SPA Professional Contest – Full Results

The annual professional competition run by the Scottish Pipers’ Association was held at the College of Piping in Glasgow today. There was a good entry in all categories. The picture above shows the main winners with their trophies: l to r – John Dew, Gordon McCready and Cameron MacDougall. The young man with the overall trophy and the big grin is Gordon’s son Innes: Results: Piob: 1 Cameron MacDougall, Old…

Funding Cuts Deal Blow to the Silver Chanter Memorial Recital

After 51 unbroken years the Silver Chanter MacCrimmon Memorial Piobaireachd Competition will not go ahead this August. Funding cuts by the William Grant Foundation have meant that the organisers, the Skye Piping Society, have found it impossible to continue with the prestigious event. The Foundation, who funnel the bulk of their £150,000+ funding for piping through the National Piping Centre, intimated two years ago that they were cutting back. The competition/recital was…

PP Ed’s Blog: SPA Pro/Jimmy Jackson/ SPJA/ Xavier Vid/ Balmoral Schools/ Allan Chatto/

What will be the first professional piping contest of the season (following the weather cancellation of the Uist & Barra) will be held this Saturday April 14. It’s the Scottish Pipers Association contest and it will be held at NPC West (College of Piping, Otago St. to us old timers) with a good entry in all categories. Last year’s overall winner was Sarah Muir (pictured top with her trophies) who will be…

History: Duncan Campbell – His Life and Death

We are very grateful to piping historian Keith Sanger (left) for these corrections and additions to our piece on Duncan Campbell’s pipes and manuscript of earlier this week. Keith writes…… Duncan Campbell’s date and place of birth are correct but your article then goes of the rails a bit. One day when I was in the National Archives of Scotland some years ago I was asked by the archivist if…

Solo Judging Association Issues ‘Spring Update’

The Solo Piping Judges Association, which represents the majority but not all UK judges, has issued a ‘Spring Update’ of their activities. The Association was mired in controversy during much of 2017. The statement: ‘The SPJA Committee met in full on March 18th at the Salutation Hotel in Perth, with Dr Angus MacDonald attending from Toronto via Skype.  ‘The following was discussed: Assessment and Training – It was agreed that the Committee would produce…