PP Ed's Blog: Two New Books Reviewed/ Northern Winter School/ South Florida

I am always struck by the gratitude of students. At last year’s Northern Winter School Horst Krauss  presented me with this fine book ‘The Bagpipe – The History of a European Folk Instrument in Pictures’ by Fritz Schneider. The well-written text is in four languages, including English, and is graced with  beautifully reproduced photographs. It says this about the GHB: ‘The British brought the Scottish bagpipe to the once worldwide…

PP Editor’s Blog: Judging/Bellows Piping/Band Re-Grades

Mr McCombie-Smith made some interesting comments yesterday regarding manufacturers and judging in the 1890s. In more modern times this is something that has been an issue, but more so in the bands. The matter was quickly sorted a few years ago when the RSPBA introduced monitoring. Any judge giving preferential treatment to bands playing his instruments could be easily identified and the matter is no longer a concern.  Unfortunately it has, indirectly, reared…