Editor’s Notebook: Pandemic Problems for Manufacturers and State School Bands/ N Ireland Show the Way/ Tune for Cameron

All of our bagpipe and Highland supplies companies are needing business right now. First year pandemic they got by; this year is proving much more difficult. The phone’s not ringing the way it used to, the mail is drying up. Furlough money (UK government support) is being reduced and staff lay-offs are a possibility for some. Everyone in the piping community should help if they can by ordering that new…

Top Pipers Announced for Piobaireachd Society ‘Classical Pipe Music’ Annual Concert

The Piobaireachd Society has announced the line up for its annual recital of ceòl mòr entitled ‘Classical Pipe Music – Scotland’s Hidden Treasure’. Those invited to play are Stuart Liddell, Decker Forrest, P/M Ben Duncan and Craig Sutherland. The concert is to be held at the National Piping Centre’s Otago Street building (formerly the College of Piping) on August 29 at 7 for 7.30pm. There will be a ‘live’ audience and tickets…

From the Archives: Dame Flora’s 90th Celebrated at an ‘Exhibition of Piping’ in London

This is taken from February 29, 1968, edition of the ‘Edinburgh Weekly’ newspaper. The original article was headlined ‘The Skirl o’ the Pipes in the Swinging City’…… Dame Flora MacLeod (90) stepped off a plane from New York at London Airport. She made straight for ‘an exhibition of piping’ at the London Scottish regiment Headquarters, Buckingham Gate. A packed audience of 400 gave the Clan Chief a tremendous ovation. In…

Editor’s Notebook: Tobermory Games/ Grampian Games/ Piper Carvings at Breuberg Castle/ New App for Learning by Ear

It looks like we will have the semblance of a piping season after all. Online contests are already beginning to sound so last year. Yesterday on a sunny isle of Mull, the local school band led the parade to the games park for a mini-gathering. Local correspondent Calum MacLean reports: ‘The games started with the march to the field led by Tobermory High School Pipe Band. ‘Although this was not…

Judging at Grandfather Mountain Games 2021

Ed Krintz and I judged a very high standard piping event at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in Linville, North Carolina, on July 10. The venue has often been likened to the Braemar Highland Gathering. Below is a summary of the competition Ed and I worked on. The photos show the lovely weather and how well-attended the event was. We had the pleasure of judging the Open Piobaireachd. Grandfather Mountain Highland…