CITES Latest on African Blackwood Exports/ London Championship Livestream Request

All bagpipemakers and those dealing in instruments abroad will be interested in this latest news from the UK authorities regarding CITES permits for African Blackwood. David Naill & Co Ltd, one of the UK’s leading bagpipe manufacturers, has received the following: I refer you to the attached EU document entitled ‘IMPLEMENTATION IN THE EU OF THE AMENDMENTS MADE TO THE CITES APPENDICES AT CoP18.’ To summarise it as far as…

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From the Archives: A Teaching Trip by P/M Donald MacLeod to the Canadian Prairies

By The Editor I travelled many times to the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the 1990s to teach under the auspices of their pipe band association. Each time I heard stories of the huge impact P/M Donald MacLeod had made with his pioneering visits in the 1960s. Together with John MacFadyen, Seumas MacNeill and Captain John MacLellan, Donald established the North American summer school piping tradition, a tradition which has…

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2019 US Junior Solo Invitational Championship

This competition was held last weekend in Pittsburgh, PA. under the auspices of the Balmoral Classic, writes Elaine Lee. The Balmoral Classic Overall winner, Kayleigh Johnstone, is the younger sister of Colin Johnstone, who won the George Sherriff Amateur Invitational Solo Piping Competition on the same day! In the photographs Kayleigh is holding her prize – a set of MacRae pipes donated by McCallum Bagpipes, and drumming champion Nicholas Moore is pictured…

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Impressive Line-up for Special Piping event at Blas Festival

Katie Mackenzie, publicist for the Festival, has sent this… This year’s Blas Festival will feature a special piping event in Inverness. ‘Càirdeas nam Pìobairean’ will take place at Inverness Town House on 29th November. The lineup includes Angus MacColl, Angus MacKenzie, Dr Angus MacDonald, Fin Moore with Sarah Hoy, Gary West and Brighde Chaimbeul.  ‘Blas, which means ‘taste’ or ‘sample’, is organised by Fèisean nan Gàidheal in partnership with The Highland Council and will take place from…

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Piping Press Academy Learning Opportunities

Don’t struggle with your tunes this winter. Don’t suffer in silence! Avail yourself of expert tuition from Piping Press. Get lessons in Piobaireachd and MSR from our editor Robert Wallace, an internationally renowned tutor. For example, there are dozens of tunes to choose from in our Classic Piobaireachd lessons catalogue. You can play along with the recording and get all the required linking of phrase and variation so important to…

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