News from the Piobaireachd Society

The revision of Piobaireachd Society books 1-16 has now been completed with many new settings added, corrections made and important anomalies highlighted, writes President Robert Wallace. The Society’s General Committee appreciates that many pipers already have the old books. These are, of course, still perfectly reliable, especially if the changes as noted by Music Editor Jack Taylor are added to the relevant pages in hard copies. (Details are on the…

Mull Weekend Workshop/ Masters Drumming

On Friday the 30th January, Tobermory High School Pipe Band ran a pipers’ ceilidh in Park Lodge, Tobermory. It was well attended and the school pipers were supported by visiting tutors Barry Donaldson and Robert Wallace, writes Calum Maclean.  The ceilidh ran from 7-9pm and we had a couple of selections from Robert to open; this included a set of two-part strathspeys and reels which was nice to hear. There…

Editor’s Notebook: Solo Judging/ NM and AG Entries/ Stuart CD/ Clan Donald Lands/ Drumming Masters

Judge Neil Mulvie has responded to our recent debate on solo benches, one of the few brave enough to put his head above the parapet on this issue. Neil writes: ‘Not all those who have competed at the highest level make good judges. Some are biased/unethical, some are limited in their wider knowledge, some lack basic analytical skills, some can’t separate the good from the bad and the ugly, some…

MacGillivray of Calrossie, a New Piobaireachd

I have known Duncan MacGillivray [pictured] now for over 35 years, but because of his career with the Battlefield Band and other traditional groups, had heard of him a long time before actually meeting him. Duncan has been a huge inspiration to many young pipers in the Highlands and is always willing to give them his time freely to teach piping and instruct them in other instruments such as whistles….

The Basics of Pipe Band Ensemble Judging

The word ensemble, translated from the French, means ‘together.’ How together are the various sections of the pipe band: the pipers, the side drummers and the bass and tenors? In current competition format, how clearly defined are the roles of the piping, drumming, and ensemble judges in measuring this togetherness? By Alan Jones Who measures it within a given section and between the various sections? Is there any overlap of…