PP Ed’s Blog: Grainger Chanter/ Grampian League/ SPA/ Gen. Smuts/Piper of the Year/ Strathallan

Steve Rooklidge of the Shasta Piping Society in California has sent the picture of the above chanter. Steve writes: ‘Is this a Grainger chanter of your era?  It seems a bit chubby but the fingering is more modern. What were they pitched for? I have yet to reed it up. This was from a set purchased I think, from the House of Scotland PB in San Diego in the 80s sometime.’…

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South West Scotland Junior Piping and Drumming Solos

South West of Scotland Piping & Drumming Academy held their first Juvenile Solo Piping & Drumming competition in the new venue of Lockerbie Academy, on Saturday past, 29th September, reports Andrew McCartney. There was a good entry, considering that this is a fledgling competition, with around 60 performances for the judges to assess. The judges on the day were Callum Beaumont, and  Matt Wilson (piping), Norrie Thomson (snare) and Ashleigh Lamberton…

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World Champion Pipe Major Joins Composing Competition Judging Panel

P/M Stuart Liddell of Inveraray & District Pipe Band has joined the judging panel for the composing competition for a tune to commemorate war hero John Cruickshank VC.  Other members of the panel are P/M Ian McLellan, formerly of Strathclyde Police Pipe Band and a winner of 12 World titles, P/M Richard Parkes of Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band who also has 12 Worlds titles to his credit, and Piping Press…

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New Mentoring Project for Pipe Bands Launched

My name is Jason Briscoe – I’m a piper with over 25 years of Grade 1 pipe band experience. I’ve been fortunate to play in some of the best bands in the world, most recently Scottish Power, and now I’m hungry to pass my years of experience and expertise on and prepare the next generation of pipe bands for the world stage. Say hello to The High Note – a…

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Piobaireachd Society Conference on the Move

By Robert Wallace President Dr Jack Taylor has announced that next year’s Piobaireachd Society Conference will be held in Glasgow at the National Piping Centre. Dr Taylor made the announcement during an interval at the Uist & Barra competition last Saturday.  Held annually since 1972, this will be the first time the conference has been held in Glasgow. The conference will also move to being a one-day affair but with…

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