Donald MacPherson’s Bagpipe: Sad News from Down Under

Disturbing information has reached me from Australia via a well known piper and acquaintance of mine, writes the Editor. It concerns the late Donald MacPherson’s bagpipe, that glorious instrument which in Donald’s hands made him the most successful competing piper of all time. It was a pipe I had the good fortune to hear many times. We have several fine instruments on the boards today but none that quite captures…

Delaware to New England – Editor’s Letter from America

We are now well into the week at the New England Pipe & Drum Academy. Small but perfectly formed, with friendship, wonderful food and hard study the unfailing mix for a successful week. Tonight Tommy (Johnston) and I are off to the Stuart Highlanders band for a workshop. This is the band which recently had a Grade 1 standing but who are now down in Grade 5. How things can…

National Piping Centre Absorb College Amid Boardroom Changes

The absorption of the College of Piping into the National Piping Centre behemoth is well underway as the above picture shows, the new signage appearing shortly after the official takeover on May 1, writes the Editor. The College is now referred to as ‘The NPC Otago Street’ and work is underway to combine the two shop websites. For the moment prices are being standardised up or down (usually slightly up)…

Northern Winter School Piping Places Sell Out / Reminder on Piobaireachd Concert

The Northern Winter School, to be held at Lohheide in Germany in November, has announced that all places for pipers have been taken only four weeks after registrations opened. The school has also intimated that they will be including drumming in this year’s curriculum, with top side drummer and RSPBA adjudicator Paul Turner leading the class. The Northern Winter School runs from November 2 – 9, 2018, and is now…

Ceol Mor Concert Tickets Available/ AG Judges/ Blair Atholl Gathering

Tickets for the eagerly anticipated concert of ceol mor to be held in Edinburgh this August are now on sale via the Fringe Festival Box Office priced £10. The date is Sunday, August 12, at 7pm. The venue is the newly refurbished, 200-seat St Cecilia’s Hall, Edinburgh. The concert is expected to finish around 9.30pm and there will be a small reception afterwards. Click here to reserve your briefs for what…