The great Donald MacLeod died 35 years ago last month, writes the Editor. Today we mark this with a new slideshow (link at foot of column) depicting the life and times of the master piper with thanks to the unnamed reader who alerted us to this important anniversary. Donald MacLeod was born in 1917 and died in 1982. He was one of the greatest pipers of the 20th century both…
Well known piper and solo adjudicator Bill Livingstone from Ontario has announced that he will release a book of his memoirs on August 1. The blurb: Bill Livingstone, record-setting Pipe Major and soloist, will release his memoirs, entitled Preposterous: Tales to Follow, on 1st August 2017. Written by Bill, the 276-page work covers over seven decades of Bill’s life, ranging from his childhood in the tough mining town of Copper…
Grateful to piping historian Keith Sanger for forwarding this letter from the Blair Castle archives. It is dated 1830 and is by Perthshire piper John McGregor. It mentions his (McGregor’s) winning the prize pipe and Angus MacKay (pictured above) coming second. MacKay is intimated as piper to the Duke of Gordon which is news to me. I understood that before royal service with Queen Victoria he was with the Laird…
An important, good quality video of a recital given by the late Donald MacPherson has been saved from the waste bin thanks to the inquisitiveness and diligence of an Irish piper. The recital was given by Donald in the Crookhaven Hotel in County Cork in 1990. Introduced by local stalwart Noel O’Mahony, Donald gives a brilliant demonstration of ceol beag and ceol mor. His mastery of the instrument and its…
Saturday sees this important pipe band competition being held at Lurgan, Northern Ireland. Here our correspondent in the Province, John Kelly (left), RSPBANI Honorary Vice-President, takes a look back at the championship. John acknowledges that much of what is below has been compiled largely from an article by the late Fred Walker, former President of the Northern Ireland Branch of the RSPBA. The picture above is of the Field Marshal…
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