Category: Comment

Some Innovative Suggestions on the Way Forward for the Pipe Band Medley

Posted on      by      8 Comments

RSPBA Adjudicator Robert Mathieson concludes his series on the future of the pipe band medley. The series was published by kind permission of the RSPBA. Read part 1 here and part two here. At the end of the day results are merely an opinion – and we all have those. It’s a by-product of the comparative analysis system we use. Yet I hope this three-part series, plus my earlier report…

More Some Innovative Suggestions on the Way Forward for the Pipe Band Medley

Changes in Pipe Band Make Up and Why the Medley Needs to Evolve

Posted on      by      5 Comments

RSPBA Adjudicator Robert Mathieson continues his expert analysis of the Grade 1 Medley with particular reference to the first Major of the season, the British at Gourock. This article appears by kind permission of the RSPBA. Read part 1 here. How do we encourage the evolvement of creative artistry in our medleys? The contest rules and constraints placed on the Grade 1 format has not changed or developed in over…

More Changes in Pipe Band Make Up and Why the Medley Needs to Evolve

The Need for Aesthetic Analysis in Grade 1 Medleys

Posted on      by      2 Comments

RSPBA Adjudicator Robert Mathieson continues his expert analysis of the Grade 1 Medley with particular reference to the first Major of the season, the British at Gourock. It was written immediately after Robert spent ‘a day in the dugout’ listening to all the performances in the grade in a non-judging capacity. This article appears by kind permission of the RSPBA. I heard and enjoyed all ten Grade 1 medleys at…

More The Need for Aesthetic Analysis in Grade 1 Medleys

A Short Review from the Atholl Gathering 2022

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

This year’s Atholl Gathering piping was run very efficiently with something for solo pipers at every level. The day started brightly but conditions deteriorated as the day went on with cloud, cold winds and rain showers. Nevertheless, everyone was glad to be back out at the Games again, though the weather quickly reminded us that a certain level of stoicism is required where the Scottish Highlands are concerned. By Robert…

More A Short Review from the Atholl Gathering 2022

Editor’s Notebook: Silver Chanter/ Piping Live/ British Championships/ Letters

Posted on      by      2 Comments

For me the most significant announcement in the Piping Live press release yesterday was the news that the Silver Chanter recital/competition is to be moved back to its spiritual homeland on the island of Skye. This is something we have been campaigning for ever since the National Piping Centre took over the running of this showpiece event from cash-strapped Skye Piping Society in 2018. It was totally unsuited to Glasgow…

More Editor’s Notebook: Silver Chanter/ Piping Live/ British Championships/ Letters