When is Juvenile Not Juvenile? – Time for a Rethink at the World Solo Drumming

Some say he is as thick skinned as the first Andante….others that he knew the original Pretty Marion, even more that he doesn’t know one end of a KP2 from the other. All we know is he’s called MacStig…… As the viewing statistics of the World Solo Drumming performances clock up on YouTube, the top Juvenile Section (Juvenile 5 Snare – March, Strathspey & Reel) videos are also gathering momentum….

Ben McClamrock Reviews the 2017 Nicol-Brown Amateur Contest

At 9:30 am on October 7, 2017, the Nicol-Brown Invitational began again for a remarkable 35th time. The contest, originally envisioned by American piping patriarch Donald Lindsay, aims to give top amateur pipers from North America a first-class venue to showcase their talent. In doing so, it also provides a taste of the high pressure, indoor competition environment that many of them will need to master should they continue on…

World Solo Drumming Review: Inveraray’s McWhirter Takes the Blue Ribbon Event

Some say he believes in Santa, others that he is one and the same….even more that he thinks SLOT is for coins in Vegas and Shotts his number of chances. All we know is he’s called MacStig……….. In what crowns an exceptional year for lead drummer Steven McWhirter, he added his seventh consecutive, and eighth overall, World Solo title to a fantastic year for Inveraray & District Pipe Band. Moreover,…

PP Ed’s Blog: Andrew Bonar Appreciation/ World Drumming/ Florida Academy/ Juvenile Contests

Robert MacNeill, SFU band manager and President of the British Columbia Pipers’ Association, has been in touch to inform us of an evening to celebrate the life of Andrew Bonar who died so tragically this week. Robert says: ‘Thank you for your article on Andrew Bonar’s passing. Your inclusion of the thoughts of Terry Lee was very insightful on how Boney was such a magician with music. ‘I remember him…

Review: The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Collection of Bagpipe Music

What a year it has been for Argyll piping: Inveraray winning the Worlds, Alasdair Henderson taking the Northern Meeting Gold Medal – and now a superb collection of bagpipe music courtesy the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. The book represents a 200 year long musical journey of one of the iconic Scottish regiments, perhaps no longer with the identity of yesteryear but with a corpus of pipe music which will ensure…