Important New Piobaireachd Work Available from Piping Press Shop

Respected ceol mor teacher and adjudicator, Duncan Watson, has  reviewed Jimmy McIntosh’s new book ‘Ceol Mor for the Great Highland Bagpipe, presented in The Balmoral Tradition’, exclusively for pipingpress.com. In a very detailed and expert analysis, Duncan, himself a long-time pupil of RB Nicol, looks at how the music is set out, comments on notation, the teaching of John MacDonald and the Bobs of Balmoral, and adds entertaining anecdotal information…

Scottish Pipers’ Association Secures Sponsorship

One of Scotland’s oldest piping societies, the Scottish Pipers’ Association, has secured funding for its annual professional competition. The sponsor is McCallum Bagpipes who have agreed to donate a substantial sum of cash to the competition. SPA President Tom Johnstone said he was delighted to secure the money which guarantees the competition’s future: ‘I cannot thank this company enough. We are determined to restore the SPA Professional to status it…

Florida Academy/ Pipe Band Association History/ Piobaireachd Comment/ RSPS

Only a week to go until the first South Florida Pipe and Drum Academy and the registrar reports a total of 31 full-time students plus others on a part-time basis. Principal Robert Wallace said: ‘This is a very gratifying figure considering this is the first ever academy and reflects on the hard work of our organising staff in Fort Lauderdale and is recognition of the quality of instruction that will…

Let’s Make Glasgow SFU Concert an Early Sell-Out

Pipe bandsmen and women coming to the Worlds are being urged to buy their SFU concert tickets now to support the band and its leading piper Andrew Bonar in his fight to recover from a brain tumour. SFU have already announced a fundraising concert and ceilidh in British Columbia, Canada, with all proceeds going to the BC Cancer Foundation for brain cancer care and research. Today pipingpress.com editor Robert Wallace…

Argyllshire Gathering Contestants for 2015 Announced

The Argyllshire Gathering has confirmed the following names for this year’s prestigious piobaireachd competitions to be held at Oban on August 26th, 2015. There will be 28 competing for the Silver Medal with two reserves, and 29 for the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal, no reserves. Last year’s winner of the Oban Silver Medal, Decker Forrest, is pictured above with the Duke of Argyll, the Chieftain of the Gathering. Read…