PP Ed’s Blog: Fife Police/ Silver Chanter/ Ensemble Judging/ Cameron’s Winning Tune

Congratulations to P/M Douglas Murray and his brother Jim for their ten years at the helm of the Fife Police band. It is a very difficult thing to take a band from nowhere and lead it into Grade 1 – and then start to pick up prizes among the elite. Jim, now in Western Australia, kicked things off and Douglas built on his work to such an extent that the…

Review: Fife Police Pipe Band Concert Marks Ten Years ‘On the Beat’

By Duncan Watson On the evening of Saturday 14th April, I attended the concert at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen featuring the Fife Police Pipe Band hosted by Bucksburn Pipe Band. The show was entitled a ‘Decade on the Beat’ as the Fife polis band has been in existence for that time. Their progress has clearly been significant and as a result the event was most enjoyable. Sadly the likes…

Dr Roddy Ross and the Fingerlock/ SFU and Pachelbel’s Canon/ Silver Chanter Letter

At the 2009 Piobaireachd Society conference the late Dr Roddy Ross astonished everyone with his performance of part of the ground of the Fingerlock, writes the Editor. He also impressed attendees with the passion he had for the music and his personal insight into the MacCrimmons and the land that bore them. Fortunately PS member Hector Russell was at hand with his video camera and recorded Dr Ross in full…

Obituary: P/M James Jackson 1941 – 2018

Jimmy Jackson was born in 1941 in the village of Jamestown near Balloch on Loch Lomondside. He was the fourth generation of James Jackson or ‘MacFhiachair’ as the family’s surname was known in their native Argyll. His grandfather, an Ardrishaig man who  had been a Pipe Major in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was a contemporary of John MacColl and a good friend of Pipe Major William Lawrie of Ballachulish. His…

PP Ed’s Blog: SPA Pro/Jimmy Jackson/ SPJA/ Xavier Vid/ Balmoral Schools/ Allan Chatto/

What will be the first professional piping contest of the season (following the weather cancellation of the Uist & Barra) will be held this Saturday April 14. It’s the Scottish Pipers Association contest and it will be held at NPC West (College of Piping, Otago St. to us old timers) with a good entry in all categories. Last year’s overall winner was Sarah Muir (pictured top with her trophies) who will be…