Allan K Chatto OAM 1932-2022

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Allan Chatto OAM. Allan was well known and highly respected internationally for his enthusiasm and commitment to pipe band drumming and pipe bands.  Born in Sydney, Australia, in 1932, he started his interest in pipe bands as a learner piper in the local St George Pipe Band in 1948.  He then changed drumming and joined the Dulwich Hill Junior…

P/M Jim McWilliams 1938 – 2022

It is our sad dutry this morning to report the deaths of two outstanding piping and pipe band figures, Allan Chatto, Australia, and Jim McWilliams, Canada. We also have details of the funeral of Hector Russell who passed away last weekend. It will be held in Cardross Crematorium on October 5 at 2.15pm. Map here. Readers are directed to our comments section where a number of personal messages have been…

Intermediate Lochnell Championship Launches Fund Raising Page/ Balmoral Classic Entries and Details

Hattie Mellor: The Argyllshire Gathering Trust are raising £5,000 for the Intermediate Youth Piping Championship which will return to Lochnell Castle, Argyll, on 22nd of October 2022. Eight leading young professional pipers under the age of 22 will compete in Piobaireachd and March, Strathspey and Reel.  We are delighted to announce the presentation of two new trophies for the Championship. The first is the ‘Jimmy McIntosh MBE Memorial Trophy for…

Readers Respond to Article on RSPBA’s MSR Rule Change

A mixed bag of response to yesterday’s article by Ian Forbes. (Read it here.) Before we get to them the Editor writes: ‘I was interested in the comment in the rule change which states that four part tunes should be ‘where the tune was written as a four parted tune’. ‘This is misleading. If we look through our older collections we see that many standards we accept today as four…

Hector Russell 1945 – 2022

I am saddened to report the sudden passing of piper Hector Russell, writes the Editor. Hector suffered a heart attack at his home in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, and died on Saturday. He was 77. His death comes only a few weeks after the completion of his ‘Pipe Music of Alex M MacIver’, a book he compiled in tribute to his former teacher and which was recently reviewed with acclaim on Piping…