We are well into the week here at the Northern Winter School in Germany about an hour south west of Hamburg. Last night we had a recital from pipers in the top class and today a mini band contest. Thursday it’s the final, public concert then home. The interest in the great music is growing no question. I have eleven in the Piobaireachd Class and another class every day for…

The prestigious George Sherriff competition for amateur pipers takes place in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, on Saturday. If you are in the area please go along to support this important day in the piping calendar. Promoter is the Music Board of the of the Pipers’ and Pipe Band Society of Ontario. The Board has as one of its initiatives, ‘Competitions’. The George Sherriff Invitational is one of those initiatives and has…

The Argyllshire Gathering have launched a new compositing competition for a tune to commemorate their 150th Anniversary in 2021. The Gathering is offering a £1,000 prize, winner takes all, for the successful tune.  The tune is to be a ‘competition’ 2/4 march of at least four parts. The competition will be co-ordinated in conjunction with Piping Press. The judges will be P/M Jimmy Banks MBE, Scots Guards, Piping Press Editor…

I am writing this from the north German plain, from the well appointed youth hostel at Müden/Örtze the home of the Northern Winter School of Piping, Drumming and Drum-majoring. Sixty plus students have gathered and at the moment are getting to know one another round the log fire in the reception hall. They’re mainly from Germany of course, but there are pipers from Australia, Singapore and Ukraine too.  Largely self-taught,…

It is a tradition at the Northern Meeting that the previous year’s Gold Medallist pipes at the civic reception that inaugurates that particular year’s competition. This year the honour fell to Dr Peter McCalister recently mentioned on these pages as a prizewinner in the Bratach Gorm in London. Before his performance in the Inverness Town House back in August, Peter circulated notes on the tunes he was going to play…