Judging at Grandfather Mountain Games 2021

Ed Krintz and I judged a very high standard piping event at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in Linville, North Carolina, on July 10. The venue has often been likened to the Braemar Highland Gathering. Below is a summary of the competition Ed and I worked on. The photos show the lovely weather and how well-attended the event was. We had the pleasure of judging the Open Piobaireachd. Grandfather Mountain Highland…

A Reset of Silver Medal Qualification is Required Post Pandemic

The last major piping events at the Argyllshire Gathering (AG), Oban, and the Northern Meeting (NM), Inverness, were in 2019 and the next such events will be, hopefully, in 2022. We will all be three years older by the time we sit down to listen once more to these great competitions.Looking at past programmes of the Northern Meeting it is surprising how the names of the players change in a…

Responses from Readers to Our Report on Piping Tuition in Scotland’s State Schools

Thanks to all those who responded to my story about the teaching of piping in schools, writes the Editor. You may have missed the printed comments from Claire MacPherson and George Barlow, so here they are again. Claire first: ‘I wholeheartedly agree. Music must be at the very core [of our education system] and every child deserves to have the opportunity to experience our amazing musical heritage and take it…

Open Letter to Piping Supporters Everywhere: Happy Days Are Here Again!

Dear Piping Enthusiast, Can any of us believe the torrid times our music has suffered in the past couple of summers? Who knows the damage the pandemic will have done to our great tradition. However, an end is in sight and already we can see the green shoots of recovery in the solo world. Sadly, there is not much doing in the pipe band world, but the solos? Yes there…

Argyllshire Gathering 150th Anniversary Invitational and Games Contests Announced

The Argyllshire Gathering are to mark their 150th Anniversary by holding a ‘live’ professional piping contest. The date is Wednesday, August 25th. The invited pipers are all from, or have strong family connections with, the county of Argyll. They are as follows: Jamie Forrester, Alasdair Henderson, Finlay Johnston, Stuart Liddell, Angus MacColl, William McCallum and Sarah Muir. The competition will take place in the Argyllshire Gathering Halls in Oban. The…