Piping Press

The Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) and Bar to the Medal contests for 2019 are be held on Friday, August 2nd and thanks to sponsorship from the Clan Donald Lands Trust will have a first prize of £1,800 ($3,000CDN). This represents a considerable upgrade in the contest which was started by back in the 1970s by Archie Cairns with the assistance of Captain John MacLellan representing the Piobaireachd Society. Adjudicator…

A dry and fairly warm day in Perthshire. The picture shows Bobby Allan Thomas Young and Christopher Apps. 21 & Under MSR1 Bobby Allen2 Thomas Young3 Christopher Apps 21 & Under Jig1 Bobby Allen2 Thomas Young3 Christopher Apps4 Lexie McDiarmid 14 & Under 2 Part March1 Annabel Charlton2 Brodie Barrie3 Wallace Mackie4 Cameron Stewart 16 & Under 4 Part March1 Christopher Apps2 Bobby Allen3 Thomas Young4 Annabel Charlton

Thanks to the many thousands of readers we had for our reports on the European Pipe Band Championships. It is clear from what both MacStig and I wrote, and from the responses received, that there needs to be an audience dimension added to major pipe band championship planning. Would the RSPBA consider giving one of their directors the responsibility of checking out facilities for listeners? An ‘audience czar’ would surely…

Further to my ‘Sheepwife’ story and Pipe Major Mick Haggerty, I wish to let you know that since his passing in 1974 the grave site of P/M Haggerty at Sandgate Cemetery (near Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia) has been unmarked. Two months ago (Saturday, 8th May) Graham Adams, Paul Ross, Ron Lightfoot and I placed a cross on Mick’s grave to help perpetuate the memory of such an influential piper….

Some say his reels are more perky than pinky, his doublet is more barrack room than barathea, and that his timing is ……. out. But when he puts pen to paper there are few blooters from our man at large. Hot footing it from Inverness to Glasto, or maybe he said Glasgow, he’s the pipe band fan’s favourite reviewer, the one and only MacStig…… By MacStig The pipe band following…