Editor’s Notebook: Willie Ross and Robert Reid/ Book Plea/ Gordon’s Tune/ Clan MacRae and Glasgow Skye

I am sure P/M Willie Ross did seminal service to piping when he streamlined the playing and writing of our ceòl beag technique. Gone were the doublings on C with the two D gracenotes, the open style of taorluath writing, the heavy D throw, the gracenoted birl. His six books also provided a catalogue of standard settings of many of the classic competition tunes in versions that everyone agreed were…

Were Wallacestone Pipe Band the First World Champions 120 Years Ago?

We have received this intriguing information from expert piping historian and author Jeannie Campbell: ‘In 1903 a contest was held in the Waverley Market, Edinburgh. ‘Thirteen bands took part and the contest was reported in the papers as the World’s First Pipe Band Championship. The winners were Wallacestone and their opening march was Bonnie Anne.’ The band is pictured above with the handsome trophy with all the personnel clearly named….

Editor’s Notebook: RSPBA Board of Directors/ Ontario View/ Aberdeen PS/ Duthart Tune/ Black Watch Tunes

The RSPBA’s Board of Directors met on April 15 and the minutes of the meeting were published yesterday. Out takes from the meeting are as follows: Consideration is being given to the restoration of the popular Twitter results feed at the Worlds. This was particularly useful in letting bands know the outcome of the qualifiers. Posts were made after official announcements, but they meant that band members had an instant…

Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune Results

Cameron Drummond of Edinburgh was the winner of the popular Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune competition, which was held at Danderhall Miners’ Club in Midlothian on Saturday 29 April 2023. The event, which is hosted by the City of Edinburgh Pipe Band, requires pipers to play a medley of tunes which is determined by spinning the golden chanter on the Wheel of Fortune.   The Wheel features 12 tune categories…

Highlands & Islands Festival 2023 Piping Full Results

Another successful competition was held in the Oban High School today, Saturday, April 29, with healthy entries in most competitions. Sponsors included the Piobaireachd Society and the Competing Pipers’ Association. P/A Ceol Mor for Cooper Salver (1st) and Dugald MacColl Memorial Trophy (2nd).1 Roderick MacLeod, Old Men of the Shells2 Steven Leask, MacNeil of Barra’s March 3 Darach Urquhart, I Got a Kiss of the King’s Hand4 William Geddes, Lament…