Top Pipers Announced for Piobaireachd Society ‘Classical Pipe Music’ Annual Concert

The Piobaireachd Society has announced the line up for its annual recital of ceòl mòr entitled ‘Classical Pipe Music – Scotland’s Hidden Treasure’. Those invited to play are Stuart Liddell, Decker Forrest, P/M Ben Duncan and Craig Sutherland. The concert is to be held at the National Piping Centre’s Otago Street building (formerly the College of Piping) on August 29 at 7 for 7.30pm. There will be a ‘live’ audience and tickets…

From the Archives: Dame Flora’s 90th Celebrated at an ‘Exhibition of Piping’ in London

This is taken from February 29, 1968, edition of the ‘Edinburgh Weekly’ newspaper. The original article was headlined ‘The Skirl o’ the Pipes in the Swinging City’…… Dame Flora MacLeod (90) stepped off a plane from New York at London Airport. She made straight for ‘an exhibition of piping’ at the London Scottish regiment Headquarters, Buckingham Gate. A packed audience of 400 gave the Clan Chief a tremendous ovation. In…

Editor’s Notebook: Tobermory Games/ Grampian Games/ Piper Carvings at Breuberg Castle/ New App for Learning by Ear

It looks like we will have the semblance of a piping season after all. Online contests are already beginning to sound so last year. Yesterday on a sunny isle of Mull, the local school band led the parade to the games park for a mini-gathering. Local correspondent Calum MacLean reports: ‘The games started with the march to the field led by Tobermory High School Pipe Band. ‘Although this was not…

Judging at Grandfather Mountain Games 2021

Ed Krintz and I judged a very high standard piping event at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in Linville, North Carolina, on July 10. The venue has often been likened to the Braemar Highland Gathering. Below is a summary of the competition Ed and I worked on. The photos show the lovely weather and how well-attended the event was. We had the pleasure of judging the Open Piobaireachd. Grandfather Mountain Highland…

Modern History of the Pipe Band Movement from 1946 to the Millennium

The Second World War interrupted pipe band contests, which resumed in 1946. In 1947 the Scottish Pipe Band Association decided to take the World Championship away from Cowal as they had had a good offer from Edinburgh City Council which wanted it to be held there to coincide with the new Festival. Cowal refused to give up the Championship or hand over the trophies, and after a lot of meetings…