Piping Press

Over 200 young pipers and drummers competed today in Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band’s Junior Championship. Events covered chanter, 13 & Under, 15 & Under and 18 & Under piping and drumming. The competition was held in Calderhead High School, Shotts. Judges were all drawn from the ranks of currently competing pipers. The competition is jointly promoted by North Lanarkshire Council and the band. Prizes on offer included full…

This article headlined ‘A Few Words for Novices’ is from ‘Piping and Dancing’ magazine of December 1935. Eighty-four years may have passed since it was written but the author’s advice still holds true today…… My last article was written with not a few misgivings. One naturally hesitates before giving advice of any kind to pipers – even to novices. Most pipers hold very definite and hard and fast ideas on…

Is the Dora MacLeod strathspey now prescribed by the RSPBA’s Music Board for Grade 4 and Novice bands the same tune I remember struggling with in my youth? Is it the same finger twister Peter MacLeod Jnr. wrote for his sister? Surely not. Grade 1 bands and professional pipers shy away from this tune for goodness sake, so how the authorities are going to elicit excellence from the minor grades…

This is a reminder that all grading applications for the 2020 season are due in by November 30. However, the sooner we receive them the better as the Grading Committee will be meeting the following day (December 1) to review every player’s application. If members have no prior or current track record they are encouraged to submit recordings so that the appropriate grade can be allocated. By Glenn Brown If…

P/M Jimmy Banks MBE Reports: John Dew won our knockout round yesterday (Nov 24) against Lewis Russell held at the Scots Guards club, Haymarket, Edinburgh. We had a good audience of approximately 50. Next up on the last Sunday in January we have Angus McColl Jnr and Calum Wynd.