Glenfiddich Championship Results, tunes added

The Glenfiddich Champion for 2017 is Jack Lee from British Columbia. He was placed first  in ceol mor and second in MSR to take the overall title. Runner-up overall was Roderick MacLeod with Angus MacColl in third. The annual competition was held as usual in the Great Hall at Blair Castle, Blair Atholl, Perthshire. Those unable to travel to the event were able to watch it on a livestream over the internet. Piobaireachd…

Bratach Gorm and London Draw Published

The prestigious London Championship takes placer at the Kensington Conference Centre next Saturday (November 4). As always the competition has attracted a large entry with many pipers travelling from Scotland and a significant number flying in from North America and elsewhere. The main competition for the Bratach Gorm begins at 8.30am: 1 Andrew Carlisle 2 William McCallum 3 Finlay Johnston 4 Roderick MacLeod 5 Alasdair Henderson 6 Callum Beaumont 7…

PP Ed’s Blog: Tommy & Anne Are Our Heroes/ SG KO and G’fidd Livestream/ New Piping Jobs in Highlands and West Lothian

Well they’ve always been heroes to me but now their bravery has been officially recognised by the Scottish Government. Tommy and Anne Johnston received their Brave@Heart Awards from Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a special ceremony at Edinburgh Castle on Tuesday (above). They were among 47 people from the emergency and voluntary sectors and the public to be presented with Brave@Heart Awards recognising acts of bravery and heroism. Of the 47…

Ben McClamrock Reviews the 2017 Nicol-Brown Amateur Contest

At 9:30 am on October 7, 2017, the Nicol-Brown Invitational began again for a remarkable 35th time. The contest, originally envisioned by American piping patriarch Donald Lindsay, aims to give top amateur pipers from North America a first-class venue to showcase their talent. In doing so, it also provides a taste of the high pressure, indoor competition environment that many of them will need to master should they continue on…

PP Ed’s Blog: SLoT/ MacCrimmon Cairn/ Pipes for Sale/ World Drumming/ Queensland

Speaking to Gaelic poet and writer Angus Peter Campbell at the Scots Guards contest on Saturday. He told me that daughter Brighde had been playing at a big traditional music concert in Dublin. Taking part were former World Pipe Band Champions St Laurence O’Toole (above). And, get this, it was the first time a pipe band had ever appeared on a concert stage in the Republic. Can you believe that?…