Review of Grade 2 at the UK Pipe Band Championships

Some say his Ulster fry is as dry as an Arabian sand shoe….others that his flashes of brilliance are in his hose tops…..yet more that his utterings and muttering are those of a havering Hector – and anything but heroic. But he is our firm family favourite and you just gotta love him…He is, after all, the one and only MacStig…… I think it was those 1970s heavy duty philosophers…

Donald MacDonald Cuach – Update on Last Friday’s Contest

  Press release: Winners have been announced for two prestigious traditional music competitions held at Armadale Castle, Gardens & Museum of the Isles last weekend. The winner of the 32nd Donald MacDonald Cuach piobaireachd competition (15 June) was  Iain Speirs. Iain’s tune was ‘An Gròta’ or ‘The Groat’. Iain has won the prize twice previously, in 2009 and 2016. Adjudicator Allan MacDonald praised the high quality of all the players. The…

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…