Northern Ireland Report: Ashley and Bradley Star in London/ Certificates Awarded/ Jason at Blackthorn/ Band Fundraising

It was great to see pupils from a number of County Down schools amongst the recipients of the foundation certificates for piping and drumming awarded by the Ulster-Scots Agency and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (NI). The Great Hall at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, was the setting for this event.  The young people attended as part of a joint tuition programme developed by the Agency and the RSPBANI branch, initially to…

Oban and Inverness Open for Business as First 2023 Games Schedule Published

Now is the time to get the diaries out and start planning for summer 2023. Inverness and Oban are now open for registration/ entry. It is a requirement that those pipers intending to compete at the major gatherings register as final eligibility will be decided at a joint meeting of the promoters and other bodies next month. Here is the link for the Argyllshire Gathering. Here is the link for…

South Uist and the Day the Barefoot Boy Piper Charmed Sheriff Grant of Rothiemurchus

John Campbell, Kilberry, has kindly forwarded the above picture. John writes: ‘I enclose a photograph that I found in a box. I don’t know who the gentleman is or the location, and even less so the child who looks a piper in the making. Perhaps he developed into a piper of note.’ John subsequently forwarded the picture to piping history researcher Jeannie Campbell. She replied: ‘I felt that I had…

John MacFadyen on the Art of Judging – Part 4

Here we have the penultimate excerpt of John MacFadyen’s comments on judging from the recording made in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1973. In it he discourses on tune selection. He tells an amusing story of the Dunvegan Medal and Sheriff Grant and the confusion between MacFarlane’s Gathering and Too Long in this Condition. He says it is wrong for judges to give favourite tunes to their favourite pipers. He describes…

Editor’s Notebook: SPA Veterans/ Competition Marches/ Chanter for Sale/ Strathallan Success

To the Piping Centre tonight to judge Scottish Pipers’ Association Veteran’s competition. SPA President Logan Tannock: ‘The members veteran’s competition is at 7pm tonight, Friday December 2, in the NPC McPhater Street. ‘If any member aged over 60 wants to enter then they should contact Secretary Melissa Jeffray at  melissajeffrey96@yahoo.co.uk. Entries also taken on the night. ‘If you qualify and would like to take part the playing criteria is a Slow…