Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band to Receive Special 'Irish Oscars' Music Award

Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band are to receive the 2018 Special Award at the Irish language television channel TG4’s traditional Irish music awards, ‘Gradam Ceoil’, the Ulster Star newspaper has reported. The Lisburn-based band will be presented with the award at the Gradam Ceoil concert and awards ceremony at Belfast Waterfront on Sunday, February 4, which will be broadcast live. The paper reports: ‘Widely regarded as the Oscars of Irish…

PP Academy: Three Experts Offer Advice on How to Play Reels

Piping Press is a free resource for all pipers and pipe bands. Our aim is to educate, inform and entertain. Our learning pages, under the banner of PP Academy, have lots of advice and knowledge on how to be a better piper or band and cover all aspects of performance and tuning. Click on the highlighted PP Academy link above or the Tuition tab at the top of this page…

PP Ed's Blog: Reflections on NZ/ Silver Medal Tunes/ SPA AGM/ Schools Trust Job

Reflecting on my recent visit to New Zealand I really must doff the bonnet to all those pipers who, over many years, have made the long trek to the Northern Hemisphere to compete at Oban and Inverness (and bands who get the cash and time together to do the same to compete at the Worlds). Only when you’ve done it do you really appreciate the commitment required – and it…

History: Pipe Major Donald MacLeod Piping Profile from 50 Years Ago

The following is taken from the September 1967 edition of ‘Piping World’ an American-based magazine edited by the late Donald Varella….. So often we hear someone or other referred to as ‘being a piper’. And in most cases the person spoken of could equally well be described a being a philatelist, a gardener, or a missionary; for although he can’t lay his hands on it just now, he began his stamp…

Johnstone PB to Headline Major Concert at Celtic Connections/ Northern Ireland Charity Function

Press release from Johnstone PB: Johnstone Pipe Band (pictured above) are delighted to have been invited to perform on the main stage at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on Saturday the 20th January as part of the city’s 2018 Celtic Connections festival.  Pipe Major Keith J Bowes said: ‘We are really excited that the opportunity has come our way to showcase the band on the platform of the Royal Concert Hall. It…