Northern Ireland Report: FMM’s Outstanding Tribute to P/M Frank Andrews

On Friday April 28th the eagerly awaited Frank Andrews Tribute Concert took place at the Tullyglass Hotel in Ballymena. There was an attendance of 600 and it was an outstanding success. I have attended the majority of the big pipe band concerts over the years, at the County Hall or the Waterfront Hall, and I would venture to say that this was amongst the absolute best. The star act was…

Highland Games Season Details/ John’s New Recording

Entries are now open for Aberdeen Games on June 18. Prizemoney has been increased. There are three senior events and three junior and a new open grade chanter contest. Entries close June 8. Enter here. Aberdeen’s Highland Games attracts between 8,000 and 15,000 people annually. Outdoor catering will be available with a public bar with a beer garden. Before Aberdeen there is solo piping at Gordon Castle (May 21) and Atholl…

Full Weekend Pipe Band Results from Gourock, Dunbar and Banchory

Congratulations to all bands who supported last weekend’s pipe band contests at Banchory, Dunbar and Gourock. Inveraray won in Grade 1 at Gourock (May 14) with Boghall second and first in drumming. P/M Ross Harvey and L/D Kerr McQuillan of Boghall are pictured above. Gourock G1: 1 Inveraray 2 Boghall 3 Shotts 4 Police Scotland; Drumming: BoghallG2: 1 Uddingston 2 Oban 3 Lower Clyde 4 Turriff; Drumming: UddingstonG3: 1 Milngavie…

Editor’s Notebook: Willie Ross and Robert Reid/ Book Plea/ Gordon’s Tune/ Clan MacRae and Glasgow Skye

I am sure P/M Willie Ross did seminal service to piping when he streamlined the playing and writing of our ceòl beag technique. Gone were the doublings on C with the two D gracenotes, the open style of taorluath writing, the heavy D throw, the gracenoted birl. His six books also provided a catalogue of standard settings of many of the classic competition tunes in versions that everyone agreed were…

End of Year Recitals for Piping Students/ Black Watch Tune Search

Students on the Royal Conservatoire / National Piping Centre Traditional Music degree course take to the stage for their end-of-year recitals on 1st and 2nd June, writes John Mulhearn. These public recitals are a major component of the course assessment and are part of the wider RCS Traditional Music Recital Festival. Commencing on Tuesday 30th May, the festival takes place at Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts and is free to attend.  Piping…