Category: History

Editor’s Notebook: Pipe Dreams/ Thomason’s Sword/ Pipes in Early North America/ MacCrimmon Cairn/ Kilberry Middle Music

Posted on      by      1 Comment

They may not have been the first with the synthetic drone reed, but who would deny Ronnie MacShannon and Tommy Johnston their place as innovators who, through their company Pipe Dreams, changed the quality of bagpipe sound? Their Eezidrone reeds established a bench mark against which others were tested. Their sound was as close to cane as you can get without all the hassle. And every set of reeds met…

More Editor’s Notebook: Pipe Dreams/ Thomason’s Sword/ Pipes in Early North America/ MacCrimmon Cairn/ Kilberry Middle Music

New Website Launches With Original ‘Ensemble Friendly’ Pipe Band Music

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

Since retiring in 2021, I have been working full-time on a study, and it has evolved into something that I think the pipe band world will be very interested in. The work, titled: ‘Insights into Pipe Band Ensemble’, was written to investigate how MSR pipe-tunes of the future might be composed so that their rhythms allow for a side-drum accompaniment to integrate more closely with them. By Alan Jones In…

More New Website Launches With Original ‘Ensemble Friendly’ Pipe Band Music

Australia Adopts Set Tune Lists and Uniform Light Music Requirements for Solo Piping

Posted on      by      1 Comment

Pipe Bands Australia has announced a sweeping reform of its solo piping competitions, marking the most significant change in over two decades, writes Scott Nicholson, Piping Principal. The revised criteria, applicable across all grades from Novice to A, aims to align Australia with Scotland, New Zealand and Canada and to facilitate smoother participation for Australian pipers in prestigious international events like Oban and Inverness, while also improving the standard of…

More Australia Adopts Set Tune Lists and Uniform Light Music Requirements for Solo Piping

History: Grangemouth Boys Pipe Band and a First Picture of Muirhead & Sons

Posted on      by      1 Comment

I came across the photograph above in my great-grandfather’s collection. This is a copy I made in the days of negative film – the original is lost, writes reader Donald McLean It shows the Grangemouth Boys Pipe Band circa 1927-28. Of note for me is that seated second from left is my godfather John Ross (1909-1988). I spotted a reference to the Grangemouth Boys winning the Juvenile prize at the…

More History: Grangemouth Boys Pipe Band and a First Picture of Muirhead & Sons

Silver Chanter Back Home on the Isle of Skye

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

The Silver Chanter trophy is now safely ensconced in its new home at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic college on the isle of Skye. In the photograph Robert Wallace, President of the Society and the new promoters of the recital/competition, is pictured handing the trophy over to Dr J Decker Forrest of Sabhal Mòr. The chanter will be housed in a display cabinet at the college library/museum with accompanying photographs…

More Silver Chanter Back Home on the Isle of Skye