PP Ed’s Blog: Piobaireachd Conferences/ Shotts Concert Tickets Going Fast

Jim Stack has sent information about the EUSPBA’s ‘Piobaireachd Conference’ to be held in New Jersey on the weekend of March 31 – Apr  2 when the main speaker will be Dr Angus MacDonald. Events take place in the Madison Hotel, Morristown, and include a ceol mor and an MSR contest. A weekend ticket is $100. Contact Jim for more info. Please don’t confuse the above with the Piobaireachd Society…

PP Ed’s Blog: Florida/ 277 Pic/ Picture Poser/ Ardrossan Games/ RSPBA Summer School

Heading home now after five solid days of teaching in Florida. Think we progressed the cause of piping and drumming another few notches. Good crowd at the closing concert and everyone looking forward to next year when we plan to incorporate a band and solo contest into the Academy’s roster. In order to maintain a high teacher/ student ratio we capped the numbers at just over 40 this year but…

PP Ed’s Blog: Juvenile Bands/ 277 Pic/ John MacLellan/ Archie Kenneth/ Florida

I’m told that there a few juvenile and novice juvenile pipe bands who are considering not playing in these grades. They cannot compete against the highly organised and well-financed teaching programmes at some of the private school bands and therefore, rather than opt for a hiding every weekend, may decide to take their chances in the adult grades such as 4a and 4b. If this is the case then we…

PP Ed’s Blog: 277 TA Band/ Tunes for Majors ’17/ Letters/ Deger Pipes/ South Florida

Former RSPBA librarian Iain Duncan has written on the same subject: ‘Interested to read the plea regarding the 277 A&SH.  About the same time that I bought the Muirheads EP I sent to you a couple of weeks ago I also bought another EP which was recorded by the 277 sometime after their Belfast win.  Unfortunately I loaned this out many years ago for it never to return.   Although we’re talking over 50…

PP Ed’s Blog: Ian’s Birthday/ Florida Sell Out/ New Piobaireachd/ Patrick Mor

Firstly congratulations to P/M Ian McLellan BEM on his 80th birthday. It hardly seems anytime at all that we used to see him marching off with his brilliant Strathclyde Police Pipe Band and yet another Worlds trophy. Ian remains the most successful Worlds winner of all time though the equally brilliant Richard Parkes and FMM are running him close. Whatever; no one can change history and the music Ian’s band…