Some Thoughts on London 2015

I first travelled to London for the annual competition in 1976 and have always found it an enjoyable experience. I can’t quite put my finger on why this should be. A chance to meet up with piping colleagues in a far off land? A different competing environment? The beer? I don’t know. Certainly the lure of the big prizes, the Bratach Gorm and Gillies Cup and all the history attached…

New Drumming Appointment at Carnegie Mellon

Carnegie Mellon University launched a worldwide search for a leading drumming/percussionist last summer and have now completed the appointment. Professor of Music at the university, Andrew Carlisle has sent this: ‘Carnegie Mellon University is pleased to announce that the new Drumming Instructor for its Pipes and Drums is Dr. Richard Baughman. Richard, who has been based in Los Angeles, CA, for several years, makes the two and a half thousand mile…

PP Editor’s Blog: Pipes for Sale/ London Contest/ Caption Contest Winner

Superb set of Lawrie full ivory pipes for sale today. If you’ve something to sell be sure to reach thousands of your potential customers by contacting PP Classified Ads: An interesting letter from Joyce McIntosh apropos the story about the ‘Westinghouse Bagpipe Band’ of a couple of days ago. Amazingly Joyce tells us she has the P/M’s pipes! See Letters page. To London tomorrow for the annual Scottish Piping Society…

P/M Richard Parkes Interview Part 2: My Pipe Band Philosophy

Today we continue with our interesting interview with P/M Richard Parkes of Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, the most successful of modern times. The band suffered a setback this year when trying for their fifth Worlds title in a row, but they still had a very satisfying season winning three Major titles and the Grade 1 Champion of Champions title. However, the Worlds was the big one, and here P/M Parkes…

Westinghouse Pipe Band/ Archibald Campbell Part 2/ Pipes for Sale/

We hear much about piping in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, these days: the Carnegie Mellon Pipe Band under the expert leadership of Professor of Piping Andrew Carlisle, and the piping degree course established at CM University by Jimmy McIntosh, a trailblazer for similar courses around the world. But how many denizens of the steel town know of this band of yesteryear? They are the ‘Westinghouse Bagpipe Band’ from Wilkinsburg and the ‘Piping, Drumming…