Poster Reveals Details of 1785 Contest

What did pipers play in solo competition almost 230 years ago? A poster from the 1785 competition held in Edinburgh for the Prize Pipe reveals all. It tells us that 50 pieces of ceol mor were heard during the gathering; it proves that the tunes we play today were in common currency back then; it shows that despite Culloden, its shameful aftermath and the Act of Proscription, piping continued to thrive in…

P/M George Ackroyd contest South Africa (updated)

The results from Saturday’s P/M George Ackroyd contest, held at the Transvaal Scottish Regimental HQ in Johannesburg were as follows: George Ackroyd Challenge Overall 1st Gareth Rudolph George Ackroyd Challenge Overall – Best Junior 1st Brandon Holz George Ackroyd Challenge Piobaireachd Adjudicators : Thomas Knobel, Struan Young 1st Gareth Rudolph 2nd Brandon Holz 3rd Chris Couperthwaite 4th Alex Jeanrenaud (8 competed) George Ackroyd Challenge Strathspey & Reel Adjudicator : Roger Davies 1st Gareth Rudolph 2nd Nicholas Taitz 3rd Alex…

Northern Ireland Piper of the Year – Critique

This contest, run by the Northern Ireland Piping Society, was held in the ballroom at the Adair Arms Hotel in Ballymena, and despite a hum from the cooler behind the bar, it proved an ideal venue for a piping competition; plenty of floor space, plenty of audience space and a draughtless ambience. There were very few listeners in for the piobaireachd in the afternoon  (not unusual, even in Scotland) but the…

Nicol-Brown Amateur contest, USA

Paula Glendinning: The 32nd Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Piping Competition October 11, 2014 NEW LOCATION: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 21 Hackett Blvd. Albany, NY 12208 Judges: Andrew Hayes and Michael Rogers View a pdf of the 2014 program. A sampling of photos through the years. Or, if you’re on Facebook, you can browse through our photostream. Overall Nicol-Brown Championship Liam Hilder (15 points) Prizes: airfare to compete in London in November…