Crieff Abandons Piping – A Shameful Decision

Editor Robert Wallace: Crieff’s excuse of blaming the two-day Worlds and the RSPBA is a red herring. Last year and this, Glasgow Green was, and will be, busy on Friday and Saturday. Crieff is on a Sunday. That their committee has succumbed to that low emotion – victimhood – gives all credence to the lie. If we needed further evidence, then a read of Nick Hudson’s factual account in the comment…

Crieff Highland Games Abandons Piping Contests

In a shock move, the organisers of one of Scotland’s longest established Highland games has announced that they will no longer hold solo piping or pipe band contests during their August gathering. In a statement to the Competing Pipers’ Association they said: ‘As you will be aware the number of both participants & spectators at Crieff Games piping competitions has dwindled over the past few years. We believe that this…

Important New Piobaireachd Work Available from Piping Press Shop

Respected ceol mor teacher and adjudicator, Duncan Watson, has  reviewed Jimmy McIntosh’s new book ‘Ceol Mor for the Great Highland Bagpipe, presented in The Balmoral Tradition’, exclusively for pipingpress.com. In a very detailed and expert analysis, Duncan, himself a long-time pupil of RB Nicol, looks at how the music is set out, comments on notation, the teaching of John MacDonald and the Bobs of Balmoral, and adds entertaining anecdotal information…

Scottish Pipers’ Association Secures Sponsorship

One of Scotland’s oldest piping societies, the Scottish Pipers’ Association, has secured funding for its annual professional competition. The sponsor is McCallum Bagpipes who have agreed to donate a substantial sum of cash to the competition. SPA President Tom Johnstone said he was delighted to secure the money which guarantees the competition’s future: ‘I cannot thank this company enough. We are determined to restore the SPA Professional to status it…

Argyllshire Gathering Contestants for 2015 Announced

The Argyllshire Gathering has confirmed the following names for this year’s prestigious piobaireachd competitions to be held at Oban on August 26th, 2015. There will be 28 competing for the Silver Medal with two reserves, and 29 for the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal, no reserves. Last year’s winner of the Oban Silver Medal, Decker Forrest, is pictured above with the Duke of Argyll, the Chieftain of the Gathering. Read…