Dunedin Games, Florida, and Stuart Liddell Recital

Our North American Correspondent reports a St Thomas Alumni win in  Grade 2 at this north Florida games. The picture up top shows adjudicator Ken Eller scoring Dunedin Middle School… In a sun drenched arena, 17 bands took part in the afternoon competition, with over 120 solo performers going through their paces in the morning session. A crowd of around 15,000, with a strong Texan contingent,  attended a full day of…

PP Ed’s Blog: Schools Poll/ Gordon’s Recital/ SPA Pro/ Piob Soc Conf/ Barnaby

The result of our poll into the suitability or otherwise of the new venue for the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championship were as follows:  Some heart for the organisers if we amalgamate the two bottom stats: 41% think it okay or are prepared to give it another go. The majority however were clearly not happy. Read about the 2017 contest here. The picture up top shows the main winners, George…

PP Ed’s Blog: Modern Piobaireachd/ AKQ/ Uist & Barra/ Fergie Tune

Writing of Dr John MacAskill’s self-penned piobaireachd on Friday served as a reminder of the current impetus there is behind ‘modern’ ceol mor. At the end of the month we will have the Donald MacLeod Memorial contest in Stornoway (see banner ad.) where his music will be enjoyed once more by the large crowd. Donald’s tunes feature in this year’s Silver Medal lists too, and other modern tunes such as…

Report on the Army Contest/ Date for Capt. John MacLellan Mem./Pipes for Sale/ Young Piper

After a hiatus of seven years, last weekend (March 4/5) saw the Army Piping and Drumming Championships take place at the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming, writes Major Gordon Rowan, Director of Army Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming. The school, at Inchdrewer House in Edinburgh, resounded to the sound of bagpipes, drums and bugles, as pipers and drummers from across the British Army competed with each other…

Review: The Uist & Barra March, Strathspey & Reel and Hornpipe & Jig

The editor continues with his look back at last Saturday’s Uist & Bara competition this time concentrating on the ceol beag events, the March, Strathspey and Reel and the Hornpipe and Jig, competitions he judged with P/M James Banks MBE and John Wilson…… It is surprising how some pipers give every attention to detail in their piobaireachd but not so when an MSR or Hornpipe & Jig hoves into view. Here…