PP Editor’s Blog: Band Majors/ Herald Story/ Letter/ SPA

Calling all band secretaries: a substantial number of pipe band contest entry forms are now available. These include those for all the major championships. You can access the forms via the events calendar on the RSPBA website. Please don’t forget the minor contests. They need your support. Hard to believe that it is only seven weeks or so to the first major, British, at the new venue at Paisley. If…

Skye Gathering and the Silver Chanter 2016

Details have been announced for the 2016 Skye Gathering and Silver Chanter competitions. Convenor Cailean MacLean has intimated the following: ‘Silver Chanter 3rd August 2016: The invitees to this year are: Callum Beaumont , Angus MacColl, Iain Speirs, Stuart Liddell, Roderick MacLeod and Cameron Drummond. It is the 50th SC competition and Iain MacFadyen, who has attended all of them, will adjudicate. ‘Skye Gathering 2nd/3rd August 2016: We have made…

PP Editor’s Blog: SG Pipers/ Highlands & islands/ SPA KO/ Florida Award/ Silver Medal Tunes etc.

The above picture is of three doughty Scots Guards pipers (l to r) P/Sgt Jimmy Banks, Iain Wood and P/M Angus MacDonald. It looks as though the picture was taken in the early 1970; venue unknown. Jimmy and Angus are well known to everyone in the piping world but I would be grateful for more on Iain Wood who I’m afraid I don’t know. Reminder: entries for the Highlands &…

World Pipe Band Championships – Grade 1 Prizewinners over the Years

Most readers will be aware of the winners of the World Pipe Band Championship over the years. Indeed many of you will be able to reel off the names of those bands who’ve made it to the number one position and maybe even the year(s) in which they did it. However how many can remember all the great bands who ‘only’ got  second? Not a lot we think. Yet the…

PP Editor’s Blog: Uist & Barra/ BB Contest/ Letters/ Eden Court Fears etc.

To the Uist & Barra contest tomorrow for the annual professional competition. I hear that the tuning times have been restricted to four minutes in the piobaireachd, three in the MSR and one (if needed) for the H&J. Tuning lights will be in force to ensure these times are stuck to but by my calculation we will still have to endure a collective two hours of tuning time during the…