Uist & Barra Line Up/ Northern Ireland Band News

The first major professional solo contest of the year, the Uist & Barra, takes place in the old College of Piping building (now part of the Piping Centre) in Otago Street, Glasgow, on March 9th. Piping Convenor John Angus Smith has confirmed the following line-up, playing order, and tunes for the Ceòl Mòr: Finlay Johnston – My Dearest on Earth Give Me Your KissCraig Sutherland – MacLeod of Colbeck’s LamentWilliam…

History: A Lament for GS McLennan

This is from a late 1970s article by journalist Alistair Campsie. Though often a controversial figure, Mr Campsie was a good writer. Some readers will know him through his entertaining but largely discredited book, ‘The MacCrimmon Legend: the Madness of Angus MacKay’. …. Just over 50 years ago, one of the biggest funeral processions ever seen in Aberdeen jammed the city centre with 20,000 mourners, three pipe bands and a…

Archie Kenneth Quaich Result/ CLASP Online Results

The Archie Kenneth Quaich 2024 was held in the rooms of the Royal Scottish Pipers Society last Saturday, 24th February. The winner was Arran King who is pictured above. The competition is promoted by the Piobaireachd Society. A large entry of 38 was reduced to 25 by ballot. Twenty-one played. Result: 1 Arran King, MacFarlane’s Gathering2 Edmund Boland, Andrew MacNeil of Colonsay3 Owain Woodman Carr, Little Spree4 Graham Farr, Catherine’s…

P/M Richard Parkes Master Classes/ SLOT’s Famous Bass Drummer Retires

The Ulster-Scots Agency is an organisation whose aims are to promote the study, conservation, development and use of Ulster-Scots as a living language; to encourage and develop the full range of its attendant culture; and to promote an understanding of the history of Ulster-Scots. Since it was established in 1999 it has funded annual tuition programmes generally promoted by individuals bands of all types with piping, drumming and drum majoring…

Information on UK Pipe Band Championship and Northern Ireland Season

The RPSBA has announced that the United Kingdom Championships will be hosted in the city of Bangor, County Down and facilitated by the Ards & North Down Council on Saturday May 18th . I have little doubt that the local NI Branch will have had a major input into achieving this outcome as they would in any event have been discussing the annual local contest which generally takes place either…