Category: Letters

Editor’s Notebook: Alasdair Takes a Break/ School’s Piping Lessons/ Donald Main/ 1976 Results

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The late, great Alasdair Gillies takes a seat on the competition platform while warming up at a games in the US. I was always impressed with his finger positioning. Perfect. Look at the bottom hand. Thumb exactly where it should be, between fore and middle fingers. Top hand digits beautifully aligned. And no, the pinkie is not touching the chanter, though the camera angle makes it seem so. Posture relaxed,…

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Piper Suffers Adverse Effect After Covid Vaccination

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The threat from the pandemic continues to abate thanks largely to the ongoing vaccination programme here in the UK and elsewhere around the world. Innoculations have been given to millions of people. The medicos tell us that many thousands of lives have been saved as a consequence. This is undoutedly true. However, as with all such mass vaccination programmes, there are always rare side-effects and people who respond adversely to…

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Letters: Bruce Gandy on Oban and Inverness/ Duncan Watson on March Playing

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Correspondence to Piping Press is always welcome. Recent letters are carried below. Subjects are this week’s article on the prospect of an Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting being held this year and Donald Shaw Ramsay’s comments on pipe marches. Firstly Bruce Gandy, Nova Scotia, one of the world’s leading pipers, on the uncertainty surrounding Oban and Inverness. Bruce writes: ‘Good article; hopefully this will push the promoters a wee bit…

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PP Ed’s Blog: Band MSRs/ Publishing Tunes/ Brass & Pipe Music/ PS Concert/ Alden Biesen

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Listening to Field Marshal’s MSR from the All-Irelands last weekend, did I detect a very slight disconnect between drums and pipes in the last few parts of Pretty Marion? Wrong to make assumptions based on videos of course, all sorts of things get altered in transmission. I may be talking rubbish, but it would tie in with the ensemble judge placing them behind SLoT. Have a listen: Those who read…

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PP Ed’s Blog: Concert formation/ PP New Look/ Band MSRs/ Gairloch Junior Festival

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Well done to Chicago Highland Games and the Mid West Pipe Band Association for continuing with their successful concert formation at their recent contest. Everyone’s a winner with this, especially the audience and the judges. The Ross Bandstand (above) in Edinburgh yesterday had the same option for bands.  Boghall won G1 as expected with Skye second. G2 went to George Watson’s juvenile band (how good is this grade?) with Boghall…

More PP Ed’s Blog: Concert formation/ PP New Look/ Band MSRs/ Gairloch Junior Festival