Piping Press

One of the world’s top juvenile bands, North Lanarkshire Schools, has been threatened with the axe following the announcement of stringent cuts by their sponsoring local authority North Lanarkshire Council. Music teachers and parents have been stunned by the announcement. One parent said: ‘Ultimately this all down to cuts to local authorities from the Scottish Government. ‘Who would have believed that an SNP administration could threaten a kid’s pipe band…

By The Editor A reader has contacted us to mention that his son played in a Piping Centre Junior competition Piobaireachd event last weekend. When the boy finished the judges called him over and told him that he had played well but that he had gone off the tune. The boy was surprised; he didn’t think he had. The father, in the audience, naturally asked the boy what the judges…

By Greig Canning, Inveraray & District PB The UK may have left the European Union but Scots pipers’ links with their Breton cousins are stronger than ever. Myself and a few colleagues and acquaintances from the Scottish pipe band scene were over in Brest in Brittany last weekend to play with various Grade 1 bagads [Breton pipe bands] in their Championship. I think each of the guys in the photo…

By Robert MacNeil, President, British Columbia Pipers’ Society A note for pipingpress.com that Alan Bevan won the 5th annual Boney Music Memorial Invitational on February 15, 2020, and over $2,800 was raised for brain cancer research at the BC Cancer Foundation. All the details and pictures are below. I have also enclosed a picture of Alan receiving the trophy from Andrew’s son Cameron Bonar (above). It was a great night all around,…

The above photograph is from the British Legion piping competition 2002. I can identify some of those pictured ((l-r): Donald MacKay, Stuart Samson, ?, Jim Penman, Brian Donaldson, a very young Ben Duncan?, Ross McCrindle, ?, ? If anyone can fill in the gaps please pass on. I met Jim again recently at Bob Shepherd’s funeral and among other things he was telling me about the early days of his…