Category: Comment

SFU Drums, Harnesses and Covers Stolen/ Eric Ward Recovering after Operation

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British Columbia’s Tri-city News reports the following: Two custom drums owned by a world-class pipe band were swiped from a car parked overnight at a north side Port Coquitlam home yesterday (Sunday). And musicians and staff with the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band say the theft could land them in trouble as they ready for the world championships in Scotland. The Andante snare drums — as well as two harnesses, soft-shell black…

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Shotts Concert – An Interview with Leading Drummer Andrew Lawson

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August 9 will see a packed house at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for the annual Worlds Week pipe band concert sponsored by Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band. Providing the music this year are the legendary Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band under P/M Ryan Canning and Leading Drummer Andrew Lawson. Andrew has given a short interview to Piping Press about the concert, his corps and working with Ryan….. How is the drum corps shaping…

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Craigavon & District Pipe Band Championships

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Yesterday the Craigavon & District Pipe Band Championships took place in Lurgan on what can only be described as a sweltering hot day, writes Gilbert Cromie. The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Alderman Gareth Wilson, was the Chieftain of the Day and in his remarks he congratulated everyone involved in putting on a great day’s entertainment and singled out RSPBA NI Branch Trophy Officer Roy…

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History: P/M William Fergusson, Dornie Ferry and Loch Duich – Part 2

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Solo adjudicator John Don MacKenzie concludes his interesting feature on the great composer Willie Fergusson and some of his tunes……. There were a number of pipers from Dornie who joined the Scots Guards under P/M Willie Ross – one being my granny’s brother Christopher MacRae, Lag. Another was Kenny MacKay, who after the war became keeper at Pait Lodge in the remote Loch Monar area north of Strathfarrar. He had…

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History: P/M William Fergusson, Dornie Ferry and Loch Duich – Part 1

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We are grateful to piping adjudicator John Don MacKenzie for this feature on one of the great pipers and composers of yesteryear, P/M William Fergusson. The above picture is of Loch Duich and Glen Shiel and is dated 1907. Willie Fergusson (1885 – 1949) was born in Arbroath. As a youth, and now living in Glasgow, he became a pupil of Farquhar MacRae. He firstly was in a Boys’ Brigade band but…

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