PP Editor’s Blog: Muirheads Recordings/Roderick Cannon/UK Champs/ FMM Deal

Three new tracks have been added to our pipe band audio archive today. They are of the famous Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band and were all recorded in Toronto, Canada, in the 1970s. The quality is not the best, but listeners will get a good sense of the expert leadership and teaching of P/M RG Hardie and L/D Robert Turner. If any reader has a recording they would like to…

PP Audio Archive/ National Mod/ Composing Competition/ Letters

Launched today is the new PP Audio Archive page which will carry  recordings of this and previous generations of pipers and pipe bands.  Our first recording is of the great Donald MacPherson recorded from the BBC in 1972. It has been supplied by his former pupil Donald McBride and we would ask other readers who have other suitable recordings to forward them to us at the usual address. This recording ties in…

Iain Dall MacKay Contest/ New Letters/ Govan Piping

Details have been announced for the 2015 Iain Dall MacKay contest to be held in Gairloch, Wester Ross, in September. The Iain Dall ‘Young Pipers’ Festival’ will be held in Gairloch Primary School on September 26th. The purpose of the festival is to encourage pipers aged under 18 to compete and enjoy their piping in a friendly and relaxing competition. There are eight classes: 1: March on practice chanter – primary…

PP Editor’s Blog: Readers, MacCrimmon Trophy, USPF, WW2 Letter, New England Schedule

I am constantly, and pleasantly, surprised by the breadth of readership we get here at Piping Press. This week alone (Sun – Tues inc.) we have had 2,560 readers come to the site from, among others, the following countries: UK, USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, Germany, Netherlands, France, Ireland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brazil, Oman and the Philipines. What is interesting too is that it is not always the current features that people are…

West Lothian Schools Concert/ New England Academy/ USPF/Letters/ Drummer Sought

Abi Smith of the Piping Centre has sent this: ‘We’ve just announced a new Pipe Band Concert which is taking place at The National Piping Centre on 5th June featuring West Lothian Schools Pipe Band. All information can be found on the event page here: https://wlspbconcert.eventbrite.com; Tickets are on sale online and at The National Piping Centre. We would appreciate if you could add this event to your blog.  +44 (0) 141 353 0220;  +44 (0) 141…