Category: News

Silver Chanter Line-Up Announced

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

The promoters of the Silver Chanter have sent the following release: The prestigious Silver Chanter competition will make a welcome return to the Isle of Skye as part of this year’s Piping Live! festival. The event, now in its 56th year, is the annual invitational Piobaireachd competition that was established by Dame Flora MacLeod, the 28th Chief of MacLeod, alongside John MacFadyen and Seumas MacNeill, in 1967. The primary purpose…

More Silver Chanter Line-Up Announced

Readers React to Robert Mathieson’s Groundbreaking Thoughts on the Future of the Pipe Band Medley

Posted on      by      4 Comments

Last week Piping Press ran a series of articles from RSPBA Adjudicator Robert Mathieson. The reaction is almost as important and interesting as the original thoughts. We print a selection here… Robert McCarthy: Mr Mathieson is saying out loud what has been on many peoples’ minds for years. The contest format has been mired in antiquated rules long enough; they are strangling bands. The ‘prescribed tune list’ and restricting them…

More Readers React to Robert Mathieson’s Groundbreaking Thoughts on the Future of the Pipe Band Medley

Editor’s Notebook: Queen’s Awards/ Medley Analysis/ SPA/ Eagle Pipers/ US Piping Job/ Kyle’s Album

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

Over the years many individuals have received recognition for their work for piping. I can’t remember anyone whose award has been met with such widespread approval and happiness as that for Iain MacFadyen. I think it would be fair to say that there has never been a piper more deserving of a Royal honour than Iain. Most correspondents echo that – and the view of Iain Marshall in our comments…

More Editor’s Notebook: Queen’s Awards/ Medley Analysis/ SPA/ Eagle Pipers/ US Piping Job/ Kyle’s Album

Some Innovative Suggestions on the Way Forward for the Pipe Band Medley

Posted on      by      8 Comments

RSPBA Adjudicator Robert Mathieson concludes his series on the future of the pipe band medley. The series was published by kind permission of the RSPBA. Read part 1 here and part two here. At the end of the day results are merely an opinion – and we all have those. It’s a by-product of the comparative analysis system we use. Yet I hope this three-part series, plus my earlier report…

More Some Innovative Suggestions on the Way Forward for the Pipe Band Medley

HM The Queen Honours Piping Legend Iain MacFadyen

Posted on      by      8 Comments

The piping world will be thrilled to learn that Iain MacFadyen, Kyle, has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, writes the Editor. Iain, 86, has achieved worldwide renown both as a player and as a teacher. His pupils have featured at all levels of prizelists for the past 60 years. He became one of the first school’s instructors in piping when, in 1974, he…

More HM The Queen Honours Piping Legend Iain MacFadyen
Posted in News