No Risk, No Play as the Pipe Band Movement Faces an Existential Threat

In the Old World we would all now be marching from Glasgow Green on to Cowal with soloists looking ahead to the late summer highlights of Oban, Inverness and the autumnal Glenfiddich with a bit of London thrown in. I’m sure that having read that your heart sank to know that ‘there is life Jim, but not as we knew it’, to mangle a phrase from Dr McCoy to his…

MacGregor Final/ WAPOL Feeder Band/ CPA AGM

The prestigious MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd competition moves to its final stage next week. The eight finalists have been given their tunes. They must record them on video and submit them by next Wednesday, August 26. This would have been the day when the competition would have been held had it not been for the current curbs. Videoed performances are to be uploaded to YouTube and Highland dress must be worn….

Silver Chanter 2020: Another Perspective

By Jimmy McIntosh MBE I don’t know if getting older makes one over critical, but I did not think that the playing here was outstanding, especially as it was advertised as showcasing Scotland’s best players.  There is no question that the pipers were all technically very good, but I felt there was not as high a standard of musical expression as I had expected or hoped, and though the contest…

Funds for Iain Memorial/ Niall Responds on Tune for 51st/ Drumming Job

Matthew Drennan, Secretary, Neilston War Memorial Association: ‘Can you please highlight the work our charity is doing to commemorate Pipe Major Iain MacDonald [above] in our village? We are a Scottish registered charity and Iain, who died last May, was a friend to all in our group. ‘He piped at Remembrance Days, World War grave commissions, and was always there with the pipes to welcome ex-pats back to the village….

Editor’s Notebook: Gordons in Germany/ Band Practices/ Niall’s Tune/ CPA President

We are grateful to reader Patrick Larkin for forwarding the above picture. Patrick writes: ‘With regard to the recent post of P/M Joe Wilson, Calum Campbell, James Robertson and Farewell to the Creeks, you will be interested to see the above picture of the Drums and Pipes of the Gordon Highlanders taken in Celle, West Germany, in 1960. ‘The pipe major on the right of the picture is Calum Campbell. To…