Congratulations to all the participants in the 34th annual United States Piping Foundation Amateur and Professional Piping Championships, held in memory of founder Maclean Macleod, writes Mike Rogers. This year’s events were unique to say the least!  Due to the global pandemic, all events were held online, and judged via YouTube.  Perhaps due to elimination of travel obstacles, there was an unprecedented entry for this year’s competitions, with 33 Amateurs…

The piping and pipe band worlds are holding up well despite a summer decimated by the virus emergency, writes the Editor. Piping Press will continue to do its bit to keep everyone’s enthusiasm bubbling along until the sunny uplands of 2021 appear on the horizon. Today we are offering free of charge the second set of three quality portraits of significant piping figures of the past. Readers can download these…

As the COVID-19 lockdown unfortunately has resulted in the complete loss of the 2020 pipe band outdoor competition season, I am sure the usual ‘reviewers’ of pipe band results must be quite frustrated that they are this year having to look for other pastimes to vent their frustrations and sometimes unfair accusations.  While the competition scene is dormant, apart from virtual versions, this may be an opportune time to take…

I must say the standard of paintings we have received for our Lockdown Challenge has been terrific. Witness the above detail from artist Scott Kish. It is of piper Robert Dowson and is in watercolour. The size is 11″ x 15″. We’ll keep the challenge going till the end of July at which point it will be over to judge Robert Mathieson who has kindly agreed to select the winners….

Reader John Maclay is offering an array of bagpipes, chanters and pipe making tools for sale. The sale includes a set of ivory pipes by Henry Starck, five ‘Brian Boru’ chanters made by Starck, a full ivory Irish warpipe by Starck (bass, baritone and tenor drones), a set of miniature pipes (metal ferrules, ivory chanter sole), plus an array of wood, ivory and pipe making tools. The whole lot is…