Tag: piping competitions

Bid to Save Bonnet Maker Tradition/ RSPBA Summer School Announced

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Businessman Philip Pass has been in touch about an unfortunate development regarding Highland dress….. ‘Dear  Kind  Piping  Press Folk, If you haven’t already heard, recent changes at Robert  Mackie,  manufacturers of traditional Scottish bonnets since 1845 means that  Scotland has  just lost  its  last  bonnet production line  and  Stewarton, in Ayrshire,  known as  ‘the  Bonnet Toun’  since the 1600s,  its  last  and only bonnet maker. ‘And if the collective ‘we’ do…

More Bid to Save Bonnet Maker Tradition/ RSPBA Summer School Announced

Significant Changes Announced for Forthcoming SPA Professional/ Virginia Tattoo Band Entries and Prizemoney

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This year’s Scottish Pipers Association Professional Competition will be held in the Piping Centre, McPhater Street, Glasgow, on 22 April, writes President Logan Tannock. Due to lack of entries in the Open category, we have had to combine the Open and B Grade light music. The Open and B Grade Piobaireachd will remain separate. We have seven entries in the former. Our committee has agreed that we will keep the…

More Significant Changes Announced for Forthcoming SPA Professional/ Virginia Tattoo Band Entries and Prizemoney

Review: Donald MacLeod Memorial Senior and Junior Competitions

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Top honours at the P/M Donald MacLeod MBE Memorial, held in the Caladh Inn, Stornoway, last Friday, were taken by Dollar Academy piping instructor Callum Beaumont. Callum was first overall and won both the ceòl mòr and MSR events, writes Katie Laing. James Duncan Mackenzie, a piping instructor in Lewis and Harris schools, was second overall and second in both these categories. He was the first Lewis piper to qualify…

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Editor’s Notebook: Clan MacRae PB/ Set Tunes/ Band Gradings/ Jimmy Hood/ Iain MacPherson’s Pipes

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Reader Rona Launders writes: ‘There’s an image of the Clan MacRae Society Pipe Band which was taken in the 1950s on your website. My father, William Turnbull is one of the drummers in the photograph and I would very much like a copy and of course I’m more than happy to pay for the image.’ I take it that’s the picture above Rona. Please feel free to download/copy it or…

More Editor’s Notebook: Clan MacRae PB/ Set Tunes/ Band Gradings/ Jimmy Hood/ Iain MacPherson’s Pipes

History: ‘Scotch Piper and the Dancing Girl’ – Part 3

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We conclude our interview of an itinerant piper, originally from Peterhead he says, and formerly of the 93rd Regiment. Given his references to the MacGregors, it is possible that he was one of that clan. See more here. This interview is dated 1851 and is by journalist Henry Mayhew. In this concluding excerpt the piper avers that the Lowland Scot is tight with his money when compared to the Highlander….

More History: ‘Scotch Piper and the Dancing Girl’ – Part 3