Wheel of Fortune Date Announced as Edinburgh Band Remembers its Mining Roots

The ninth annual ‘Pipe Majors’ Wheel of Fortune’ competition will be held on Saturday 13th February 2016 in Danderhall Miners Club, near Edinburgh.  Hosted by the City of Edinburgh Pipe Band, the event is a well-established and highly popular fixture on Scotland’s solo piping calendar. Some facts: The City of Edinburgh Pipe Band competes in Grade 2 and is the senior band in Scotland’s capital. The ‘Wheel of Fortune’ competition provides…

PP Ed’s Blog: Tumbledown Mountain/ BB Results/ Piping Tuition

My report the other day on P/M Peter MacInnes and his tune for Captain John Young brought to mind Peter’s own heroism and that of his piper colleagues in the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards during the 1982 Falklands War. Many youngsters now learn the tune Crags of Tumbledown Mountain by P/M James Riddell, Scots Guards, but how many know the story behind the tune? The picture above was taken on…

PP Editor’s Blog: Gwen Macpherson/ Govan Pipers Film/ SPA KO/ EUSPBA Piob. Conf.

Like many, I was sorry to learn of the passing of Gwen MacPherson, Donald’s widow. Gwen (86) died in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, on December 2, after chest infection complications. Her funeral service is today, Dec 14, at Mortonhall Crematorium, Pentland Chapel, Edinburgh, at 10.30 am, to which all family and friends are invited. The death notice in the Edinburgh Evening News read: ‘Gwen, very dearly loved wife of the late Donald, mother…

Field Marshal’s Worlds Week Concert Details Announced

Details of the eagerly anticipated Field Marshal Montgomery Worlds Week concert have just been announced. Entitled ‘Impact’ the concert blurb reads: ‘Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band is one of the most influential and successful pipe bands of all time. Hailing from Northern Ireland, the band is led by Pipe Major Richard Parkes MBE, Pipe Sergeant Alastair Dunn and Drum Sergeant Keith Orr. With 63 RSPBA major championships to their name, FMM…

PP Editor’s Blog: Argylls Book/ Oban Pipe Band/New Pipe Band etc….

P/M Ian McLellan reports on progress with the new Argylls book of bagpipe music. Ian writes: ‘Hi Rab, I thought you might be interested in the above photograph of the personnel involved in compiling the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Collection of Bagpipe Music.  ‘From the left are  myself,  P/M Jimmy Banks, Captain Gordon Rowan, A & SH, Walter Cowan and James Henderson. Keeping you up to date on the progress, all…