PP Editor’s Blog: Kilberry Bagpipes/ British Championships/Piping Live

Double Gold Medallist Douglas Murray has taken over Kilberry Bagpipes in Edinburgh and reports brisk business at his premises in St Mary’s Street just off the Royal Mile. The above pic shows Dougie outside his new shop. Visitors are welcome to call in for a chat or to have their pipes looked over by an expert. Douglas will be leading his much-improved Fife Constabulary band onto the field at the…

Marathon Man Jack Completes Major Recording Project

Canadian piper Jack Lee (pictured above with Silver Medallist son Colin) has completed his recording of all the tunes in the Piobaireachd Society collection. The tunes are available for download from his company’s website. Jack, P/Sgt. of the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, is a double Gold Medallist and winner of all the top solo awards as well as six World Championship titles with SFU. To let readers understand the magnitude…

Iain Dall MacKay Contest/ New Letters/ Govan Piping

Details have been announced for the 2015 Iain Dall MacKay contest to be held in Gairloch, Wester Ross, in September. The Iain Dall ‘Young Pipers’ Festival’ will be held in Gairloch Primary School on September 26th. The purpose of the festival is to encourage pipers aged under 18 to compete and enjoy their piping in a friendly and relaxing competition. There are eight classes: 1: March on practice chanter – primary…

PP Editor’s Blog: Readers, MacCrimmon Trophy, USPF, WW2 Letter, New England Schedule

I am constantly, and pleasantly, surprised by the breadth of readership we get here at Piping Press. This week alone (Sun – Tues inc.) we have had 2,560 readers come to the site from, among others, the following countries: UK, USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, Germany, Netherlands, France, Ireland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brazil, Oman and the Philipines. What is interesting too is that it is not always the current features that people are…

Retreat March/ BB King/ US Piping Foundation/ Highland Games

The opportunity to travel and meet interesting people is just one benefit that accrues to we pipers over the years, be it as a soloist or as a member of a band. Such a trip came my way in 1998 (I think) as a guest member of the Lothian and Borders Police Band. We went to Rome to play at a concert at the Vatican. Apart from the interest any…