Famous Pipers – Duncan Johnstone, The Piper’s Piper Part 1

Next month sees the annual Duncan Johnstone Memorial competition held at the Piping Centre. A few weeks ago piper, composer and adjudicator Stuart Finlayson, New Zealand, regaled us with tales of the late master piper who was so influential on so many people. Today we begin the first part of an interview conducted by our Editor Robert Wallace in 1996 shortly after Duncan had been awarded the Balvenie Medal for…

US Piping Foundation Entry Details/ Uist & Barra Running Order and Tunes

The United States Piping Foundation announce that the 2018 Maclean Macleod Memorial Piping Championships will be held 16 June 2018 at the University of Delaware.  Piobaireachd and March, Strathspey & Reel events are offered for Professional and Amateur competitors.  Professional competitions are open to all pipers domiciled in North America and classified as Professional by their home associations. Professionals submit six tunes of each type of their own choosing. Amateur…

PP Ed's Blog: South Florida/ Darach & Finlay Hong Kong Trip/ Charles MacLeod Williamson

To the US for some sun at the South Florida Pipe & Drum Academy at Boca Raton. I should have something to report – all good I hope. Around 50 students, 28 for piping with class sizes kept to five or six. This will be our fourth annual school and I think we are beginning to make an impression. Certainly standards improve year on year. Many thanks to our sponsors…

Archie Kenneth Draw and Tunes/ RSPBA Summer School/ NPC Juniors

The Piobaireachd Society have announced the draw for the Archie Kenneth Quaich, their annual amateur ceol mor contest to be held next Saturday 3rd March. Start time is 9.30am in the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society rooms at 127 Rose Street Lane South, Edinburgh. Two tunes are asked for. Pipers will be informed in the final tuning room which tune has been selected for them to play. The draw: 1 Helen Thompson,…

BC's Boney Invitational Livestream/ New Chairman Ken and Lochaber Juniors

Kevin McLean of the British Columbia Pipers Society has been in touch to notify us of the livestream of the Boney Invitational solo competition this Saturday (Feb 24). By our calculations the stream begins at 3am early on Sunday UK time – which will not suit everyone! Perhaps the stream will be available for some time after. If you are in North America the time is 7pm PST/ 10pm EST….