Organisers have asked us to point out that solo piping entries for this well-run little games in Fife can be made on the field tomorrow (July 1) until 11 am. Venue is Memorial Park, Thornton. There are events for senior and junior pipers. Judges for the solo piping are E Anderson and A Frater. Thornton had also planned to stage a pipe band and drum major contest with Open, Grade 2, Grade…
An important, good quality video of a recital given by the late Donald MacPherson has been saved from the waste bin thanks to the inquisitiveness and diligence of an Irish piper. The recital was given by Donald in the Crookhaven Hotel in County Cork in 1990. Introduced by local stalwart Noel O’Mahony, Donald gives a brilliant demonstration of ceol beag and ceol mor. His mastery of the instrument and its…
Saturday sees this important pipe band competition being held at Lurgan, Northern Ireland. Here our correspondent in the Province, John Kelly (left), RSPBANI Honorary Vice-President, takes a look back at the championship. John acknowledges that much of what is below has been compiled largely from an article by the late Fred Walker, former President of the Northern Ireland Branch of the RSPBA. The picture above is of the Field Marshal…
Grant Park, Forres, looked calm and pristine the night before proceedings, as the vendors were leaving the scene to return in the morning, writes our Special Correspondent. A small ceilidh was going on in the main marquee. The white lines were there to be seen and the circles of four arenas stood by to host the music makers of 110 bands for the 2017 European Championships. With very little darkness…
The debate over moving the European Pipe Band Championships to Forres will continue, particularly among bands who just can’t afford to journey up to the Moray Coast. Down the grades this is particularly inconvenient for Irish bands, few of whom, outwith Grade 1, attend. The reverse holds true for the UK Championships in Belfast with many Scottish bands electing to stay at home for that one. It all points to…
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