Category: Reviews

News from Across the Water: All Change at NI Branch/ Jeffrey McCready/ Bands Query/ Belfast Tartan Day

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Change afoot in the RSPBA Northern Ireland Branch. The AGM is at 11am this Saturday, 30th November, in Cookstown Methodist Church Hall. Judging by the number of post holders who have decided to step down, there will be significant changes to the 2025 officer team. Those not standing for re-election include current Branch President Winston Pinkerton, Treasurer Kenny Crothers, RSPBA NI Director Lorraine Ronaldson and Branch Chief Steward Brian Harvey….

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History: The Kilberry Pipers – Part 2

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Below are extracts from the diaries of John Campbell of Kilberry, father of Archibald Campbell. They have been reproduced here by kind permission of John Campbell of Kilberry, the current Piping Convenor for the Argyllshire Gathering. They show the extraordinary lengths the family went to support and promote piping. It was at John Campbell’s instigation that the piobaireachd Society was formed and his son and grandson, Archibald and James, went…

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History: The Kilberry Pipers and their Medal

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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…

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Outcomes from the Latest RSPBA Board of Directors Meeting

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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…

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

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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…

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