College of Piping Prince Edward Island Gets Government Cash

The College of Piping and Celtic Performance Arts of Canada in Summerside, P.E.I., is getting $2.7 million in funding from the Canadian government for a new performance space. The school, the only year-round one of its kind in North America, offers classes in piping,  drumming, Highland dancing and Island step dancing to more than 250 year-round students and 200 summer students, as well as workshop participants. Principal of the school is the well-known…

PP Ed’s Blog: Capt. John Contest/ Florida Hurricane/ Three Wise Men/ Austria School

The Captain John MacLellan Memorial Competition is being held at the Army School, Inchdrewer House, Edinburgh, tomorrow. All grades are covered and I hope the Edinburgh piping fraternity turn out to support this worthwhile contest in the Captain’s good name. Here are the draws:                     I hope my friends and students in South Florida have battened down the hatches in preparation…

Glasgow Police Pipe Band Change Their Name

The Greater Glasgow Police Scotland Pipe Band have announced a revision of  their name. Niall West, Band Manager: ‘The new name is simply, Glasgow Police Pipe Band. The band will continue to operate under the Police Scotland logo and entertain and support the community as an integral part of Police Scotland. ‘The rationale behind  the change is that the new name better reflects the band’s heritage and, simply,  is less cumbersome. The previous name Greater…

Silver Medal Tunes/ James Campbell Letters/ Composing Competition/ John Wilson

The third part of Duncan Watson’s article on the value of James Campbell’s Masters of Piobaireachd letters is published today. Of consideration are the playing of crunluath breabach, the ‘strange’ crunluath found in Battle of the Pass of Crieff and MacKays’ Banner, Variation 1 of the Prince’s Salute and the ‘chelalho’ movement found in the Lament for the Viscount of Dundee. Read Duncan’s piece here. Slight tweaks to the rules of…

PP Ed’s Blog: Angus’s Funeral/ Shotts Contest/ Fergie Book/ Trad Awards

The dates for Angus Nicol’s funeral in Oban and mass in London have now been set: Tuesday 18th October – Oban RC Cathedral: Funeral Mass: 11.30am followed by Kilninver interment and Knipoch Hotel wake . Friday 21st October – Brompton Oratory: Requiem Mass: 11am with wake afterwards at St Wilfrid’s Hall. Angus, a great lover of piping and self-taught Gaelic speaker, died last week after a long bout of ill health. Throughout his life he did a great deal…