Featuring on the PP Audio Archive today is a recital given by leading piper Donald McBride in the Savoy Hotel, Kansas City, MO in March 2010. In it Donald displays all his mastery of timing and technique on a superb 1908 silver and ivory Lawrie bagpipe with a Hardie chanter (1975). Donald was taught originally by his father Willie Mc Bride, and played in his band, the Monktonhall, for many years. From 1972 until he…
Those of us who have been advocating ‘concert formation’ for pipe band competition for many years were cheered by yesterday’s announcement that the Edinburgh Pipe Band Championship, to be held in Princes Street Gardens on June 18, will adopt just such a format. All credit to John Hughes the RSPBA Lothian & Borders Branch Chairman, and Vice-Chairman of the Association, for taking this initiative. When I played there in the…
A painting of John Ban MacKenzie reputed to be worth £10,000 has been stolen from a house in East Lothian in what police have described as a ‘targeted theft’. The picture entitled ‘Piper to the 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane’ by JM Barclay, which dates from 1842, was taken from a house near Kippielaw Farm, near East Linton. The BBC reported that four other paintings of black and gold Asian-style design were…
A beautiful set of Henderson silver & ivory pipes is offered for sale today. The pipe is circa 1900 and has been played at the highest level. Get full details here. Impressive new promo video for the European Pipe Band Championships at Forres in a few weeks: John Kelly reports from Northern Ireland: The ‘Tartan Talk’ column which ran for decades in the Belfast News Letter will resume this Saturday 20th May…
The forecast looks good for the first of the big outdoor solo competitions at the Atholl Gathering in the grounds of Blair Castle, Blair Atholl, Perthshire, on Sunday. All piping events start at 10.30. Fifty-three adult and 12 junior pipers will be judged by 12 judges. The Army School of Piping has kindly provided the stewards. They are all full-time soldiers on a six-month course to learn piping from scratch. Darach Urquhart…
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