Category: Letters

PP Ed’s Blog: Band Formations/ Muirheads Names/ Colin Thomson/ Braemar/Jack Lee

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Those of us who have been advocating ‘concert formation’ for pipe band competition for many years were cheered by yesterday’s announcement that the Edinburgh Pipe Band Championship, to be held in Princes Street Gardens on June 18, will adopt just such a format. All credit to John Hughes the RSPBA Lothian & Borders Branch Chairman, and Vice-Chairman of the Association, for taking this initiative. When I played there in the…

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History: Pipe Major Donald MacKinnon, Skye and Australia

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A few weeks ago we received a letter from Cailean Maclean of Skye Media and the BBC radio piping programme ‘Crunluath’, regarding Skye piper Donald MacKinnon. Cailean wrote: ‘Do you know anything about Donald MacKinnon, composer of the Sound of Sleat? I know he was from Skye (I am trying to trace his origins here) and that he was a Pipe Major with the KOSBs and served in Korea. Why he was…

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PP Ed’s Blog: New England/ HIMDF Results/ Colin Thomson/ Gransha

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Just to clarify things and avoid any confusion, the dates of next month’s New England Pipe & Drum Academy are June 16 -21. Publicity material with anything other than these dates is incorrect and apologies for any confusion. Everything is shaping up well for another fine week at the superb Adelynrood Retreat and Conference Centre. We are delighted to have drumming expert Tommy Johnston with us this year as our percussion…

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PP Ed’s Blog: Pipe Band Anger/ PB Mag/ Braemar/ SPA/ Dunedin/ Letters

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Apart from running Pipe Band Magazine for the RSPBA and reporting on competitions, I have no direct involvement in the pipe band competition milieu. I am essentially on the periphery – the best place for the fourth estate in that fraught world. It was not always so given that I learned piping via the pipe band system in the Boys Brigade and later graduated to Muirhead & Sons at age…

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‘Big’ Donald MacLean and Arm Swapping and Harry’s Father’s Pipes

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I read George Taylor’s letter re swapping arms, writes Duncan Watson. Re Donald Maclean. I understood that big Donald did start playing under the right arm and to conform with others in the pipe band scene in the Army he was ‘instructed’ to  switch to his left arm. Counter marching through pipers in a band seemed to a problem with cords getting in a tangle. The late Willie MacDonald (Benbecula) could…

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