Editor’s Notebook: Bands Under Threat/ Big Rab Show/ Angus MacKay/ Talk Piobaireachd

The well-documented concerns of the audience at last summer’s Worlds is not the only matter which seems to have been passed over by the RSPBA Board of Directors at their October meeting. What about the demise of two of our Grade 1 pipe bands, Johnstone and Closkelt? Did this merit any air time at all? There is a line in the minutes which tells us that one enlightened director did…

History: A Look at two Piping Books from the 19th Century

Thanks to the kind offices of Niall Macdonald, great-grand son of the late Neil Angus of that ilk, I have been loaned copies of two interesting, early piping books. I always enjoy a browse through this material. It lets us see how the music, and the writing of it, has developed, and it shows how the early scribes endeavoured to put an oral tradition down on paper. The first is…

Weekend Contest Results: SPA Juv./ SunBelt, Florida/ Silver Chanter, Australia

Scottish Pipers’ Association Juvenile (8th Nov.), got underway just shortly after the advertised start time of 8.30am, writes Logan Tannock. It was a slightly shaky start to the day, trying to identify competitors and get them settled into the correct tuning rooms. However, things quickly settled down, and apart from having to deal with the unavoidable clashes that happen at an event with so many competitions, things ran smoothly and…

Editor’s Notebook: Let Piping Flourish/ Kyle Warren Book/ Kiwi Bands/ Roy Gunn

John Mulhearn: I was wondering if you might be able to post something about the upcoming event at the ‘Aye Write’ book festival at which myself and Richard McLauchlan will be discussing our new books? The event is this Sunday, November 9, and the copy reads: ‘…….. two fellow pipers discuss their books and enjoy a tune or two….Richard McLauchlan is our guide to the fascinating history of the bagpipes,…

SPA Juveniles and Victorian Pipers Association, Australia

The Scottish Pipers Association has announced the playing order for Saturday’s (November 8th) Juvenile contest being held in the Piping Centre (the former College of Piping building) in Otago Street, Glasgow. Events begin at 9am. All welcome. Admission £5 for adults, £2.50 for children. The draw: Download a PDF here. Judges are Derek Fraser (15 & Under Piob.), Peter Hunt (ceòl beag), Tom Johnstone (16-18 Piob. and 15 & Under…