PP Ed’s Blog: Argyllshire Gathering/ CLASP/ Letters/ Festival of Junior Piping/ Grampian League

To Oban today for the 2017 Argyllshire Gathering. It is always a great occasion, one of the two ‘majors’ in the solo piping calendar and, with the Northern Meeting in Inverness, the place to hear the best pipers in the world. The piobaireachd competitions are the most difficult of all on the calendar given that they prescribe the tunes that are to be played. This single fact elevates the senior…

New Appointment at Glasgow Police Pipe Band

Glasgow Police Pipe have sent this: ‘Glasgow Police Pipe Band is delighted to announce the appointment of Alisdair McLaren to the band management structure. Alisdair will come in as Joint Pipe Sergeant joining Duncan Nicholson with significant responsibility in developing the Pipe Corps going forward. ‘P/M Iain MacPherson said, ‘Alisdair previously played with Strathclyde Police before moving into the ranks of the World Famous Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band in 2009. He has gained fantastic experience and…

High Spirited End to the Norhern Ireland Pipe Band Season at Portrush

The Ulster pipe band season came to an end on Saturday last when the Recreation Grounds, Ramore Head, Portrush, provided the background for the North West Championships and the end of the Champion of Champions season-long competition. In the picture above Lauren Hanna (Senior Drum Major) is pictured leading the ‘Salute to the Chieftain’ during the Massed Bands at the end of the day. While it was essentially dry it…

Festival Interceltique Piping Results

The annual Festival Interceltique took place last week in Brittany, France, with a big piping representation. There were also contests for piobaireachd, the MacCrimmon trophy (Breton, Scots and Irish music) and for bagads (Breton pipe bands). The picture shows Lorient President Lisardo Lombardia and the winner of the gaita trophy Jaime Alvarez Fernandez with Fred Morrison winner of the MacCrimmon Trophy for the ninth time. Here is the full list of results:…

PP Editor’s Blog: Highland Band Success/ Glasgow Police/ ‘Crunluath’/ Solo Judging

What an incredible success at last week’s Worlds  for our juvenile pipe bands in the Highland & Islands area. Step forward Niall Stewart (Lochalsh Juniors Novice B World Champions), Niall Matheson (RACPADS Novice A World Champions), Angus MacColl (Oban High School Novice B runners-up), Donald Ban out in Benbecula (Sgoil Lionacleit, 6th in Nov. B)  and all the other terrific instructors doing such great work in the north and west. This…