Category: Pipe Bands

Vale Drummers/ CLASP Results/Boghall Recruitment

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Fiona MacKay: ‘The Vale of Atholl Grade 1 Pipe Band has announced the departure of Leading Drummer Lee Lawson.  Lee took a sabbatical from the band mid-season for personal reasons and unfortunately will not be able to continue with the Grade 1 band as we set our sights on preparing for the 2017 season. We would like to thank Lee for her contribution and the band will shortly provide a…

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Bagpipe Lung: The Definitive Report

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There was much brouhaha in the national press a couple of weeks ago about the dangers to pipers from fungal spores and bacteria in their instruments. Today we publish the actual scientific findings on which these reports – some of them misleading – were based. Although the article contains a lot of medical terminology (as one would expect), we believe it is worth a proper read so that pipers fully understand, as best…

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PP Editor’s Blog: Belfast Tattoo/2017 band dates/ FMM Recording/ Police losses/ Poll

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The grand finale of the Belfast Tattoo last weekend marked the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme.  The massed bands and dancers were joined in the arena by Royal British Legion standard bearers in a moving tribute to all of those men and boys, who selflessly gave their lives.  The evening concluded with the audience joining the bands in singing, ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’, ‘It’s Long Way to Tipperary’ and ‘Auld…

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PP Editor’s Blog: Poll/ Angus Nicol/ Willie Lawrie/ Shotts Contest/ Glenn’s Job

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  [polldaddy poll=9503440] Don’t forget to offer your opinion on the Champion of Champions poll above. Now that Cowal is past, visitors might have a better idea of how the event could handle re-instituting the awards there. Still with the bands, a good letter today on the Worlds and Grade 1 players being allowed to play ‘down’. Correspondent Jim Johnson, like all those with any sense, believes the open circle…

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Drummer William (Billy) Stevenson, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band

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Former Leading Drummer of Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band, William (Billy) Stevenson,  passed away on 5 July 2016 in Australia.  Billy rose to prominence when he was tasked with revitalising the Shotts drum corp after the then leading tip, the legendary Alex Duthart, left the band to join P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay at the heavily sponsored Invergordon Distillery Pipe Band – this in the early 1960s. Bert Barr and…

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