Category: Comment

Capital Opportunity to Lead City of Edinburgh Pipe Band

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The City of Edinburgh Pipe Band, which was formed in 1947 in the Midlothian mining community of Danderhall, is seeking a successor to Pipe Major Lachie Dick, who has decided to stand down because of work commitments. Announcing the band’s recruitment plans, band secretary, Paul White, said: ‘P/M Barry Donaldson left the band at the end of last season to concentrate his efforts on the City of Edinburgh Schools Pipe Band. …

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Build Up to the British – A Preview of the Grade 2 Pipe Band Championship

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We continue our build up to Saturday’s first major pipe band championship of the season, the British at the St James Playing Fields, Paisley. Here our Special Correspondent takes a look at one of the most competitive grades, Grade 2. A field of 16 will kick off the first major of the season for the Grade 2 prize. With four of the big guns of the most recent few seasons…

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European Pipe Band Championships Draw Now Available

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The draw for the European Pipe Band Championships, to be held at Forres on June 24, took place today at RSPBA HQ in Glasgow. Chief Executive Ian Embelton, Chairman Gordon Hamill and Vice Chairman John Hughes were all present, with the playing positions of all bands and drum majors made using a random selector app rather than the more traditional plastic balls system. The European  Championship will be held at…

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P/M Robert Mathieson and His Time at Shotts – Part 2

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The highlight of World’s Week this year will be the concert ‘Rise’ to be given by the 2015 World Champions, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band (above). To help set the scene, here’s the second part of a 2010 interview with the band’s pipe major at that time P/M Robert Mathieson…. He [Jim Kilpatrick] has obviously been integral to the success of the band and you and him are seen…

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History: Pipe Major Donald MacKinnon, Skye and Australia

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A few weeks ago we received a letter from Cailean Maclean of Skye Media and the BBC radio piping programme ‘Crunluath’, regarding Skye piper Donald MacKinnon. Cailean wrote: ‘Do you know anything about Donald MacKinnon, composer of the Sound of Sleat? I know he was from Skye (I am trying to trace his origins here) and that he was a Pipe Major with the KOSBs and served in Korea. Why he was…

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