Category: Tuition

Glasgow’s Piping Live! Confirmed for 2021

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

Piping Live! is back for 2021 with a nine-day festival packed full of world-class performances, music sessions, recitals, competitions, book launches, workshops and so much more, writes press officer Hannah Innes.  Taking place between the 7th and 15th August 2021, the annual festival has confirmed they will present their programme online, in response to current government guidelines. However, if restrictions allow the team will do all they can to introduce a live audience element…

More Glasgow’s Piping Live! Confirmed for 2021

My Days Learning from the Greatest Piper in the World – Iain Murdo Morrison

Posted on      by      2 Comments

The passing of P/M Iain Murdo Morrison six months ago still resonates among those who knew him. Here reader Alasdair MacIver looks back on his time with the master piper. Alasdair is pictured above right with Iain Morrison junior playing at a house ceilidh in December 1990 as their proud tutor looks on. It has taken me some time to be able to write this. Iain Murdo Morrison was my…

More My Days Learning from the Greatest Piper in the World – Iain Murdo Morrison

Editor’s Notebook: Northern Ireland Leads the Breakout/ Interview/ SPA Solos/ Queen’s Own Pictures/ Jakez’s Tune for Bob Hardie

Posted on      by      2 Comments

Cue Steve McQueen and his motorbike……The Northern Ireland Branch of the RSPBA are leading the great escape with an announcement yesterday of their summer festival. And it will include competitiive solo piping and drumming. It is not clear if these will be held outdoors or in, but anything live and I’ll take it. The date is August 21 in Cookstown. The branch have other summer festival events lined up, though…

More Editor’s Notebook: Northern Ireland Leads the Breakout/ Interview/ SPA Solos/ Queen’s Own Pictures/ Jakez’s Tune for Bob Hardie

A Pipe Band is Judged By Its Poorest Players – P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay BEM

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

The second part of the article from a 1960s issue of the Piping, Drumming and Dancing Journal by P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay, a brilliant player, pipe major and composer. Here he considers march tempi, and then offers an introduction to ceòl mòr or piobaireachd. Read the first excerpt here. How fast should a piper play?  This again is a very controversial point, but try playing a march at a speed of…

More A Pipe Band is Judged By Its Poorest Players – P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay BEM

False Fingering an ‘Unforgiveable Error’- Playing Advice from One of the Greats of Piping and Pipe Bands

Posted on      by      4 Comments

The following is from the Piping, Drumming and Dancing Journal, 1960s. P/M Donald Shaw Ramsay was a brilliant player, pipe major and composer. Tunes to his credit include classics such as the 6/8 Miss Lily Christie, the 2/4 march Jimmy Young, and the hornpipe Tam Bain’s Lum. He won World Championships with the City of Edinburgh Police Pipe Band and came close to doing the same with the legendary Invergordon…

More False Fingering an ‘Unforgiveable Error’- Playing Advice from One of the Greats of Piping and Pipe Bands