Category: Comment

World Pipe Band Championship: Some General Thoughts and Grade 1 Final Critique

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A few reflections on the overall day before we get to individual band performances. I thought it went on a bit long and some consideration needs to be given to ways of shortening proceedings. I appreciate that to cram in hundreds of performances in a nine-hour period is a logistical nightmare and I do believe that the RSPBA did, and do, a masterful job of doing just that. This notwithstanding, the last band went…

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Ballater Games Results

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A very rainy day in Ballater and just after the last piobaireachd had finished and as the massed band played for the last time, the sun came out! In total, 11 played in the piobaireachd (judged by N Matheson, R Clark and D Watson) and 12 in the light music (judged by J Hamilton and A Fraser). Open Piobaireachd 1. Ross McCrindle 2. Anna Kummerlöw 3. Ben Duncan 4. Alan Clark 5….

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Magnificent Field Marshal Thrill Concert Hall Audience

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I think the old football cliché of a ‘game of two halves’ neatly sums up Field Marshal Montgomery’s ‘Impact’ concert last night at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Whilst never falling below the standard of excellence we have come to expect from this band, there was something almost reticent in their delivery in the first. But maybe they, like the audience, were befuddled by booming bass – and I mean booming….

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Aboyne Games Results

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Piping Convenor Dr Jack Taylor reports: Here are the Aboyne Games results; it was a perfect day weather-wise. There were 11 in the senior events. It was good to welcome folk there from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who also took in Breabach’s concert in Aboyne last evening. Open Piobaireachd 1.  Calum Brown,  The Bicker 2.  John MacDonald 3.  Alan Clark 4.  Allan Russell 5.  Duncan Watson Judges Norman Matheson, Malcolm McRae, Ian…

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Mallaig Games Cancelled

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Mallaig Games, due to take place on Sunday (Aug 7) have been officially cancelled. Appalling weather in the north-west Highlands, heavy rain and wind, has led to widespread flooding and waterlogged fields. The forecast for the next two days is no better so there is no prospect of grassy areas such as the venue, the Lovat Memorial Field, drying out in time. Games organisers are increasingly worried about insurance costs that…

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