The popular Highlands and Islands Festival has celebrated its 30th anniversary at a reception held in the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, writes Robert Wallace The festival began in 1983 as an idea floated round the kitchen table of former Chairman Neil Sinclair and his wife at their home in Oban. Since then it has enjoyed years of showcasing the best in Scottish music and dance. It has grown to such an extent…
A meeting will be held this weekend to decide on the disbursement of the first grants from the RSPBA’s National Juvenile Pipe Band Fund. The fund was launched last World’s Week. It’s aim is to help young bands who are struggling to find the cash for competition buses, instruments and tuition. Most of these bands receive nothing from the public purse at all and it was to try to redress…
We start today with some very interesting archive material. Firstly we have a recording of Bob Brown, Balmoral, playing two 2/4 marches, Abercairney Highlanders and the 74th’s Farewell to Edinburgh. The recording comes to us courtesy of Patrick Molard in Brittany. Patrick recorded Bob when he was a pupil of his (Patrick of Bob not Bob of Patrick!) in the early 1970s. What do we learn? Firstly I think it…
Because of the vagaries of the calendar, the Scottish Piping Society of London’s annual competitions took place on 31st October and not in November. They were held on Oidhche Shamhna, the eve of An t-Samhain, which is the ancient Celtic New Year’s day. It is a great feat of organisation to fit 14 adult and three junior competitions into one day, but under the excellent administration of Jackie Roberts, the…
To Dumfries the other night for a recital by Gordon McCready at the Hole in the Wa’ pub. The crowd enjoy a full evening of quality piping on a very good instrument. Gordon was supported by 86-year-old Hamish Thow – clearly a player of note in his day, Alan Clement, and a very promising, clean fingered 11-year-girl, May Cranmer. Alan is, I think, Stuart Liddell’s cousin, and like the maestro, taught by his…
Recent Comments