P/M Gordon Walker Recital, Northern Ireland

The Blackthorn Pipers’ Society Annual Recital Andy Wilson reports: The Blackthorn Pipers’ Society held its third annual piping recital in Dromore Rugby Club, Dromore, Co Down, Northern Ireland, earlier this year. The Blackthorn Pipers’ Society is in its fourth year having been formed along the same lines as The Eagle Pipers’ Society. We hold gatherings so that pipers of all ages and abilities can enjoy the great Highland bagpipe. At the end of…

James Campbell, Kilberry: Letters – Part 1

Today, in an important series exclusive to pipingpress.com, we have the first excerpt from articles by piobaireachd scholar and senior adjudicator, Norman Matheson, Aberdeen. They are based on correspondence he had with ceol mor authority James Campbell, Kilberry, between 1997 and 2003. They concern piobaireachd playing in general, and in particular the production of the ‘Masters of Piobaireachd’ CD recordings of the playing of RU Brown and RB Nicol, Balmoral, and contain…

Glenfiddich and London

Reader, and top US piper Jori Chisholm, has sent a request for information on the past winners at London and Blair Castle. Happy to comply,  tables have now been added to the Letters pages. Please note, if you have a query regarding any aspect of piping or pipe bands please feel free to contact pipingpress.com and we’ll do our best to get you the answers; which failing we’ll put out…

Preston Lodge Junior Results With Pix

East Lothian Solo Piping and Drumming Competition 2014 Lee Moore reports: Preston Lodge High School Pipe Band hosted the third annual East Lothian Solo Piping and Drumming Competition on Saturday 29th November. The event was a huge success attracting an entry of 84 competitors, across eleven different categories, and there were a large number of spectators who came along to listen to some great music. In the piping events Alasdair…

Shotts & Dykehead Juvenile Contest (updated with pictures and comment)

New Shotts Contest Set to Be an Annual Event after 2014 Success Robert Wallace writes: This was a well-run competition. It was held at Calderhead High School, Shotts (a superb facility), with sponsorship from pipes/drums, RG Hardie, D Naill & Co., TyFry Drumsticks, The National Piping Centre, D2 Percussion, Jim Kilpatrick Percussion, Scott Currie One Stop Pipe Band Shop, Canning Reeds, MacLeod Highland Supplies, McCallum Bagpipes.  Well done to all of them…