In warm and sunny weather, the 2019 Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival was held on May 18 and 19 at Topaz Park in Victoria, BC. 149 solo players and 12 bands competed. James P. Troy, Grant Maxwell and Bridget Hall won the aggregates for Open Piping, Snare Drumming, and Tenor Drumming, respectively. On the Sunday, the Open Piping Piobaireachd was won by Alastair Lee and the significant prize money…

Pipe Bands Australia have sent this… An annual ballot of bands was conducted in March and last month members of national council considered all proposals that had been supported by a majority of bands voting in the ballot. Council and national management committee also considered throughout April and May additional feedback on all proposals that included endorsement of a collective decision by branch chairman to defer a determination on proposals…

By Alistair Aitken OBE, former RSPBA adjudicator Following a winter and spring with a fairly limited number of indoor pipe band competitions, the 2019 outdoor competition season in the UK commenced over the weekend 11th and 12th May with five competitions, all reportedly encountering favourable weather.  These competitions took place at Dunbar in East Lothian and Ards in Northern Ireland on Saturday 11 May; and Sunday 12 May saw competitions…

The Piobaireachd Society is to promote its second concert of ceol mor as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The concert ‘Classical Pipe Music – Scotland’s Hidden Treasure’ is on Sunday, August 11, at 7pm. As last year the venue is the 200-seat St Cecilia’s Hall, Edinburgh. The concert is expected to finish around 9.30pm and there will be a small reception afterwards. The pipers invited to perform this year are…

By Robert Wallace The bands made the best of the cold, unwelcoming conditions at St James’ Playing Field last Saturday. It is an off-putting sort of place if truth be told. No trees, no shelter of any kind, motorway roar, airport roar, and otherwise lacking in character. If we are to go to the King George V playing fields in nearby Renfrew for 2020 so much the better. The day…