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…

Worlds – Grade 2 Review and Thoughts on the Day at Glasgow Green

Some say he wears a glengarry with his pyjamas….others that his kilt was at Culloden….yet more that his dress sense is more Prince, than Charlie. All we know is that he is called MacStig……. The climax of the 2017 Pipe Band Season arrived last Saturday at Glasgow Green, the home of the World Championships, with cold, overcast conditions, rain at times yet brightening towards evening. But enough of the weather………

Changes at the College and the Funding of Piping

Just when things seemed to be settling down at the College of Piping we hear of another departure, that of General Manager Fraser MacInnes, writes the Editor. My information is that the parting was not as harmonious as it might have been. There must have been personality issues here for, according to the Office of Scottish Charities Register (OSCR), the College’s profit last year was £21,000. The old place seemed…