Scottish Pipe Band Championships Underway

Blustery, damp conditions confronted the first bands on at today’s Scottish Pipe Band Championships at Levengrove Park, Dumbarton. The picturesque park juts out into the confluence of the rivers Clyde and Leven and as such can be very exposed in high winds. Today’s competition, the penultimate championship of the pipe band summer, is seen as an important pointer for the World Pipe Band Championships on August 11 and 12, though…

Tomorrow’s Scottish Pipe Band Championship at Dumbarton, Grade 2 Preview

Tomorrow sees the penultimate ‘major’ pipe band championship of the summer, the Scottish at Dumbarton. The weather forecast is for rain for much of the day and, given the exposed situation of Levengrove Park, bands should be prepared for wet and wind. That however will not blunt the pencil of our intrepid Special Correspondent……Some say he is an Adjudicators’ Panel reject; others claim he pipes for tourists in Glencoe; yet…

It is Time to Make a World Concert Pipe Band Championship a Reality

Why don’t we have a World Concert Pipe Band Championship? Here’s an outline: Each August the 12 finalists from the previous year’s Worlds come together at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow. Date is the Saturday after that year’s  Worlds proper. The bands have prepared a ten minute set of music. To their pipe and drum corps they can add a maximum of any five instruments from mainstream…

Glenurquhart Games/ South West Scotland Piping & Drumming Academy

Total solo piping prizemoney at this year’s Glenurquhart Games will be over £700 the organisers have announced. Spokeswoman Jane Drennan has sent this: ‘This year’s games will be on Saturday August 26 at Blairbeg Park, Drumnadrochit. ‘There are piping competitions for seniors, juniors and chanter. Total prizemoney will be £709. This year we are delighted to welcome our four highly respected judges, Iain MacFadyen, Malcolm McRae, Robert Wallace and Dr…

PP Ed’s Blog: Argylls Book/ Perth Reminder/ Glenfinnan/ Ulster Juvs./ Strathallan

The launch of the must-have Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Pipe Music Collection is on the 10 August during Worlds Week at the National Piping Centre at 12.30pm. Admission free. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about this historic collection and hear some the tunes played by leading pipers. All the compilers will be in attendance: Jim Henderson, P/M Ian McLellan, Walter Cowan, Jimmy Banks, their exuberance controlled by the…