Category: Blog

PP Editor’s Blog: New England Academy/ Scottish PB Champs/ Jack in the US/ RSPS Dates etc

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Following the considerable success of the first New England Piping Academy, dates for 2016 have been announced early – with an enhanced programme. The Academy will run from June 14 -19, 2016, inclusive at the Adelynrood Retreat, Byfield MA, the same venue as this year’s camp. Responding to requests from attendees, the camp has been extended to five days from the afternoon of the 14th till before lunch on the 19th….

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Tobermory Games

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Piob: 1 Angus MacColl Snr. , Cabar Feidh Gu Bragh 2 Angus Macoll Jnr., End of the Higb Bridge 3 Colin Campbell, Lament for John Morrison, Assynt House 4 Calum MacLean, MacFarlane’s Gathering 5 Ronald Telfer, Struan Robertson’s Salute Judges: P/M Ian Duncan, Robert Wallace March: 1 A MacColl Snr. 2 C Campbell 3 A MacColl Jnr. 4 C MacLean 5 R Telfer S&R: 1 A MacColl Snr. 2 A…

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PP Editor’s Blog: Cape Breton Piping/ Chatsworth Entry/ Band Formations/ ‘Freestyle’ Piping/ Audio Archive

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Listened to the BBC’s ‘Travelling Folk’ last night on Radio Scotland and an interview with bellows piper Hamish Moore. It was astonishing. No, not Hamish’s wacky views on how the British Army destroyed piping; how those old guys in tatty tweed jackets sitting playing on kitchen chairs somewhere in Cape Breton were the repositories of the true tradition. No, not that, but the fact that the presenter swallowed lock, stock…

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PP Editor’s Blog: Corby Games/ German Results/ Inverness Games/ Film Gig

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Forty years ago I was at Corby, in Northants, for the World Pipe Band Championships (yes, the fated we wuz robbed event). Last weekend saw me back there almost to the day to judge the solo piping. Thanks to the influx of steelworkers in the 50s and 60s, Corby has a strong Scottish heritage, and a few thousand turned out for the games and pipe band competition. Before proceedings got…

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PP Editor’s Blog: Captain John Young/ Bk 16/Crieff etc.

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IN all my years of writing about piping and pipe bands there has never been a story as touching as that of Captain John Young, Assam Regiment and Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. He was the officer who, hopelessly outnumbered and fearing encirclement and massacre by the Japanese, sent his men to safety while he remained alone at his jungle outpost. Thus he fulfilled his orders to fight to the last man…

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