Category: Comment

New Recordings from Alasdair Gillies and Jimmy McIntosh/ Letter

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Two new recordings today. The first is from Jimmy McIntosh who has added part of Donald MacLeod’s composition, A Son’s Salute to His Parents to his audio archive. This is one of the set tunes for the senior piobaireachd competitions at  Oban and Inverness this year and may be of interest to contestants. It is one of Donald’s more difficult tunes. Of it,  Donald writes: ‘A tribute to my parents,…

More New Recordings from Alasdair Gillies and Jimmy McIntosh/ Letter

Famous Pipers: P/M Alasdair Gillies Part 5

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We continue with the revealing and informative interview given by the late pipe major in 1999. He focusses on his remarkable run at the Northern Meeting and offers some signal advice for all would-be champion pipers. To win one Former Winners’ title at either Oban or Inverness is a landmark in any piper’s career; to do it repeatedly, year after year marks P/M Gillies out as one of the piping greats of…

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PP Editor’s Blog (Updated): SPA KO & Dates/ Owen MacNiven/ Piob Soc/ WW1 Memorial

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Revised dates for Scottish Pipers’ Association contests are as follows: The Professional competition will now be held on April 16. The provisional date was April 23rd but for various reasons this was unsuitable.  The Adult Amateur and Veterans contest is on March 26 to allow some of those attending the Piobaireachd Society Conference from overseas to stay on for a week to compete. The Juvenile/ Amateur contest will be in September,…

More PP Editor’s Blog (Updated): SPA KO & Dates/ Owen MacNiven/ Piob Soc/ WW1 Memorial

Wheel of Fortune: Unique Allan MacDonald Tune Offer for Auction

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Organisers of the prestigious ‘Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune’ competition have sent the latest on the competition auction which includes a very generous offer from supremely talented piper, composer and singer, Allan MacDonald….. ALLAN MACDONALD PUTS HIS SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL FOR CAPITAL BAND By Paul White Piper and multi-instrumentalist Allan MacDonald is set to boost the City of Edinburgh Pipe Band’s fundraising efforts by donating a tune for auction…

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PP Editor’s Blog: Sandy Hain/ Donella Beaton/ SPA/ South Florida etc.

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It was a pleasure to talk to Sandy Hain the other day. Sandy is the composer of the popular jig Donald MacKillop, now better known, erroneously, as Duncan MacKillop. The eponymous Donald was from Wick and a piper in the Black Watch through WW2. Sandy was  Pipe Major at the regimental depot in Perth. Sandy ‘did the course’ with Willie Ross 1950 -51 along with Bob Crabb (Scots Guards), Peter…

More PP Editor’s Blog: Sandy Hain/ Donella Beaton/ SPA/ South Florida etc.