The following article by Alistair Aitken OBE was first published in the April 2003 edition of Pipe Band Magazine, an edition now out of print. It throws some light on the still mysterious (to some) business of Ensemble adjudication. Given the rapid approach of the 2017 pipe band season we thought it would be helpful to bands currently polishing up their competition MSRs and Medleys. In the last edition of the…
Report from the 113th Maclean Highland Gathering held 14th April 2017 in northern New South Wales, Australia. The picture above shows winner Andrew Roach in typical Antipodean formal dress. Robert Gibb writes: For the 113th time in its long history, the annual Maclean Highland Gathering was held on Easter weekend over the 14th and 15th of April. The Friday focusses on solo piping with all grades represented. ‘A’ grade competitors compete in the Maclean Gold Medal contest comprising Piobaireachd, MSR, Hornpipe and…
The following is taken from the People’s Journal newspaper of November 4, 1893. It is by their ‘Lady Correspondent’ and is headlined ‘An Interview with the Queen’s Bagpipe-Maker’. The subject of the article is Duncan Macdougall, Aberfeldy, renowned pipe maker. The article will be of interest to all those who study or collect or indeed manufacture pipes. It is written in the flowery style of the late Victorian times but that…
Nothing Seems to Have Changed by Piping Historian, Keith Sanger The following extract is from a long letter reporting on the St Fillans Highland Games of 1821 which I came across last week and am still transcribing. The part quoted concerns the piping competition and needs little comment other than that nearly 200 years later, little seems to have changed regarding dissatisfaction with competition results. The letter comes from the…
The draw for the first major of the season, the British at Paisley, has been published by the RSPBA. First on are PSNI and last, the defending champions, Inveraray. Interesting to see Dowco Triumph Street and Simon Fraser from Vancouver making the journey and good on them for that. I am sure they will find the trip worthwhile and being adjacent to the airport means travel costs will be reduced…
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