A larger than life character, John MacAskill was born in 1944 and died in 2003. When he won the Gold Medal at Inverness, Seumas MacNeill wrote: ‘When the winner was announced men of discernment looked for ways to escape, men of experience prepared to batten down the hatches and men of neither are still wondering what happened.’ John’s family was from Berneray in the Western Isles and, though his father and…
With the demise of the Craigmount Junior solos is there any competition for young pipers in the city of Edinburgh? If not I hope someone steps forward to fill the gap. The capital has a much changed piping landscape since the great days of the Eagle Pipers Professional contest held each November, the British Legion contest and the Edinburgh Police contest. Maybe there were no junior contests back then either,…
This short interview was made in 2001 when P/M Duncan retired after his landmark time at the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band. As well as taking the band from Grade 4 to the top of Grade 1 in 11 years, Ian and his brother Gordon set the trend for much of the pipe band music that is played today. A significant achievement. Ian is now a respected senior solo adjudicator and pipe…
South Africa-based professional piper and lawyer Nicholas Taitz responds to yesterday’s letter regarding the controversial decision by the Solo Piping Judges Association to ban their members from sitting on benches where pupils may be competing, this rule covering the Argyllshire Gathering, the Northern Meeting and the London Championship. Today we also carry another letter on this issue, this time from Iain Marshall, Oban. The actual issues surrounding this rule must…
According to our copy of that year’s programme, sixty-one pipers entered for the senior events – not too dissimilar to today’s restricted event at Inverness. In 1972 anyone could play but the burgeoning numbers were soon to prove impossible for promoters to handle. This Northern Meeting was held in the Dr Black Hall and the Caledonian Hotel Ballroom – the move to Eden Court a few years off. The dates…
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