Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune Returns

City of Edinburgh Pipe Band has announced that its annual ‘Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune’ competition will be held next Saturday, 26 April, at Danderhall Miners Club in Midlothian. Eight pipers will take the floor at a competition where the organisers say ‘creativity, musical expression – and fun come to the fore’. The pipers are: Sandy Cameron, John Dew, Cameron Drummond, Brian Lamond, Gordon McCready, Cameron May, Ross Miller and…

Piping Press Guide to the Games – Important Additions and Further Information

Since last week’s publication of our list, a number of new dates have been intimated to us. Not least this from Jackie Allan: ‘I thought you might like to have a bit of forward notice about the All England Championships that are run inside Chatsworth Country Fair over the weekend 30-31 August. ‘On the Saturday we run contests for Juveniles and CLASP amateurs. 2025 marks the inception of the newly formed English…

Piping Flourishes in North Carolina

It was a pleasure to judge the Jimmy MacIntosh Challenge competition in North Carolina last Friday evening (April 11). This continues to be organised in Jimmy’s memory by his widow Joyce, with the assistance of their son Cameron. Ben McClamrock was a new name on the piobaireachd trophy, playing Lament for Ronald MacDonald of Morar. He caught the pathos of the tune from the opening un-rushed B echo beat to…

Northern Ireland News: Kids with Cancer/ New Generator/ Ulster Solos/ New Chairman/ Beth Adger

The recent Kids with Cancer Charity Concert was an outstanding success and if you tune into the Big Rab Show YouTube channel you will be able to enjoy it yourself. Northern Ireland has hosted many top quality concerts throughout the years, featuring some of the greatest pipe bands of the modern era but the lineup that was brought together at the Royal Hotel, Cookstown, last month surely surpasses the best…

SPA Professional Review

I sat through a few tunes in the C Piobaireachd and then the whole of the P/A. At the conclusion of an unbroken four hour stint I wandered off for refreshment. I looked over my notes. I jotted down my prediction. Here it is: It’s not often you get it exactly as the judges call it. (In this instance they were Ronnie MacShannon and Euan Anderson.) Usually you are too…