PP Ed's Blog: London/ Critiques/Bellows Collogue/SPA/ Florida

To London today for the annual solo championships. A huge number of events with around 100 pipers taking part. The judges will have their work cut out for sure. Kensington Conference Centre is the place to be from 8.30am tomorrow and I’ll have results here as soon as I get them. ‘Charlie’ comments again on Glenfiddich asking if I could review the performances via the videos. Not something I do…

PP Ed's Blog: Glenfiddich/ B Cal Airways Band/ Harry McNulty/ Joe Wilson

Thanks for all the comments regarding the Glenfiddich competition. I hear that the tuning wasn’t too bad this year and that may have been something to do with the positioning of a clock by which the competitors could perhaps gauge the time spent adjusting the drones. Only one small step now and we could have lights and a huge improvement in listeners’ enjoyment. In particular, think how the livestream experience…

PP Ed’s Blog: Glenfiddich/ Strachur/ Bobby MacLeod/ Scots Guards KO

‘Charlie’ posted a comment on the Glenfiddich results report asking if I will be doing a critique on this year’s performances. The answer is no Charlie. They don’t invite me I’m afraid. The last time I was there, in 2014, I had to ask for a press pass. People might not realise it but behind all the smiles and bonhomie on display ….. My report that year mentioned that the…

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…