Editor’s Notebook: Dollar Contest/ Lochaber Piping Society/ Cupar PB/ EUSPBA Rankings

I hear that Dollar Academy are once more running their popular and successful pipe band contest at the end of May. All grades and D/Ms are catered for I believe. Ample and picturesque grounds at the foot of the Ochils make a perfect setting for such an event. Reasonably easy to get to, the contest always attracts a large entry. If I were running the RSPBA I’d be on the…

Draw for Archie Kenneth Quaich/ Police Scotland Seek Leading Drummer

The Archie Kenneth Quaich is the top prize for amateur piobaireachd players. It is run by the Music Committee of the Piobaireachd Society. The competition takes place at the rooms of the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society in Edinburgh on February 22nd. The competition is fully subscribed. The judges are PS committee members Derek Fraser and Darach Urquhart. Here is the order of play: 1  Thomson McConnell2  Donald Morrison3  Stewart Allan4…

Pipe Band News: Northern Ireland Chairman Stands Down/ Grant Cassidy Leaves Shotts

The pipe band community in Northern Ireland has been surprised by yesterday’s resignation of the RSPBA Northern Ireland branch Chairman, Alastair Patterson, writes Gilbert Cromie. In a statement Alastair said: ‘I have taken the decision to stand down from my role as Chairman of the RSPBA Northern Ireland Branch. This has not been an easy decision, but the amount of time and commitment needed has been having an impact on…

Background to Historic Juvenile Trophies Explained

Piping historian Jeannie Campbell has sent this following the recent mention of two famous Scottish Pipers’ Association trophies….. On 6th November 1920 the Oban Times announced that the Clan Macrae Society had presented a trophy (above left) in memory of the late Pipe Major Farquhar MacRae to the Scottish Pipers’ Association. The SPA were to manage competitions in connection with the trophy. They also received two other trophies formerly used by…

News from the Piobaireachd Society

The Society are holding their annual conference in Perth from March 28-30. There are four illustrated talks on the Saturday (March 29). These are: ‘Gems from the PS Archive’ – Dr Jack Taylor‘Life, Times and Music of John Macdonald, Inverness’ – Robert Wallace‘Memorising the Great Music’ – Dr Peter McCalister‘Skye: Language, Heritage and the Silver Chanter’ – Dr J Decker Forrest The formal events are followed by a piobaireachd ceilidh…