Ceres Games Results (updated)

Beautiful day in Fife and a successful one for the Army’s Ben Duncan (pictured above). Eight pipers competed. The games also saw a visit from television chef Gordon Ramsay and other tv personalities who were filming. Piob 1 Ben Duncan, Lament for MacSwan of Roaig 2 Darach Urquhart, Glengarry’s March 3 Eireann-Ianetta MacKay, Lament for the Viscount of Dundee 4 Craig Martin, Lament for Donald of Laggan March 1 Ben…

PP Ed’s Blog: Donald MacDonald/ Calum Piobair/ Lochaber Gathering/ James MacColl

Duncan Watson’s comments on the Donald MacDonald Cuach a couple of days ago were pertinent. Why is it that those who play in this contest stick slavishly to the scores as produced by the pioneer of stave writing? The results are incompatible with traditional teaching, teaching stretching back, at the very least, to the time of Calum ‘Piobair’ Macpherson (1883 -1898), pictured above. We know this from the School of…

Pipes & Drums Feature at Dollar Bicentenary/ Thoughts on Donald MacDonald Cuach

Our Dollar Academy correspondent has sent this….A remarkable 243 pipers and drummers gathered at Dollar Academy, Clackmannanshire, over the weekend to kick off the start of the school’s bicentenary year. With a parachute team arriving with the special bicentenary flag, which will fly over the Old Playfair Building this year, current band members and scores of former pupils (many in mature age ranges) got together to parade on the lawns…

PP Ed’s Blog: Concert formation/ PP New Look/ Band MSRs/ Gairloch Junior Festival

Well done to Chicago Highland Games and the Mid West Pipe Band Association for continuing with their successful concert formation at their recent contest. Everyone’s a winner with this, especially the audience and the judges. The Ross Bandstand (above) in Edinburgh yesterday had the same option for bands.  Boghall won G1 as expected with Skye second. G2 went to George Watson’s juvenile band (how good is this grade?) with Boghall…

Delaware to New England – Editor’s Letter from America

We are now well into the week at the New England Pipe & Drum Academy. Small but perfectly formed, with friendship, wonderful food and hard study the unfailing mix for a successful week. Tonight Tommy (Johnston) and I are off to the Stuart Highlanders band for a workshop. This is the band which recently had a Grade 1 standing but who are now down in Grade 5. How things can…