First CLASP Results of 2020

Margaret Dunn reports: Here are yesterday’s results from the CLASP competition at NPC, Otago St., on Saturday January 11. A very healthy entry and overall winners are pictured below. They are (l-r) Dugald MacLeod (Grade 2), Stuart Robinson (Grade 1) and John Hunt (Grade 3). Next CLASP competition is on 28th March at NPC Cowcaddens, Glasgow.  Grade 1 Piobaireachd 1st Stuart Robinson2nd David MacKenzie3rd John Frater Grade 2 Piobaireachd1st Dugald MacLeod2nd Dagmar…

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Piping Centre Launches Search for New Principal

Roderick MacLeod has resigned as Principal of the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, the Centre’s website has announced. No reason for the resignation was given. He has been in post for 24 years. A statement from the NPC Board of Directors read: ‘After 24 years at the National Piping Centre, Roddy MacLeod has decided to leave the organisation with effect from the end of May 2020. ‘As Principal and Director and…

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Editor’s Notebook: Music Teaching in Schools/ Geddes Piob Class/ Colin Thomson/ Singer Pipe Band

One wonders if the Scottish Government will mirror last week’s committment in England and Wales: ‘Ministers have pledged £80 million to ensure all children have access to music lessons and can leave school able to read and write music.’ Don’t hold your breath. At the moment it is up to cash-strapped Scottish local authorities to deem how much of their education budget can be spent on music. In most it is…

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Pipe Bands of Yesteryear: Singer Pipe Band, Former Grade 3 World Champions

Singer Pipe Band was based in Clydebank near Glasgow and featured mainly employees of the giant sewing machine manufacturer. This article is taken from the company’s ‘Singer Light’ staff magazine of April 1971. At its peak the factory employed 11,500 people shipping their ubiquitous machines around the world. Sadly the factory closed in 1980 and the band is no more, but in their day it was the perfect public relations…

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Analysis: More on Fingering Old and New

By The Editor There has been a considerable response to my article on bagpipe technique and how it has changed and moved on over time. The first of our comments is from Dale Brown in the US. Dale writes: ‘On a cold morning like this what could be more fun than to have a hot stove discussion on piping fingering methods.  ‘I started my piping journey as a youngster in…

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