Editor’s Notebook: Glass Chanter/ Band Medleys/ Judging Proposal/ SPA Dates/ Schools Jobs

Can anyone stop Angus MacPhee winning his third Glass Chanter in a row? Angus is pictured above after his 2025 win. The Chanter and £200 is awarded to the piper with most points from wins on the northern Highland Games circuit. The journey to the prestigious award begins a week tomorrow (July 11) at Inverness Highland Games. There then follows a succession of qualifying events at Halkirk (July 25), Dornoch…

‘Beyond Highland Cathedral’ – Inspiring Pipers Gathering in New South Wales

Grafton District Services Club Pipe Band, New South Wales, hosted a piping get together entitled ‘Beyond Highland Cathedral’ on Saturday, June 13th. The meeting was inspired by those held a generation ago 100 miles away in Tenterfield NSW by the MacCabe family, writes Alastair McInnes. Many in Scotland will remember Lachlan McCabe and his brother who went round the games in the 80s. About 50 enthusiasts, pipers and drummers, enjoyed…

Drumtochty and Ceres Games Results

A good turnout of 14 years and under pipers with nine competitors at last weekend’s Drumtochty Games, writes Graham Brown. Unfortunately there were no entries for the U18 events and nobody entered the Open March or Strathspey & Reel. The 14 and Unders were allowed to play up and six competed in the U18 March and Strathspey and Reel . Because of the poor turnout the organisers also decided to…

RSPBA Chief Executive Confirms Five Majors for 2027

RSPBA Chief Executive Officer Colin Mulhern has confirmed that all five major pipe band championships are in place for 2027. This includes the Worlds at Glasgow Green. And Mr Mulhern forcefully scotched all rumours circulating of a fallout between the Association and Worlds promoters Glasgow Life. Mr Mulhern took time out from his busy day at the European Pipe Band Championships in Perth to talk to Piping Press about this…

Review: European Pipe Band Championship, Grade 1

Can we talk bass drums? Why are they being thumped so hard? On Saturday at the Euros you would have thought some of these stick people were preparing for the 12th of July! I listened to all of Grade One and there was only one mallet man who produced the soft-stroke musicality, the sort of purr that blended with the bass drones. That was the chap from St Laurence O’Toole….