Category: Reviews

US Piping Foundation Results

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Congratulations to all the participants in the 35th annual United States Piping Foundation Professional Piping Championship, held in memory of founder Maclean Macleod on 18 June 2022 in the Arts & Humanities Hall at the Community College of Baltimore, Essex. By Mike Rogers This was the first in-person event held by the USPF since 2019.  Due to pandemic-related facility limitations, no amateur events were held this year. In the professional…

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A Look Back at Lurgan and FMM’s Auld Boys

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The County Armagh town of Lurgan and its sprawling park was the setting for the second RSPBA Major of the season, the United Kingdom Pipe Band Championships. The weather was extremely changeable with a warm but blustery morning followed by heavy showers from the start of the Grade 1 competition before it settled back to being dry. It was hard to determine crowd numbers as the grades were well spread…

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Editor’s Notebook: Jubilee Pipers/ Lorient Faux Pas/ Ivory Pipes/ Graingers and Reeds/ Donald’s Tune

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I know it was a week ago, but I do not want this column to pass without recognising all those pipers, both military and non, who made their contribution to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Reading reports and watching the ceremonies live, it was clear that we pipers did our bit on what was a uniquely historic occasion. The jewel in our crown was P/M Stuart Liddell whose composition Diu…

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Readers React to Robert Mathieson’s Groundbreaking Thoughts on the Future of the Pipe Band Medley

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Last week Piping Press ran a series of articles from RSPBA Adjudicator Robert Mathieson. The reaction is almost as important and interesting as the original thoughts. We print a selection here… Robert McCarthy: Mr Mathieson is saying out loud what has been on many peoples’ minds for years. The contest format has been mired in antiquated rules long enough; they are strangling bands. The ‘prescribed tune list’ and restricting them…

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Changes in Pipe Band Make Up and Why the Medley Needs to Evolve

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RSPBA Adjudicator Robert Mathieson continues his expert analysis of the Grade 1 Medley with particular reference to the first Major of the season, the British at Gourock. This article appears by kind permission of the RSPBA. Read part 1 here. How do we encourage the evolvement of creative artistry in our medleys? The contest rules and constraints placed on the Grade 1 format has not changed or developed in over…

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