George Watson’s College Pipes & Drums – the End of an Era

After 22 years of dedicated service teaching pipes at George Watson’s College, Edinburgh, P/M Iain Simpson has announced that he will retire from his position in April 2022. Iain will leave an indelible mark upon the school and its pipe bands. The teaching programme has become one of the largest, and most successful, in the world.  On the competition field, Iain’s pursuit of excellence has brought many significant awards for…

Livingston Invitational Solo Drumming Competition 2021 – With Prizes for Pipers!

My last judging outing was to the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships at Kilmarnock on the 8th of March 2020 so when my good friend and colleague Jim Baxter invited me to adjudicate at his ‘LIVI INNvitational Solos’ on Saturday, the 13th of November, I was more than delighted to accept.  The day’s events took place at Deans Bowling Club in Livingston and comprised two competitions: an MSR and an ‘anything goes’ freestyle competition.  By Peter…

George Sherriff Amateur Invitational Results

The results for the 2021 George Sherriff Memorial Invitational were announced on Saturday, November 20, in a livestream broadcast. The winners’ names were interspersed with video recordings of the first place performances. The contest was organized virtually this year.  It was the 25th anniversary for the competition which saw the top 10 amateur pipers from Canada and the United States perform in three separate events.  By Bob Worrall The overall champion…

Canada and US wins at the 2021 Balmoral Classic US Junior Solo Piping & Drumming Championships

The 15th Annual Balmoral Classic, featuring the US Junior Solo Piping & Drumming Championships, were held on November 13/14 beginning on the Saturday morning with piobaireachd contests streaming via YouTube. The winners Cameron Bonar and Sebastian Arguelles are pictured above. This was the second Balmoral Classic that was online, remote and virtual. Scheduling and logistics were intensive and very competently organized and executed by Sean Patrick Regan, Program Coordinator; Leslie Clark,…

My Tribute to Balvenie Medal Winner John Wilson

This tribute was given in person at the Glenfiddich Championship held at Blair Castle, Blair Atholl, on October 30, where the writer was Master of Ceremonies….. The Balvenie Medal is awarded annually at the Glenfiddich Championship to recognize a lifetime contribution to piping. It’s the giving back, selflessly giving of one’s self, that is the key criterion for the awarding of this prestigious medal. If I may use a term…