PP Ed’s Blog: Pipe Bands Australia Appointment/ Johnstone Pipe Band/ D Throw Query/ Schools Trust Job

Congratulations to Dean Hall on being appointed Principal of Drumming for Pipe Bands Australia. Dean joins Brett Tidswell, Principal of Piping, in forging ahead with the development of piping and drumming in that country. There does seem to be something of a boom in pipe bands down under right now and having worked with these two gentlemen in the past I am certain this will receive further impetus. PBA President…

‘Pipers Meeting’ – Breton Piper Patrick Molard Discusses New Book

Origins of A New Book of Ceol Mor It was not before 1995 that I became interested by the Colin Campbell canntaireachd manuscript, writes Patrick Molard. Before that, the only knowledge I had of it was in the Piobaireachd Society editorial notes in the different books, and I don’t even remember my teachers Bob Brown and Bob Nicol mentioning the Campbell manuscript to me. I was taught ceol mor through singing,…

Australia’s Silver Chalice/ Govan Pipes and Drums Concert

Sunday 9th April saw the New South Wales Piper’s Society hold their long running annual Silver Chalice competition at the Presbyterian Ladies College in Sydney, Australia. Unfortunately there was a smaller than normal entry with only five competitors turning out. Despite the low turnout the guest judge, Marion Horsburgh of New Zealand, commented on the enjoyable and high standard of playing. Jason Craig was the winner for the second year in…

CITES Latest – Repairs Freed from Regulation

Overseas pipers sending broken blackwood joints back to manufacturers in the UK for repair will not have to comply with the new legislation covering the import and export of African blackwood products. A spokesman for the UK’s regulator, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), said the European Union had issued a directive confirming the above. Other countries around the world seem to have adopted a similar stance though he said…

Piobaireachd Society Conference 2017 – New Music and Friendship in the Perthshire Highlands

The Piobaireachd Society Conference affords members, friends and enthusiasts the opportunity to gather together and, over a weekend, discuss the music and listen to some fine playing in a convivial atmosphere, writes Robert Wallace. Though it has always been thus, I can remember some fiery exchanges from my early days in the late 70s and early 80s when S MacNeill, Donald MacLeod and David Murray were to the fore. Not that Donald…