PP Editor’s Blog: Pibroch by the Sea/ Bob Shepherd/ Shotts and the Worlds/ New Highland Games

This weekend sees the annual ‘Piobaireachd by the Sea’ event at Cancale, Brittany, the brainchild of famous Breton piper and teacher Jakez Pincet. Pipers come along, have a tune or two on the beach and enjoy some refreshment courtesy the town hall. The two-day mini festival features a workshop at which participants will have a chance to brush up their tunes. It is being given by Piobaireachd Society President, Dr Jack…

New Format for Novice Bands Announced/ SPA Juv. Draw/ Grampian League

The RSPBA have announced the following changes for Grade 4 and Novice bands playing requirements for 2016. There have also been significant additions to the list of prescribed tunes. These can be accessed here. From 2016, for major championships, Novice Juvenile bands will be split into A and B grades, Novice A aligned with Grade 4a and Novice B with 4b. The playing requirements for Grade 4A and Novice A…

CPA Appeal re Re-Scheduled Roseneath/ Sound Archive Additions

Roseneath Games piping competitions, cancelled during the summer following foul weather, have been re-scheduled for October 18, Hermitage Academy, Helensburgh at 10am. The Competing Pipers’ Association today makes an appeal to its members to support the organisers in their hard work re-organising things by making sure the piping competitions have healthy entries. CPA Secretary Donald MacLeod: ‘Piping Convenor Helen Campbell has gone out of her way to make this happen and we…

Lochaber Gathering – a Gratifying Increase in Numbers

Piping Correspondent of the Times in London, Angus Nicol, takes a look back at this year’s Lochaber Gathering, in principal the senior competitions….. CRUINNEACHADH LOCH ABAR:     THE LOCHABER FESTIVAL OF PIPING It was very pleasing to see the great upsurge in the numbers of competitors at all levels after a number of years of very sparse entries. For the Tuagh Oir, for instance, there were 17 entrants of…

PP Editor’s Blog: Pitlochry/ Worlds/ Glenfiddich/ Donald MacLeod

What a pity to see that there will only be two bands competing in Grade 1 at Pitlochry on Saturday. In my day all the top bands took part. It was seen as a ‘final fling’ of the year and the Perthshire town had its very own pipe band atmosphere that day. For the finale all the bands used to line up in one long file and play together at…