PP Ed's Blog: WSJ/ Celtic Conns/ Letter/ Burgess Bagpipes/ South Florida Sell Out/ Sheila Finlay

Wasn’t it great to se the Wall Street Journal – of all people – taking an interest in pipe bands with their comprehensive story on band numbers yesterday? And it wasn’t because the reporter concerned played in a band either. In the best traditions of good journalism he had picked up the story from someone, did his research and produced a balanced article as a result. It was the same with…

Biggest Audience Figures Yet At Celtic Connections

The 25th Celtic Connections festival ended yesterday with the organisers claiming a total audience of 130,000 over the past 18 days. They have also announced that Celtic Connections 2019 will run from Thursday 17 January to Sunday 3 February.  The festival Included the highly successful concert given by Johnstone Pipe Band (pictured above) and many other events which featured the bagpipe. Celtic Connections staged more than 350 concerts with over 2300 artists from over 30 countries. .   Organisers Glasgow Life, the same city council…

Review: Johnstone Pipe Band Concert at Celtic Connections 2018

What a thrill it  must have been for the youngsters brought on to the stage for the finale of Johnstone Pipe Band’s Celtic Connections concert yesterday, writes the Editor. It made for an emotional end to what was a thoroughly pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon. The concert began with warm up sets from Finlay MacDonald, Angus MacColl jnr. – at times you could have sworn it was dad…

Johnstone PB to Headline Major Concert at Celtic Connections/ Northern Ireland Charity Function

Press release from Johnstone PB: Johnstone Pipe Band (pictured above) are delighted to have been invited to perform on the main stage at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on Saturday the 20th January as part of the city’s 2018 Celtic Connections festival.  Pipe Major Keith J Bowes said: ‘We are really excited that the opportunity has come our way to showcase the band on the platform of the Royal Concert Hall. It…

PP Ed’s Blog: Celtic Conns/Red Hackle/ Virginia

The Celtic Connections festival kicks off next weekend in Glasgow and looking through the programme I could find dashed little of piping interest. The highlight will be the concert by Inveraray & District and Breton band Bagad Kemper at 12.30pm on Jan 28 (tickets  £15). There is also a concert on Feb 3 featuring ‘Breabach’ a folk group that uses pipes but outside of that very little of the piob mhor…