Editor’s Notebook: World Solo Piping/ Worlds Week Concert/ Florida Academy/ NZ Film/ Malcolm McRae

Applause for the RSPBA and their idea of a new World Solo Piping Championship based on the World Solo Drumming. With their global reach, the Association are the only organisation which could pull together such a competition. One wonders what form it will take. I should imagine it won’t include piobaireachd. MSR and H&J only. Who will judge? A band piping judge might be wholly unsuited to the solo bench….

New World Solo Piping Championship Mooted by RSPBA

A new ‘World Solo Piping Championship’ group is to be formed with a view to organising an event mirroring the current World Solo Drumming Championship, according to minutes from the January RSPBA Board of Directors Meeting. This would mean piping heats being held worldwide with a final in Glasgow. No details about the proposed championship have been released but clearly the intention is to offer pipe band pipers the same…

Uist & Barra Line Up/ Northern Ireland Band News

The first major professional solo contest of the year, the Uist & Barra, takes place in the old College of Piping building (now part of the Piping Centre) in Otago Street, Glasgow, on March 9th. Piping Convenor John Angus Smith has confirmed the following line-up, playing order, and tunes for the Ceòl Mòr: Finlay Johnston – My Dearest on Earth Give Me Your KissCraig Sutherland – MacLeod of Colbeck’s LamentWilliam…

History: A Lament for GS McLennan

This is from a late 1970s article by journalist Alistair Campsie. Though often a controversial figure, Mr Campsie was a good writer. Some readers will know him through his entertaining but largely discredited book, ‘The MacCrimmon Legend: the Madness of Angus MacKay’. …. Just over 50 years ago, one of the biggest funeral processions ever seen in Aberdeen jammed the city centre with 20,000 mourners, three pipe bands and a…

Archie Kenneth Quaich Result/ CLASP Online Results

The Archie Kenneth Quaich 2024 was held in the rooms of the Royal Scottish Pipers Society last Saturday, 24th February. The winner was Arran King who is pictured above. The competition is promoted by the Piobaireachd Society. A large entry of 38 was reduced to 25 by ballot. Twenty-one played. Result: 1 Arran King, MacFarlane’s Gathering2 Edmund Boland, Andrew MacNeil of Colonsay3 Owain Woodman Carr, Little Spree4 Graham Farr, Catherine’s…