevant today….. The many visitors who attend Highland Gatherings throughout Scotland have…

US Junior Solo Piping & Drumming Championships

The 18th ‘Balmoral Classic’ Championship was held on November 2, 2024, in the Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. PIPING OVERALL (15 competitors)1 Alex Pavlovic (Bellaire, Texas)2 Abby Long  (Houston, Texas)3 Mihir Zambre (Pearland, Texas)4 Andrew Zhao (Sugarland, Texas)5 Magnus Stone (Natick, Massachusetts)6 Ray Flanagan (Grand Rapids, Michigan) PIOBAIREACHD1 Alex Pavlovic2 Abby Long3 Magnus Stone4 Mihir Zambre5 Ray Flanagan6 Andrew Zhao MSR1 Andrew Zhao2 Alex Pavlovic3 Mihir Zambre4 Abby…

New Free Bagpipe Tuner App/ New Appointments at Royal New Zealand Pipe Band Association

I have recently developed an app for tuning the bagpipes with ease, writes Ethan Wang. Because the price of many tuners are pretty expensive I have decided to make it free. It is available to everyone on iOS. Designed by myself, SparrowTone is a free tuner solely for the bagpipes. It has three displays (see picture above), each for letting you tune a certain part of the bagpipe: Pitch history…