Category: Comment

Hallkirk Games, Pacific North West Results, AP Campbell on the Games, WW1 Tunes, Tom Peterkin

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Results for Hallkirk Games and in the US the Pacific Northwest band and solo competitions, have been posted on the Results pages. The picture above shows Colin Campbell, Aberlour, the Champion Piper at Hallkirk. Colin is playing at Tobermory Games in beautiful conditions under the famous piobaireachd tree. Writer, poet, broadcaster and actor Angus Peter Campbell, father of noted young player Brighde Chaimbeul, had an interesting article on the games…

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A Look Back at the Scottish PB Championships and a Review of Grade 1

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A very busy week in the piping and pipe band calendar ended with the Scottish Pipe Band Championships at Dumbarton on Saturday. The championship, the fourth in the RSPBA roster, was won by Ireland’s St Laurence O’Toole. Today we carry a review of the Grade 1 contest from editor Robert Wallace. Comments on his comments are welcome. The above picture shows a SLoT piper playing in front of Dumbarton Rock,…

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PP Editor’s Blog: Cape Breton Piping/ Chatsworth Entry/ Band Formations/ ‘Freestyle’ Piping/ Audio Archive

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Listened to the BBC’s ‘Travelling Folk’ last night on Radio Scotland and an interview with bellows piper Hamish Moore. It was astonishing. No, not Hamish’s wacky views on how the British Army destroyed piping; how those old guys in tatty tweed jackets sitting playing on kitchen chairs somewhere in Cape Breton were the repositories of the true tradition. No, not that, but the fact that the presenter swallowed lock, stock…

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Band Formations Poll/Nicol-Brown Information/Hawick BB

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There was considerable response to yesterday’s essay on pipe band formations and to further gauge opinion we have a new poll. We hope as many readers as possible will respond:   [polldaddy poll=8982241] Our last poll on 2/4 marches posed the question: ‘Should we be free to alter music for 2/4 marches as we see fit’. 33% said ‘yes’, it was traditional music after all; 31% it depended on the…

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Time to Follow Chicago’s Lead on Band Formations

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IN the US the Midwest Pipe Band Association report that at the recent Chicago Highland Games they trialled a ‘concert formation’ for the Grade 2 and 3 Medley contests (see picture above). The feedback from bands and audience has been very positive, so much so that the organisers plan to use the same arrangement in 2016. All I can say to that is well done to all concerned. Here’s what…

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