Revised date for 2018 Australian Championships

Pipe Bands Australia has sent this: The 2018 Australian Pipe Band Championships will be held at Brisbane Boys’ College on 7 April following a review of planning for the nation’s premier event by host branch Queensland. The championships were originally planned for the Gold Coast in September next year, however the branch had met challenges securing a suitable venue to showcase performances by an estimated 40 bands, the branch announced today….

PP Ed’s Blog: Pipe Bands Australia Appointment/ Johnstone Pipe Band/ D Throw Query/ Schools Trust Job

Congratulations to Dean Hall on being appointed Principal of Drumming for Pipe Bands Australia. Dean joins Brett Tidswell, Principal of Piping, in forging ahead with the development of piping and drumming in that country. There does seem to be something of a boom in pipe bands down under right now and having worked with these two gentlemen in the past I am certain this will receive further impetus. PBA President…

New Drumming Principal at Pipe Bands Australia 

Following the resignation of Greg Bassani, PBA has appointed Dean Hall Principal Drumming of Pipe Bands Australia’s Australian Pipe Band College by national management committee on the recommendation of branch vice-principals. The PBA website reports: ‘Dean is currently vice-principal in New South Wales but did not participate in the recommendation and selection process. He was one of several applicants for the position reviewed by the other vice-principals who expressed pleasure…

Pipe Bands Australia Follows RSPBA Lead

The Council of Pipe Bands Australia has approved changes to its contest framework to closer align it with Scotland. The PBA website reports: Australian contest regulations now more closely reflect requirements observed in RSPBA competitions following national council adoption of proposals put to bands in the recent annual ballot of Pipe Bands Australia. The new definition of music requirements for Grade 4 MSR provide both flexibility for developing bands and…

PP Ed’s Blog: Pipe Band Anger/ PB Mag/ Braemar/ SPA/ Dunedin/ Letters

Apart from running Pipe Band Magazine for the RSPBA and reporting on competitions, I have no direct involvement in the pipe band competition milieu. I am essentially on the periphery – the best place for the fourth estate in that fraught world. It was not always so given that I learned piping via the pipe band system in the Boys Brigade and later graduated to Muirhead & Sons at age…