Anyone who thinks my opposition to the recent judges/pupils decision by the Solo Piping Judges Association was solely based on concerns over adjudication would be wrong. What is also at stake here is teaching; one generation passing on to the next its knowledge and experience. Anything which impedes this process, as I believe this retrograde decision does, has to be bad for our music. Senior figures in the piping world…

Pipebagmaker James Begg has criticised the Northern Meeting solo piping competition for the prices they charge pipers for entry. In his regular newsletter Mr Begg writes: ‘I travelled up to Inverness for the annual Northern Meeting solo piping competition. It was a well run occasion yet again but I must say a £50 competitor entry payment is a bit Scrooge-like. An event of this quality should be able to finance itself without…

Sunday’s decision by the Joint Committee (a committee representing judges, promoters and pipers) to ‘fully endorse’ the no pupil/judge benches dictat from the Solo Piping Judges Association really does not change a great deal in the short term. Long term it is worrying. Though the promoters state that they ‘fully endorse’ the rule change they do not say that they will maintain an absolute ban under all circumstances. I believe…