Category: Piobaireachd

Letters: Bruce Gandy on Oban and Inverness/ Duncan Watson on March Playing

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Correspondence to Piping Press is always welcome. Recent letters are carried below. Subjects are this week’s article on the prospect of an Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting being held this year and Donald Shaw Ramsay’s comments on pipe marches. Firstly Bruce Gandy, Nova Scotia, one of the world’s leading pipers, on the uncertainty surrounding Oban and Inverness. Bruce writes: ‘Good article; hopefully this will push the promoters a wee bit…

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A Pipe Band is Judged By Its Poorest Players – P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay BEM

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The second part of the article from a 1960s issue of the Piping, Drumming and Dancing Journal by P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay, a brilliant player, pipe major and composer. Here he considers march tempi, and then offers an introduction to ceòl mòr or piobaireachd. Read the first excerpt here. How fast should a piper play?  This again is a very controversial point, but try playing a march at a speed of…

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Big Two Solo Contests at the Northern Meeting and Argyllshire Gathering Looking Less Likely

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Not much has changed since we last spoke about this, but with each day that passes the odds against there being 2021 Gold and Silver Medal competitions at Oban and Inverness lengthen. I say this because neither the competing pipers themselves nor the sponsors want them to happen without the presence of overseas competitors. By Robert Wallace These top players have already entered for the Northern Meeting and the Argyllshire…

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Archie Kenneth Quaich Today ‘Live’ Online/ Dan’s New Book/ Eilidh’s Legacy Helps Young Musicians

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The competition for the prestigious Archie Kenneth Quaich takes place today (Sat., May 22) online. The contest is being run under the auspices of the Piobaireachd Society’s Music Committee. It features 23 amateur pipers several of whom are previous winners of the coveted Quaich. They are, in playing order:Martin Lee Wey Vern , Leslie Barrett, Dugald MacLeod, Alasdair Beaton, Gill Cairns, James Carnegie , Billy WardropeTom Peterkin , Stuart Letford, Lachlan MacDonald, Andrew…

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International Piper Lives Again as Part of Piping Centre Project/ Ontario Composing Contest

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Following the success of its crowdfunding project to digitise the back issues of Piping Times and Piping Today magazines, Finlay MacDonald, the National Piping Centre’s Director of Piping, has announced a new target to allow them to add Captain John MacLellan’s magazine the ‘International Piper’ to the endeavour. The new aim is to garner £33,500. The NPC have already raised £31,000 in just two weeks. Finlay said: ‘The generosity of…

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