Category: Letters

Boghall & Bathgate Launch Fundraiser for Forthcoming Worlds Week Concert

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Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band, reigning World Champions, have launched a crowdfunding campaign for our pre-Worlds concert, ‘Cabar Feidh’, writes band Manager David Burnside. The concert is on August 14, 2024, at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and is already sold out. The 60-day campaign target is £15,000 and the money will be used to fund the production and recording of a live album and video of the…

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History: More on ‘Wee’ Donald MacLean Down Under

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I was delighted to read the article about ‘wee’ Donald MacLean, especially with regard to his time in Tasmania, writes reader Ian Dahl. Towards the end of 1964, or early 1965, Donald was engaged as the tutor for the Queenstown Highland Pipe Band. This was immediately after his time with the Derwent Scottish Pipe Band in Hobart. He remained in Queenstown for about two and a half to three years….

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Northern Ireland News: Brian Boru Bands/ Antrim Results/ Dromara Band/ Ray’s MBE

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A new Facebook page entitled ‘Brian Boru Pipe Bands NI’ has been set up by Barbara Phillips who also runs the very popular ‘We Love Pipe Bands’ Facebook page. There are only six such bands who play this type of bagpipes in the whole world and they are all based in Northern Ireland.I In County Down are the Ballygowan, Ballymartin and Crimson Arrow bands, Cavanaleck are based just outside County…

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

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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…

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

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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…

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