PP Ed’s Blog: Piob Soc Conf./ Tain Games/ Donald MacKinnon/ Gillie’s Family

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The Piobaireachd Society conference enters its second day today and I must say it has been a roaring success so far. I’ll have a full report later as the there is not a lot of time before the next session on the 2017 set tunes begins. The weather up here in Birnam has been amazing – as it has been in much of the UK. Last night’s ceilidh went on…

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Band Cut Offs and Why Do Some Pipers End With a Rabble of Finger Gymnastics?

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For decades, possibly even centuries, pipers have been vandalising their own performances. I have been fortunate enough to hear some of the finest pipers ever, and I must admit that many of them have been as guilty of this crime as the rankest amateur. The vandalism I refer to is defacing their own performances by tacking on the end ‘wee twiddly bits’ rather than cutting off smoothly. Bands are expected to make perfect cut-offs. Why…

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PP Ed’s Blog: Schools Poll/ Gordon’s Recital/ SPA Pro/ Piob Soc Conf/ Barnaby

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The result of our poll into the suitability or otherwise of the new venue for the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championship were as follows:  Some heart for the organisers if we amalgamate the two bottom stats: 41% think it okay or are prepared to give it another go. The majority however were clearly not happy. Read about the 2017 contest here. The picture up top shows the main winners, George…

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London Society Contest and Results/ Bratach Update/ Rab Kelly

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President Andrew Hall of the Scottish Piping Society of London reports: I see Harry Stevenson my tutor from back home popped up on the news feed.  Harry started me on my first piobaireachd, Glengarry’s Lament, in 1988.  I went to him for lessons until I left Northern Ireland in 1994. I thought you and your readers might be interested in a summary from our most recent event at the SPSL. On Saturday…

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‘Big’ Donald MacLean and Arm Swapping and Harry’s Father’s Pipes

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I read George Taylor’s letter re swapping arms, writes Duncan Watson. Re Donald Maclean. I understood that big Donald did start playing under the right arm and to conform with others in the pipe band scene in the Army he was ‘instructed’ to  switch to his left arm. Counter marching through pipers in a band seemed to a problem with cords getting in a tangle. The late Willie MacDonald (Benbecula) could…

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