Uist & Barra: Details of the 2017 Contest and Association History

Details of next week’s Uist & Barra Professional Invitational Competition have been released by Piping Convenor John Angus Smith. Those invited to play are: Callum Beaumont, Glenn Brown, Wilson Brown, Cameron Drummond, Jamie Forrester, Faye Henderson, Finlay Johnston, Roderick MacLeod, William McCallum, Douglas Murray, Niall Stewart and Craig Sutherland Entry is £12; venue: College of Piping; date: March 4 at 9am. Pipers will compete in ceol mor, ceol beag and…

History: P/M Donald MacLeod As I Knew Him

Next month sees the annual Donald Macleod Memorial competition in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. Few people knew the late pipe major as intimately as the author of this article for whom Donald wrote the popular 2/4 march ‘P/M Jim McWilliams’…….  Today everyone can look up the achievements of Pipe Major Donald MacLeod MBE on Wikipedia. However, you can’t get to know or appreciate what a fine man he was from lists of facts….

Metro Cup, New Jersey, First Results

The annual Metro Cup run by the EUSPBA was held yesterday in New Jersey.  Pipe Major George M. Bell Amateur Championship Piobaireachd 1st Andrew Hutton 2nd Laureno Thomas-Sanchez 3rd Steven MacDonald Judge: Ian K. MacDonald Tommy Brancella Memorial MSR 1st Andrew Hutton 2nd Laurent Thomas-Sanchez 3rd Patrick Johnson Judge: Andrew Hayes Overall Champion: Andrew Hutton Runner Up: Laureno Thomas-Sanchez Stay tuned for more results as we get them

PP Editor’s Blog: Donald McBride on that Contest in 1972

Donald McBride, one of our instructors at the South Florida Pipe and Drum Academy, has given more information on yesterday’s post on the SPA Amateur contest in 1972. During a break in the lessons Donald told me: ‘When I arrived at Washington Street I discovered my bag had burst so my father called Donald MacPherson. I had been going to him for lessons for two months. We went up to…

History: The Scottish Pipers’ Association Junior Competition of 45 Years Ago

The following comes from the November 8, 1972 edition of the Oban Times and is by its then piping correspondent, John MacFadyen. The Oban Times is a popular newspaper and reflects a wide range of west Highland and Argyllshire news. To its credit it has, over the years, always had a piping column, a column usually written by a leading piper or authority on piping such as John. This article…