Category: Piobaireachd

Editor’s Notebook: RSPBA Appointments/ Early Days of the 214/ Norman Matheson/ Book Search

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I see that the RSPBA are holding elections for the jobs of Piping and Summer School Principals. This is a statutory procedure which will be carried out at the first Pipe Band College AGM in November. I understand John Nevans is standing again for the summer school job. In my view it would be remiss of the Association’s member bands and branches not to re-elect him. In John they have…

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History: P/Sgt John Maclean, Scots Guards, the 1930 Northern Meeting and a Tribute to Mary Queen of Scots

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I was interested in the Piping Press article (6th Sept. Donald Morrison Archive) regarding the Northern Meeting piping competitions 1930, which mentioned my father John Maclean (North Uist). Only minor error in the newspaper’s report was that my father was in fact Pipe-SERGEANT, not Pipe-Major. He was later Pipe-Major 2nd Btn. HLI. In the Gold Medal he, like Nicol, played Cille Chriosd (Glengarry’s March). His fellow Guardsman, Malcolm ‘Baggy’ MacMillan was…

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Argyllshire Gathering’s Lochnell Intermediate Professional Piping Championship Draw and Tunes

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This prestigious competition for junior professional pipers will be held at Lochnell Castle, Benderloch, Argyll, a week today on Saturday, October 2. Ten leading young pipers aged 22 and under have been invited to take part.  Piobaireachd Draw and Selected Tune1 Luke Kennedy, MacKay’s Banner2 Anna Smart, Old Men of the Shells3 Bobby Allan, MacDougall’s Gathering4 Cameron May, King’s Taxes5 Hamish Drennan, Battle of the Pass of Crieff6 Andrew Ferguson, Earl of Ross’s March7 Brodie Watson-Massey, Lament…

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Editor’s Notebook: MFD/ Sherriff Pipers/ ‘Royal’ Games/ Duncan and the Prince/ Hector’s Book/ Round the Games

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Final word on MFD. Clive Douglas believes there should be a formal recognition of the condition and a warning about over-zealous, obsessional practice. Clive writes: ‘l’m not sure if you could ever stop the condition appearing in a person, but I do think there is a set of circumstances that should probably be avoided. ‘I wonder if there’s a place for some education in this area through the Piping Centre,…

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Focal Dystonia in Pipers – Readers Respond With Touching Personal Stories

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We make no apology for this third and final (for now) article on Musician’s Focal Dystonia (MFD). You only have to read the comments below to realise the anguish this distressing condition has caused pipers. We are grateful to these correspondents for sharing their experiences and to Norman Matheson whose erudite articles brought the matter once more to pipers’ attention. Bill Currie: ‘Some 15 years ago I consulted the late…

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