British Pipe Band Championships – Shotts Triumph

Shotts & Dykehead are the new British Pipe Band Champions winning Grade 1 today (May 30th) at Ingliston, near Edinburgh, in overcast weather conditions. Two Medleys were required in G1. Shotts were placed first by every judge in a sweeping victory. The other places in the top grade went to: 2 Boghall3 Inveraray4 Fife Police5 FMM6 FederationDrumming: Shotts Judges for the Grade 1 Championship were: R Mathieson, C Edgar, P…

Editor’s Notebook: Competition Light Music/ Funeral Reminders/ Correspondence/ Glenfiddich Date

One thing I found striking about the report this week on the 1934 Argyllshire Gathering was the tunes played in the light music: Shepherd’s Crook, Lochcarron, Piper’s Bonnet, Glengarry Gathering, and what must have been an early run of Mrs MacPherson of Inveran. Here we are, eight years off a century later, and these classic pieces are still what separates the great from the not so great players of ceòl…

RSPBA Hit Back Over Pipe Band College Claims

The RSPBA has responded to comments made by former Pipe Band College Piping Principal, Mr Jim Campbell. Mr Campbell’s comments followed the announcement earlier this month by Association Chairman Bob Niven of a ‘strategic reset’ of the College with new leaders and more focus on teaching. Read it here. In a long statement reported fully on Piping Press, Mr Campbell claimed that he and the other three College Principals, were…

History: Games Day at the Argyllshire Gathering, 1934

This article is from the Oban Times and covers the second day of the Argyllshire Gathering in 1934…. The weather on Thursday,, the second day of the Games, was ideal for piping, and lovers of the lighter form of bagpipe music had the pleasure of listening to a wide range of tunes, many which were finely played. Those who took part in the competition for marches, strathspeys and reels are…

Why No Differences in Piping Judge Scores at Dollar?

Enjoy Boghall & Bathgate’s winning medley at Dollar I note the Grade 1 result from Dollar, and in particular the fact both piping judges have exactly the same shakedown from 1 to 8. We are constantly told each year, particularly at the World Championships, that the margins between the top Grade 1 bands are becoming forever smaller. If so, the question I ask is this: at this competition was there…