United States Piping Foundation Results 2018 (Updated with Pictures and Comment)

The 32nd annual United States Piping Foundation Amateur and Professional Piping Championships, held in memory of founder Maclean Macleod on 16 Jun 2018, in the Amy DuPont Music Building at the University of Delaware, Newark, DE. Pictured above are Professional Piobaireachd Champion Derek Midgley Overall Champion Andrew Carlisle. In the Amateur events there were 10 pipers from throughout North America, and 15 in the Professional events.   The adjudicators for the…

PP Ed’s Blog: Band MSRs/ Aberdeen Games/ Honours/ New Books/ Renfrew PB

I have some sympathy with the views of Calum and Stewart who commented on ‘The Analyst’ piece on MSRs – some sympathy but not too much. It is one of the problems of pipe band competition that the legislators, those who have the power to effect positive change, seldom sit through the events in need of an overhaul. Nor do bands people, the competitors, those on whose views the RSPBA…

Preview of the Grade 2 UK Championship in Belfast

Some say his granny was a welder on the Titanic with a mouth to match….that he has inherited her vocals and can be heard howling down the slopes of Black Mountain every full moon……that to him using his loaf is launching lumps of Veda at Lough Neagh’s birdlife. All we know is he looks like this…. Raincoat, check, umbrella, check, sun cream, check, ferry ticket….there’s always something you leave on…

Euros Preview: For Pipe Band MSR Read ‘Mostly Sadly Repetitive’

Today we introduce our newest correspondent. He is highly placed in the piping and pipe band worlds. He has chosen to submit this article  on condition of anonymity. (See what you’ve started MacStig!) He writes of the malaise that afflicts pipe band MSRs. Read on and you will discover that – let’s call him The Analyst – is no fool, nor is he MacStig nor the editor on a good day….. The…

PP Ed’s Blog: Europeans 2019/ CoP-NPC/ Queen’s Honours/ PS recital/ Bill Boyle

A couple of readers have asked about the venue for nest year’s (2019) European Pipe Band Championships. RSPBA Chairman John Hughes  has told us that an announcement will be made this week once final arrangements between the Association and the new promoters have been completed. This year’s Europeans are at Grant Park, Forres, Morayshire, on June 30th. Massed bands from last year’s contest above. This will be Forres’ sixth and final…