Category: Piobaireachd

Editor’s Notebook: Band Practices are Go/ Dan’s Book Controversy/ Wedding Disaster/ Ivory Pipes

Posted on      by      1 Comment

The way now seems fully open for pipe bands in Scotland to practice and perform. From September 3 the following applies under covid law: ‘These regulations (which come into force on 3 September 2021) amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (‘the principal Regulations’). ‘Regulation 2 amends ….requirement to wear face covering in certain indoor places [and] inserts ‘rehearsing for a performance’ as an activity falling within the…

More Editor’s Notebook: Band Practices are Go/ Dan’s Book Controversy/ Wedding Disaster/ Ivory Pipes

Review: Piobaireachd is for Everyone by Dan Nevans

Posted on      by      2 Comments

Reading of this book, I imagined it would make ceòl mòr more accessible to pipers who had little interest in it, hopefully inspiring them, and that it would help listeners gain greater enjoyment from performances. This has been attempted in the past and proved a tall order. There have been publications on the theme of piobaireachd appreciation before and Seumas MacNeil’s ‘Piobaireachd’ [available here] is one of the more successful….

More Review: Piobaireachd is for Everyone by Dan Nevans

Donald Morrison Archive: Downpour at the Northern Meeting 1930

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

The following is from a clipping from the Inverness Courier found in Donald’s papers. The headlines read ‘Great Washout at Northern Meeting’, ‘Disastrous Effect of Ceaseless Deluge’, ‘Handful of Spectators Watch the Games’ and ‘Balmoral Ghillie’s Piping Triumph’. In these days the Meetings were held out of doors in the Northern Meeting Park. The report goes on: Rain ruined the Northern Meeting Gathering which opened at Inverness today, even more…

More Donald Morrison Archive: Downpour at the Northern Meeting 1930

Review: Piobaireachd Society Annual Recital 2021

Posted on      by      1 Comment

What a busy month August was. From the Silver Chanter through to the annual Piobaireachd Society recital, August has delivered a bumper crop of piping in every format one could ask for after such a drought. It is only fitting that this big month has been bookended by the big music.  The Piobaireachd Society recital has been held in St. Cecilia’s Hall at the University of Edinburgh in previous years…

More Review: Piobaireachd Society Annual Recital 2021

Donald Morrison Archive: The Frost of Suspicion Before John MacDonald Arrives on South Uist

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

We conclude this story on the revival of the piping tradtion on South Uist. This is from the archive of the late Donald Morrison. Readers might like to refresh the memory by reading the first part of this anonymous article here. Given that this excerpt mentions the ‘late’ John MacDonald, Inverness, it must date from the late 1950s or 60s. P/M MacDonald is pictured above in a rare photograph taken…

More Donald Morrison Archive: The Frost of Suspicion Before John MacDonald Arrives on South Uist