2025 Band Season Playing Requirements Announced

The RSPBA has issued all playing requirements for bands for the four major championships of the 2025 season. We suggest the table below is read carefully. We assume the reference to ‘Maximum Parted’ tunes in the Grade 1 Worlds section means ‘Maximum 4-Parted’ tunes. In Grade 2, ‘Scenario 1 ‘ only kicks in if there are 24 or more bands entered. Failing this ‘Scenario 2’ will operate. Events will be…

John Don MacKenzie’s Online Recordings/ Iain MacPherson Remembered

I recorded some of my tunes back in 2018 (I couldn’t see anyone else doing it) and I have now got them on streaming platforms. If anyone fancies a listen just go to Apple Music or Amazon Music and type in ‘Tunes from Dornie’. They were done at my home in Dornie and simply processed through my computer so there are no fancy studio tricks involved. I should have done…

Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune Returns

City of Edinburgh Pipe Band has announced that its annual ‘Pipe Major’s Wheel of Fortune’ competition will be held next Saturday, 26 April, at Danderhall Miners Club in Midlothian. Eight pipers will take the floor at a competition where the organisers say ‘creativity, musical expression – and fun come to the fore’. The pipers are: Sandy Cameron, John Dew, Cameron Drummond, Brian Lamond, Gordon McCready, Cameron May, Ross Miller and…

Piping Press Guide to the Games – Important Additions and Further Information

Since last week’s publication of our list, a number of new dates have been intimated to us. Not least this from Jackie Allan: ‘I thought you might like to have a bit of forward notice about the All England Championships that are run inside Chatsworth Country Fair over the weekend 30-31 August. ‘On the Saturday we run contests for Juveniles and CLASP amateurs. 2025 marks the inception of the newly formed English…

Piping Flourishes in North Carolina

It was a pleasure to judge the Jimmy MacIntosh Challenge competition in North Carolina last Friday evening (April 11). This continues to be organised in Jimmy’s memory by his widow Joyce, with the assistance of their son Cameron. Ben McClamrock was a new name on the piobaireachd trophy, playing Lament for Ronald MacDonald of Morar. He caught the pathos of the tune from the opening un-rushed B echo beat to…