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…
Thanks to Patrick Molard in Brittany we are today able to hear some of the superb piping of Captain Andrew Pitkeathly, former Piper to HM The Queen, and Director of Army Bagpipe Music at Edinburgh Castle. Patrick writes: ‘Hi Rab, here is a recording; it is Andrew Pitkeathly when he came over to Brittany in 1973 ( Batz-sur-Mer near La Baule), for a piping workshop and a competition. The quality of…
George Balderose reports: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – November 20-22, 2015: The Ninth Annual Balmoral Classic US Junior Solo Junior Bagpiping and Solo Snare Drumming Championships were won by Piper Gavin Mackay of Kitchener, Ontario, and drummer MacKenzie Chamberlain of Sarnia, Ontario. Mackay and Chamberlain each won both events in piping and drumming. Kathleen Brown of Gaithersburg, Maryland placed 2nd in the piobaireachd event and Steven MacDonald of Pittsburgh via Florida and…
Recent Comments