Poster Reveals Details of 1785 Contest

What did pipers play in solo competition almost 230 years ago? A poster from the 1785 competition held in Edinburgh for the Prize Pipe reveals all. It tells us that 50 pieces of ceol mor were heard during the gathering; it proves that the tunes we play today were in common currency back then; it shows that despite Culloden, its shameful aftermath and the Act of Proscription, piping continued to thrive in…

Northern Ireland Piper of the Year – Critique

This contest, run by the Northern Ireland Piping Society, was held in the ballroom at the Adair Arms Hotel in Ballymena, and despite a hum from the cooler behind the bar, it proved an ideal venue for a piping competition; plenty of floor space, plenty of audience space and a draughtless ambience. There were very few listeners in for the piobaireachd in the afternoon  (not unusual, even in Scotland) but the…

National Mod Piping (updated with jnrs.)

Champion pipers at the National Mod piping held today at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, were: Ceol Mor: 1 Sandy Cameron, Red Speckled Bull, £150 2 Colin Campbell, Corrienessan’s Sal., £100 3 Jonathan Greenlees, Lament for Donald Duaghal MacKay, £75 Ceol Beag: 1 Gordon McCready, £100 2 Gavin Ferguson, £75 3 Sandy Cameron, £50 H&J: 1 Colin Campbell 2 Gordon McCready 3 James McPhee Sandy Cameron pictured today after his big…

Northern Ireland Piper of the Year (pix added)

Robert Wallace: The overall winner of this important annual award was Graham Drummond. The competition is held over two legs, ceol mor and ceol beag. Graham placed first in the first and second in the second, giving him the overall title. Pipers submit their own choice of piobaireachd and senior competitors three MSRs and junior two. It is possible for juniors to be placed ahead of seniors, and indeed, this…

Set Tunes Posted

The Piobaireachd Society’s Set Tunes list for 2015 has now been posted here. All tunes in the Senior list are MacCrimmon or MacCrimmon related works. Gold Medal candidates will submit eight tunes of their own choice and Silver Medal six. These tunes and requirements are recommendations to the Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meeting competitions. Piobaireachd Society membership is open to all with an interest in the great music. Your pipingpress.com editor,…