As announced at the recent RSPBA AGM, ther Association have now formally advertised for applications for the post of Principal of Pipe Band Musicianship. A statement reads: ‘The Board of Directors have considered the structure of the RSPBA Pipe Band College that was approved at the 2018 Annual General Meeting and have agreed to recruit a Principal of Pipe Band Musicianship. ‘A key function of this role will be to promote…

The Northern Winter School 2019 opened for registration on March 11 and was sold out in two and a half days. Prior to that I was feeling very positive about the school because I had been receiving lots of personal messages with nice comments from past participants but also a lot more enquiries from potential students.  In the event I was so overwhelmed I had to close registration on the same…

By Allan Chatto OAM This article is abridged from a paper written by the respected pipe band authority Allan Chatto in 1995. Based in Australia, Allan was a leading drummer of renown, adjudicator and pipe band educator of international standing and we are grateful that he has made his paper available to Piping Press readers. The drum corps’ responsibility within pipe band performance is to provide the rhythmic and dynamic…

I have just read all the comments on our tuition fees story. They represent a wide range of views and are well put. Thanks to everyone who contributed and in particular to author Jeff Williams for putting his head above the parapet on this one. It is a complex subject with many strands of argument. As a traditional art, there is still the laudable ‘carrying stream’ approach: we hand on…

This annual competition for B and C grade members of the Competing Pipers’ Association was held today at the National Piping Centre in Glasgow. Overall winner in the B Grade was John Dew. B Piob1 Finlay Cameron, MacLeod’s Salute2 John Dew, Lament for the Children3 Dan Nevans, Too Long in This Condition4 Matt Pantaleoni, Big Spree5 Kris Coyle, Lament for Mary MacLeod C Grade MSR1 Ryan Cupples-Menendez2 Brodie Watson-Massey3 Donald…