Category: History

Lochnell Championship Details Announced

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The top solo competition for young professional pipers aged under 22 will be held at Lochnell Castle, Argyll, on October 19 from 10am. The line-up of invited pipers, with their qualifying success in brackets, is as follows: Ruairidh Brown (MSR winner 2023), Cameron May (B Grade Champion 2024 Argyllshire Gathering), Brodie Watson-Massey (Inverness Silver Medal), Ross Conner (Lochaber Gathering Piob 3rd prize, plus multiple prizes at games), Luke Kennedy, (5th…

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More Information on Michael Colliery Pipe Band

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We are grateful to piper Martin Kessler, Bonn, Germany, for forwarding two newspaper cutting about a Fife BB pipe band and the Michael Colliery Pipe Band. This was in response to the query by reader Gary Clacher a week or so ago. Gary wrote: ‘My dad, Adam Clacher, won the World Solo Drumming Championship in 1959 when he was with the Grade 2 Michael Colliery band. Not sure if this…

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Editor’s Notebook: P/Ms Succession Planning/ George Sherriff Memorial/ Mystery Band/ Cancale Piper

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Succession planning is everything when its comes to changing Grade 1 pipe majors. Get it right and the prizes continue unabated. Wrong, and a once great outfit tumbles and expires. That’s what happened with Muirhead & Sons in the ’70s. There are more modern examples too.  One of the most successful handovers came when Tully Senior handed over to Tully Junior at St Laurence O’Toole a few years back. Alen…

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Unifying Set Tunes Worldwide, James McGrady, Norman Meldrum and Neville McKay

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I would like to comment on a few articles on Piping Press over the past several weeks. Firstly, Scott Nicholson’s plan for a unified system of Piobaireachd Society set tunes for Australia (PP, July 2). This has great value. It motivates aspiring competitors to commit to learning these tunes and if they are successful with them and accepted for Oban and Inverness, they are likely to be well prepared.  My…

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It is Time for a Re-Think on the Training of Pipe Band Judges

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My name is Ian Plunkett. I am 63 and competed in Grade 1 as a piper from the age of 16. I played in Red Hackle in its various incarnations, Glasgow Skye, was Pipe Major of Strathclyde Police from 1997 to 2002, and latterly played with Scottish Power. I am qualified to Level 6 with the RSPBA and I am a recognised instructor and assessor within the organisation. By Ian…

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