History: The Kilberry Pipers and their Medal

I came across this piping medal which I thought might be of interest, writes John Campbell, Kilberry. It was struck in 1899 and competed for by the estate pipers. It has the names of five recorded winners on the reverse. The pipers were all members of the Kilberry Estate pipe band tutored by my grandfather, Archibald Campbell, compiler and editor of the famous ‘Kilberry Book of Ceol Mor’. The competition…

Outcomes from the Latest RSPBA Board of Directors Meeting

Take aways from the recent RSPBA Board of Directors meeting….. The association has formed a group to examine ways of reducing the time it takes for the March Past and prize announcements at contests, particularly the Majors. BoD have agreed that at the World Championship all qualifying announcements will held at the Needle on Glasgow Green.  Former Chairman Kevin Reilly will continue his involvement within the 850th celebrations for Glasgow…

‘Pipe Band Reflections’ – Two Books Detailing a Lifetime in Pipe Bands

Having spent literally a life time associated with pipe bands as a competitor, educator and adjudicator, it struck me that not a lot had been written about this musical genre, or certainly not in published book form.  When discussing piping and drumming with fellow competitors, all have their own historical perspective mainly based on the bands they played in or competed against.  These comments tend to be anecdotal in nature…

Entries Closing for George Watson’s Caritas Banner/ RSPBA Junior Contests This Weekend

Entries for the ‘Caritas Banner’ (pictured above) close tomorrow, Friday, November 8. The competition is run by George Watson’s College Pipe Band. It has so far attracted some of the best young players in the country but there are still spaces available in all events. The competition takes place on Sunday 24 November 2024 at the Edinburgh-based College. Sponsors are David Glen, Bagpipe-makers and the Piobaireachd Society. All competitors must…

New Free Bagpipe Tuner App/ New Appointments at Royal New Zealand Pipe Band Association

I have recently developed an app for tuning the bagpipes with ease, writes Ethan Wang. Because the price of many tuners are pretty expensive I have decided to make it free. It is available to everyone on iOS. Designed by myself, SparrowTone is a free tuner solely for the bagpipes. It has three displays (see picture above), each for letting you tune a certain part of the bagpipe: Pitch history…