Editor’s Notebook: BAG School/ Inveraray Games/ Judging/ Argylls Book/ US Contest/ British Legion 1971

I am in Germany for the annual Bagpipe Association of Germany School at Breuberg Castle in the Odenwald about an hour south of Frankfurt. A great team of instructors including drummer Carel Ooms who taught with me in Denmark 25 years ago, and Dixie Ingram, retired RSPBA judge and Scots Guardsman. Dixie has been coming here for 30 years and tells me he is just back from a fortnight at…

Ten Years After – the Worlds Revisited

The World Pipe Band Championship looms large yet again – thank goodness. We thought readers might be interested in what the Editor wrote about the contest in 2012. The winners that day were Field Marshal Montgomery pictured above….. Field Marshal Montgomery are World Champions yet again, a record eighth win for P/M Richard Parkes. In terms of the Worlds it makes him the second most successful pipe major in history…

Corgarff and Strathmore Games Results

Corgarff Games, Aberdeenshire – Saturday 11th June. Quite challenging conditions, windy and overcast. Five played in the senior events. Scott Oliphant, Forres, judged all the events. Piobaireachd1st John McDonald (pictured above)2nd Jeffrey Lawson3rd Michael Laing March1st John McDonald2nd Jeffrey Lawson3rd Alan Clark Strathspey & Reel1st Jeffrey Lawson2nd Alan Clark3rd John McDonald Jig1st Jeffrey Lawson2nd Alan Clark3rd Michael Laing 6/8 March1st John McDonald2nd Jeffrey Lawson3rd Alan Clark Strathmore Games, Angus –…

Editor’s Notebook: Florida Academy/ Ukraine Piper/ Helensburgh Band Recruiting/ Tomintoul Losses/ March for Norman/ SPA AGM

The 2022 Florida Pipe & Drum Academy has concluded successfully with noticeable improvements in performance and knowledge. The school was the first since the ending of lockdown and, in 2019, the last before the pandemic hit. We only lost one year. Organiser Chris McKeown has expansion plans for next year. We finished with a visit to the North Florida games where many of the students competed with success in the…

CLASP ‘Live Online’ 5th February Competition Results

This competition took place, ‘Live Online’ using the Zoom platform. Amateur pipers from all over the world joined to compete ‘live’ on Saturday 5th February and captured their live performance using a video recording device, which was later sent to the judges. A special mention to the volunteer online stewards for the day; Gill Cairns, Anna Binder, Sally Mason, Caitlin Houlihan, Megan kenney and Lou Reid.  The next CLASP competition…