Editor’s Notebook: Silver Chanter/ 2022 Majors/ National Mod/ Lochaber/ Norrie Gillies

Congratulations to Angus MacColl on winning this year’s Silver Chanter. Talent will out. James from Minneapolis has written. He’s surprised so few people tuned into the livestream. I think there will be many more catch Angus and the others on catch-up James. But you have a point. The Silver Chanter has lost some stardust since it was moved from Dunvegan Castle. The NPC did well rescuing it. Now they need…

Editor’s Notebook: Pandemic Problems for Manufacturers and State School Bands/ N Ireland Show the Way/ Tune for Cameron

All of our bagpipe and Highland supplies companies are needing business right now. First year pandemic they got by; this year is proving much more difficult. The phone’s not ringing the way it used to, the mail is drying up. Furlough money (UK government support) is being reduced and staff lay-offs are a possibility for some. Everyone in the piping community should help if they can by ordering that new…

Judging at Grandfather Mountain Games 2021

Ed Krintz and I judged a very high standard piping event at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in Linville, North Carolina, on July 10. The venue has often been likened to the Braemar Highland Gathering. Below is a summary of the competition Ed and I worked on. The photos show the lovely weather and how well-attended the event was. We had the pleasure of judging the Open Piobaireachd. Grandfather Mountain Highland…

Modern History of the Pipe Band Movement from 1946 to the Millennium

The Second World War interrupted pipe band contests, which resumed in 1946. In 1947 the Scottish Pipe Band Association decided to take the World Championship away from Cowal as they had had a good offer from Edinburgh City Council which wanted it to be held there to coincide with the new Festival. Cowal refused to give up the Championship or hand over the trophies, and after a lot of meetings…

History: The Glenfiddich Championship of 1981 and a Victory for Iain MacFadyen

The annual Glenfiddich Championship will take place again this October, hopefully before a live audience. This failing, it will be run as last year, livestreamed before live judges but crowd less. The following is taken from a report by well-known journalist Rennie McOwan who attended the famous event, then known as the Grant’s Championship, 40 years ago…….. The journalist from the French travel magazine was puzzled. All these individual tartan-clad…