Category: Pipe Bands

The P/M Robert G. Hardie Memorial Trophy to Be Competed for at the Argyllshire Gathering

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Unveiled today is the new P/M Robert G. Hardie Memorial Trophy to be awarded at the games at this year’s Argyllshire Gathering for the first time. It will be presented to the winner of a new ceol beag competition for young pipers aged 22 and under – but is open only to those who have competed in the MacGregor Memorial piobaireachd competition the day before.  Previously these pipers had no competition at the…

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PP Editor’s Blog: Drumming Points/ SPA KO/ Dr MacKay/ NEPADA/ NIPDS

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Congratulations to last weekend’s Grade 1 winners St Laurence O’Toole at Bangor, Northern Ireland, and Scottish Power at Banchory.  It is good to see these big bands supporting the smaller contests and not just the major championships. At the latter the Power narrowly beat Fife Police on ensemble preference and at Bangor it was Field Marshal who were nudged into second on a third prize for their drummers. There has…

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Everything All Set for First Major Pipe Band Championship of 2016

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One week from now 147 bands will converge on St James Playing Fields, Paisley, for the British Pipe Band Championships, the first major competition of the season. All of the organisational detail and logistics for an event which will host upwards of 5,000 bands people has been completed to the satisfaction of the RSPBA. Site work begins on Monday with fencing and vehicle tracking being laid. All band buses will…

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PP Editor’s Blog: Ian’s March/ Mod Reminder/ Early Band Contests/ Knox Tour

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With all his success as a pipe major it is easy to forget what a great solo piper P/M Ian McLellan was –  a winner of all the big light music titles including Former Winners’ MSRs. Ian (above), you may not know, was also taught piobaireachd by Captain Andrew Pitkeathly in the Argylls, but band work took over and he didn’t have time to pursue it. He excelled at march…

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PP Academy: Jigs Ain’t What They Used to Be

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In last week’s references to Duncan Johnstone I deliberately avoided mention of his oft-used description as ‘King of the Jigs’. I don’t know where or how he assumed this epithet but it was one he disliked. He was good at them mind. His was a rounder style, perhaps, given his Barra roots, an island way of handling this much-maligned tune form. Duncan’s presentation was often misinterpreted as straight as a die…

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