Some Thoughts on Ceol Mor and Its Study

A manuscript sample of the well-known tune Lament for the Viscount of Dundee, aka Cumha Chlaibhers or Lament for Claverhouse, has been forwarded by Dr J David Hester PhD of the Alt Pibroch Club website. (There is new a letter from Mr Hester in our Letters column.) I believe the sample may have come via piobaireachd analyst Barnaby Brown and has the comment ‘We’re playing it wrong’ attached. The music…

PP Editor’s Blog: Greater Glasgow Police Pipe Band

The October 2015 edition of the RSPBA’s ‘Pipe Band’ magazine is now available from the RSPBA website. Readers might also like to download the issues of the magazine from April and July last year which has a full interview with former Glasgow Police P/M Duncan Nicolson. Click on the back numbers option on the RSPBA site. I think it a brave decision by Duncan to stand down after three years in…

Argyllshire Gathering 2015 – A Reprise

It is now just over a month since this year’s Argyllshire Gathering …. gone but not forgotten, certainly not by those who had a successful visit to Oban. In this report, the piping correspondent of the London Times, Angus Nicol, gives a comprehensive round up of all the winners and the background to the Gathering. His report also affords us the opportunity to run some photographs we missed first time round. Those wishing to…

Iain Dall MacKay Memorial Junior Piping Championship (pictures added)

Held in Gairloch High School, September 26th Robert Wallace: Well it is good to report that here, right in Iain Dall MacKay country, in the magnificent north-west of Scotland, that the pipe is being taught throughout the region and taught well. School tutors Iain Ruaridh Finlayson (Skye), Gary Nimmo and Alison Sinclair (Ullapool Pipe Band) had many of their young pupils forward and a good account they all gave I…

PP Audio Archive: Angus MacColl’s Winning MSR/ Ceol Mor from Jimmy

A real treat today for all piping enthusiasts: a recording of Angus MacColl’s winning MSR in the Former Winners’ competition at this year’s Argyllshire Gathering, Oban, writes the Editor. Angus has kindly agreed to it being broadcast and listeners will hear why he is the revered champion piper that he is. You will have perhaps read before my comments about playing to win, the need to eschew the safe, careful…