Category: Reviews

Review: ‘Garron’, a New CD from Stuart Liddell

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It has been a little while since I added to my collection of piping recordings but when I heard that Stuart Liddell had recently released a new CD I just had to buy a copy. I ordered it directly from www.stuartliddell.com and it arrived very quickly. The packaging is excellent with very attractive artwork and it contains a little booklet which lists the tracks and gives some background details on…

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Scots Guards KO/ Graeme Johnston/ China Contest

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The Army’s Scott McCaskill (pictured) won through to the next round of the Scots Guards KO contest held yesterday at the SG Club, Haymarket, Edinburgh. The large crowd narrowly voted Scott through against his opponent Ross Conner, Campbeltown. Graeme Johnston Contest The West of Scotland Branch of the RSPBA attracted a large entry to their annual juvenile contest held in memory of pipe band stalwart Graeme Johnston. The event was…

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Editor’s Notebook: Worlds Grade 2/ NM and AG Entries/ Book Promo/ Florida Academy/ Fintan Lalor

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We received this anonymous comment regarding the qualifying set up for Grade 2 bands at the Worlds. ‘One bad/ unlucky performance (on an extra day that you have had to take time off work/ fork out extra for accommodation) and you could be in the only group of adult bands that don’t get to play on the Saturday. Very unfair and very shortsighted from the RSPBA. ‘The requirements of Grade…

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Review: The Vale’s Legacy and Gordon Duncan’s Music are Still Live, Still Well

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The Vale of Atholl pipe band of the 1980s and ’90s were indeed true originals. Led by Pipe Major Ian Duncan and his famous brother Gordon, ‘The Vale’ pushed boundaries of form, style, content and structure from day one of their arrival in the premier grades.  Arguably, the pinnacle of their artistic output was the 1995 concert at Motherwell Civic Centre, ‘Live n’ Well’. I was busy being seven. My…

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Germany’s Northern Winter Competition Continues to Grow in Stature

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One hundred and forty pipers and drummers converged on the German city of Bremen at the weekend for the Northern Winter Competition, writes the Editor. Organised by the Bagpipe Association of Germany, it was a triumph of efficiency and balance: camaraderie, fierce competition in equal measure. Piping judges were myself, Barry Donaldson, Peter Hunt and Allan MacDonald. There were solos at every level and quintets for bands. This last worked…

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