Category: Reviews

2022 ‘Boney Invitational’ is British Columbia’s First Live Event for More Than Two Years

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By Mike Chisholm The British Columbia Pipers’ Association held their 6th annual Boney Music Memorial Invitational Competition and Recital on May 14. BC piper Zephan Knichel took the top prize. Jeanette Bonar, wife of the late Andrew Bonar who started the event, and Andrew’s son Cameron, presented the award to Zephan who will have his name engraved on the trophy for his first win at the ‘Boney’. (See picture above.) ‘It…

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History: Day 2 at the Northern Meeting 1970

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A couple of weeks ago we ran a report on day one of the 1970 Northern Meeting. Today we have the Press & Journal newspaper’s report from day 2. It marked the comeback of the legendary Donald MacPherson after a four year lay off. The newspaper caption to the above picture reads ‘Congratulations for Mr Donald MacPherson, Exmouth, Devon, from his wife Gwen and daughters Fiona and Katrina after winning…

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Editor’s Notebook: PPBSO Archive/ RSPBA Chief/ Donald Cameron/ Finlay Drynan/ Captain John

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New President Michael Grey has certainly rejuvenated Ontario’s Piping and Pipe Band Society. There’s now new archive material from the Society’s archives available, his latest Newsletter tells me. Above is film of the innovative Vale of Atholl band under P/M Ian Duncan from the North American Championships at Maxville in 1988. The blurb reads: ‘This is the last of nine bands to play on Saturday, July 30, 1988. The Vale…

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South Africa’s ‘Hundred Guineas’ Competition, 2022

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South Africa’s pre-eminent solo piping competition took place in Johannesburg at St Benedict’s College over the weekend of 26 and 27 March 2022. On-line competitions have been a wonderful way of providing pipers and drummers with a competition outlet over the last couple of years. A major advantage of these contests has been the opportunity for pipers to compete, even on an international level, without leaving home – and several…

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Thirty-two Long Months and the Pandemic Nighmare is Finally Put Behind Us (Updated with Full Results )

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It fell to the Kilbarchan pipe band to sound the first note played in anger on a pipe band contest field for almost three years. With that first introductory E this band of 17 pipers swept away months of moribundity and declared ‘the pipe band movement is back’! The occasion was the Gourock Highland Games contest held at the weekend at Battery Park, Greenock. I arrived early just as tents…

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