Stirling Contest Update/ NPC Juniors Draw

A quick update on the Stirling Junior Solo Piping Contest scheduled for Saturday 7 March at the King Robert Hotel in Stirling, writes Craig Muirhead.  I’ve had a really strong entry from all across the country for the Under 18s and have a great line-up of judges including Ian Duncan, Gordon McCready, Callum Wynd and Jonathan Greenlees.  Still a few places left and plenty of space in the chanter event,…

Johnstone Exams/ Florida School/ Piping Recitals

Congratulations to successful candidates at the latest Johnstone Pipe Band PDQB/SCQF exam course, writes Keith Bowes Snr. The course started in mid-September, with exams mid-December (see picture above). This can be a quiet time in the pipe band calendar and a lot of youngsters take it as a bit of a rest period; the course ensures their enthusiasm from the previous season is carried forward. Courses and exams were held…

Mull Weekend Workshop/ Masters Drumming

On Friday the 30th January, Tobermory High School Pipe Band ran a pipers’ ceilidh in Park Lodge, Tobermory. It was well attended and the school pipers were supported by visiting tutors Barry Donaldson and Robert Wallace, writes Calum Maclean.  The ceilidh ran from 7-9pm and we had a couple of selections from Robert to open; this included a set of two-part strathspeys and reels which was nice to hear. There…

Responses to ‘Judge’s Dilemma at Glenfiddich’ article

Neil Mulvie: ‘I find it difficult not to be impressed by the approach to judging and scrutiny that Norman [Matheson] describes in his letter to Andrew Wright. And I am certain that Andrew would have totally agreed with Norman’s views. ‘Andrew often quoted Andrew MacNeill, saying that he was more comfortable awarding a prize to the piper, ‘who went off the tune rather than one who was never on it…

History: Judge’s Dilemma at Glenfiddich Competition

In 1993 there was a boycott of the main piping competitions by a large tranche of the competing piping community. They had been driven to take such drastic action by what they perceived as the poor standard of judging then extant. The boycott led to the formation of the Joint Committee for Judging representing all interested parties, pipers, promoters, judges. It was to oversee matters of dispute. Andrew Wright was…