Category: Pipe Bands

Cowal, the Worlds, the Band Bus – Memoirs of a Piper’s Moll

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By A Long Suffering Pipe Band Widow As they say in the modern vernacular, ‘from the get go’, I have had a love/hate relationship with the world of piping. Looking back, I can remember fun times, interspersed with frustration and downright dislike of the whole fraternity. But as we get older we tend to remember more of the good things than the bad. Firstly, I feel I must give a…

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New Pipe Band Competition for Renfrew

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The local council report…. Renfrew’s Robertson Park will welcome some of Scotland’s top piping talent this July for a new event in Renfrewshire’s events calendar, The inaugural Renfrew Pipe Band Competition, taking place on Saturday 23 July, will see pipers and drummers from across Scotland fill the town with the sound of bagpipes and the beat of drums. The free-to-attend event brings a full day of family entertainment to the…

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SLOT Pull Out of All Irelands/ Band Sizes/ Ulster Championships

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St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band have informed the Irish Pipe Band Association of their need to withdraw from the All Ireland Pipe Band Championships, due to take place in New Ross, Co. Wexford tomorrow. The band has suffered an outbreak of covid this week with a significant number of players testing positive with others displaying symptoms. The band reported: ‘We were looking forward to defending our title which we won…

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News From the Northern Ireland Pipe Band Scene

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A couple of months ago I was at the launch of a new book of piping tunes, the majority of which were composed by County Armagh piper Jim Livingston.  I have rarely come across many tune book launches locally over the years except for the Sean Maloney publication several years ago, although there have been many celebrated local composers whose work has been included in other collections published in Scotland….

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It Is Time We Addressed the Issue of Pipe Band Sizes

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I had this message from Ken Stewart, Northern Ireland, the other day: ‘I just stumbled on an old programme of the European Championships in Stranraer 1989. There were 24 bands playing in Grade 1 and 34 in Grade 2. It is startling just how many of these bands are on longer operational.’ Indeed it is Ken. There is a decline and it is creeping up on us. And don’t use the…

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