Category: Blog

John Macdonald, Inverness, and a Chanter Gifted by Major Manson

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This story has a starting date. It seems that John Macdonald MBE (Inverness) was presented with a pipe chanter in 1942, some 81 years ago. He was about 76 years of age at the time and would have ceased playing in competition. I don’t know why he was presented with the chanter. Perhaps piping historians have the information. He was awarded the MBE in 1932 and died in 1953. Enter…

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George Watson’s ‘Ceritas Banner’ Results/ Scots Guards Knock Out Result

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The first George Watson’s College competition for the ‘Ceritas Banner’ was held at the Edinburgh school yesterday, November 26. Organiser P/M Ben Duncan reported: ‘It was a fantastic day of piobaireachd with some really encouraging performances across all events. ‘Fifty-two entered making for a healthy day of competition. The event was sponsored by the Piobaireachd Society, Kintail Bagpipes and our Watsonian community. We plan to hold next year’s Caritas Banner…

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Day of Excellent Piping in Prospect in the Capital

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Edinburgh is the place to be tomorrow (November 26) if you want to hear some excellent live piping and at the same time support the younger generation of players. Firstly George Watson’s College are staging their first ever ‘Caritas Banner’ contest for piobaireachd players aged under 18. It is sponsored by Kintail Bagpipes with a beautiful banner for the winner courtesy of the Piobaireachd Society. Scots Guards KO More excellent…

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Do Good Players Make Good Judges or Teachers? – Conclusion

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The judging parameters for solo piping have traditionally been less regulated than those for pipe bands. (There has never been any formal criteria for solo drumming either.)  Nevertheless there are grounds for arguing that the skill requirements for adjudicating solo piping and drumming are much the same as for bands.  With bands, these basic requirements and abilities should apply to every adjudicator, irrespective of discipline, piping, drumming or ensemble.  Some…

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My Father, P/M Robert Reid – Part 7

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We continue with our correspondence from Robert Reid jnr. to Jimmy McIntosh. This abridged letter is dated 3rd November, 1993. There are mentions for John MacDonald, Inverness, Seton Gordon, Seumas MacNeill, Tommy Pearston and Willie Connell …. The photo you refer to [above] would be on MacLeod’s yacht, with Angus Macpherson and James Barke the Burns novelist [sic] in the background. It was taken in 1932 when my father played…

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