Category: Blog

Pipers Selected to Play in Gold & Silver Medals at Oban 2017 – Updated with Northern Meeting Lists

Posted on      by     

The following pipers have been notified individually of their eligibility to compete in the 2017 Gold and Silver Medals at the Argyllshire Gathering. Torquil Telfer, Piping Convenor at Oban, said they had increased their normal Gold Medal intake by one this year. ‘We received 29 entries and rather than have our usual 28 with one reserve thought it best that on this occasion we accept everyone,’ he said. ‘It makes a…

More Pipers Selected to Play in Gold & Silver Medals at Oban 2017 – Updated with Northern Meeting Lists

Uist & Barra Professional: Playing Order, Tunes and More History

Posted on      by     

The first major professional competition of the year, the Uist & Barra, takes place in Glasgow on Saturday. Entry is £12; venue: College of Piping; date: March 4 at 9am. Pipers will compete in ceol mor, ceol beag and port grad-charach (hornpipe) and port cruinn (jig). Here is the running order and the tunes chosen by the committee for the pipers to play: Ceol Mor: 1 Glenn Brown, Patrick Òg MacCrimmon’s…

More Uist & Barra Professional: Playing Order, Tunes and More History

P/M Donald MacLeod and That Escape from the Nazis During WW2

Posted on      by     

Pipe Major Donald MacLeod MBE seldom spoke of his early years or of his adventures during World War Two. What little we know from various sources reveals him to be much more than a marvellous musician and teacher. Donald was an extremely resourceful and courageous soldier. We had all heard the rumour that he had for a short time been a prisoner of the Nazis but had escaped. Wee Donald would almost always divert any…

More P/M Donald MacLeod and That Escape from the Nazis During WW2

History: P/M Donald MacLeod As I Knew Him

Posted on      by     

Next month sees the annual Donald Macleod Memorial competition in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. Few people knew the late pipe major as intimately as the author of this article for whom Donald wrote the popular 2/4 march ‘P/M Jim McWilliams’…….  Today everyone can look up the achievements of Pipe Major Donald MacLeod MBE on Wikipedia. However, you can’t get to know or appreciate what a fine man he was from lists of facts….

More History: P/M Donald MacLeod As I Knew Him

PP Ed’s Blog: Florida/ 277 Pic/ Picture Poser/ Ardrossan Games/ RSPBA Summer School

Posted on      by     

Heading home now after five solid days of teaching in Florida. Think we progressed the cause of piping and drumming another few notches. Good crowd at the closing concert and everyone looking forward to next year when we plan to incorporate a band and solo contest into the Academy’s roster. In order to maintain a high teacher/ student ratio we capped the numbers at just over 40 this year but…

More PP Ed’s Blog: Florida/ 277 Pic/ Picture Poser/ Ardrossan Games/ RSPBA Summer School