Our ‘Famous Pipers’ column today has the first part of our look back at the life and times of the late, great P/M Alasdair Gillies, renowned solo piper and last Pipe Major of the Queen’s Own Highlanders. Alasdair passed away aged only 47 in 2011. The first excerpt in the series is the obituary written for him by PP Editor Robert Wallace which appeared in the national press shortly after…
The ninth annual ‘Pipe Majors’ Wheel of Fortune’ competition will be held on Saturday 13th February 2016 in Danderhall Miners Club, near Edinburgh. Hosted by the City of Edinburgh Pipe Band, the event is a well-established and highly popular fixture on Scotland’s solo piping calendar. Some facts: The City of Edinburgh Pipe Band competes in Grade 2 and is the senior band in Scotland’s capital. The ‘Wheel of Fortune’ competition provides…
Professional piper, adjudicator and reedmaker Donald MacPhee has spoken about his quest to find out more about a bagpipe which belonged to his uncle Michael, a noted piper who served throughout WW1. Small world this piping fraternity: 100+ years on and we find that the pipes are in a good home not a million miles from where Donald lives in the Vale of Leven west of Glasgow. Read on….. Donald: ‘My grandfather…
Like many, I was sorry to learn of the passing of Gwen MacPherson, Donald’s widow. Gwen (86) died in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, on December 2, after chest infection complications. Her funeral service is today, Dec 14, at Mortonhall Crematorium, Pentland Chapel, Edinburgh, at 10.30 am, to which all family and friends are invited. The death notice in the Edinburgh Evening News read: ‘Gwen, very dearly loved wife of the late Donald, mother…
P/M Ian McLellan reports on progress with the new Argylls book of bagpipe music. Ian writes: ‘Hi Rab, I thought you might be interested in the above photograph of the personnel involved in compiling the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Collection of Bagpipe Music. ‘From the left are myself, P/M Jimmy Banks, Captain Gordon Rowan, A & SH, Walter Cowan and James Henderson. Keeping you up to date on the progress, all…
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