Judges for Band Majors Announced/ ‘Wheel’ Draw & Update/ SPA KO

The RSPBA has announced the adjudicators for the Major Championships for the 2016 pipe band season. Judges for the Grade 1 Worlds are: Qualifier 1: Campbell, Young, Mordaunt, N Russell Qualifier 2: G Wilson, Garrett, Dinsdale, Snadden G1 MSR Final: MacShannon, Wark, Steele, MacInnes G1 Medley Final: Stevenson, Ronaldson, G Craig, Hutcheon Get the full lists for the other grades and all other championships here. Read about G1 Medley Final…

Choice Tune: Lord Alexander Kennedy by James Honeyman

Our focus today is on the 2/4 pipe march Lord Alexander Kennedy. Now more popular with bands than soloists, it is nevertheless a classic of the genre. ‘Lord Alex’ lends itself to innovation and re-write, and many versions of the tune have appeared and been performed over the years. What I’m presenting today, however, is a copy of the original tune as written by the composer, James Honeyman, and passed…

Review: ‘Live in Ireland 2016’, at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall

By ROBERT WALLACE  Good tunes, well played. There you have it, a four word summary of the ‘Live in Ireland’ concert given last Saturday by ex-members of the 78th Fraser Highlanders pipe band from Ontario – with a select group of Grade 1 pipers and drummers in support. The concert, in a respectably filled main auditorium at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, was, of course, much more than that. We had…

PP Editor’s Blog: Tying Bridles/ Florida Academy Sponsorship/ Brian Niven/ Structured Learning Vids

Pleased to announce that Wm. Sinclair & Co. are to sponsor the South Florida Pipe & Drum Academy. Thank you! I think it is a credit to the Academy that so many leading piping firms are willing to support it. Wm Sinclair join RT Shepherd, D Naill & Co, McCallum Bagpipes, G1 Reeds and Pipe Dreams on our list of benefactors. The Academy runs from February 24 – 28 inclusive…

Judges Announced for ‘Wheel of Fortune’/ ‘Live in Ireland’ Dress Code

Judges for the prestigious ‘Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune’ competition will be three of the most respected pipe majors in the pipe band world: P/M Bob Shepherd, P/M Ian McLellan, and P/M Barry Donaldson. A spokesman for the promoters, City of Edinburgh Pipe Band, said: ‘We were delighted when Bob and Ian agreed to join our own pipe major Barry Donaldson on the bench for what is going to be…