Queen Victoria School Seeks New Pipe Major/ Canadian Piping Society Launches Newsletter

The Ministry of Defence are seeking ‘to appoint a Pipe Major who strives to continuously improve the high standards of piping at Queen Victoria School, Dunblane, including ensuring that piping students have opportunities to gain formal (SQA) qualifications in the subject. ‘The Pipe Major will also take an active role in the promotion of Queen Victoria School through regular attendance, along with the whole pipe band and, potentially, the Highland…

Editor’s Notebook: Hopeful Signs for 2022 Season/ Dale Brown/ Ken Eller/ Northern Meeting 1971

Whether coincidental or by design, the considerably more positive statement which has appeared on the RSPBA website subsequent to my comments of last week regarding the forthcoming pipe band season, are to be welcomed. The Association is working hard on the majors (judges, stewards, compilers), is filling in gaps on the minors, and has their promoters, our cash-strapped Scottish local authorities, in constant and close contact. The feeling in Washington…

How Lanarkshire Bands Led the Way in the Development of the ‘Long’ 2/4 Competition March

Yesterday’s story on the eight-part Maggie Cameron brought to mind an article I wrote 20 years ago about the development of Marches, Strathspeys and Reels from four to six and eight part mega pieces, writes the Editor. It was all to do with giving the pipe band more of a stretch. The top outfits were sick of puny wee Rejected Suitor and four-part Loch Loskin to say nothing of Charles…

Piping in WW2: Personal Stories from the Home Front

We continue with our well received history by Jeannie Campbell. The picture above shows the KOSB regimental Pipes and Drums leading a parade down a bleak Princes Street, Edinburgh, in 1939….. The late Dr Jimmy Campbell has memories of wartime piping. This is his story: ‘My first year as a medical student in 1941 included service in the Senior Training Corps, fire watching and guard duty. Invasion was expected so…

Tales of the Muirheads from the 1960s – Part 2

Former Muirhead & Sons piper Gordon Ferguson, now domiciled in Australia, concludes his reminiscences… The other memories that I have relate to a trip overseas to Russia in 1967 as World Pipe Band Champions. I was thinking of including some tales of the band trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, that same year but though it was a memorable trip there is not a great deal to comment on, especially since…