Detailed Information on Historic Northern Irish Pipe Band Photographs

We are grateful to RSPBA adjudicator Harry Stevenson (pictured) and to Tommy Johnston of Pipe Dreams for supplying the following information on our historical Irish bands feature of a week or so ago. Main Picture (above): This is the Red Hand Brian Boru  Pipe Band with Trevor Forster as Drum Major. They played the Brian Boru pipes which had been  developed by Henry Starck the famous pipemaker in London. Brian Boru…

Delaware to New England – Editor’s Letter from America

We are now well into the week at the New England Pipe & Drum Academy. Small but perfectly formed, with friendship, wonderful food and hard study the unfailing mix for a successful week. Tonight Tommy (Johnston) and I are off to the Stuart Highlanders band for a workshop. This is the band which recently had a Grade 1 standing but who are now down in Grade 5. How things can…

London Cut ‘C’ Grade and Amateur Contests from this Year’s Event

The Scottish Piping Society of London’s President Andrew Hall: Saturday November 3rd 2018 marks the 79th Annual Competition of the Scottish Piping Society of London. The SPSL Committee has been very active over the last few months in planning for this year’s Annual Competition and is delighted to announce that entries are now open, via the refreshed SPSL website: www.scottishpipingsocietyoflondon.co.uk Last year was one of our largest annual competitions, where…

Review of Grade 2 at the UK Pipe Band Championships

Some say his Ulster fry is as dry as an Arabian sand shoe….others that his flashes of brilliance are in his hose tops…..yet more that his utterings and muttering are those of a havering Hector – and anything but heroic. But he is our firm family favourite and you just gotta love him…He is, after all, the one and only MacStig…… I think it was those 1970s heavy duty philosophers…

Donald MacDonald Cuach – Update on Last Friday’s Contest

  Press release: Winners have been announced for two prestigious traditional music competitions held at Armadale Castle, Gardens & Museum of the Isles last weekend. The winner of the 32nd Donald MacDonald Cuach piobaireachd competition (15 June) was  Iain Speirs. Iain’s tune was ‘An Gròta’ or ‘The Groat’. Iain has won the prize twice previously, in 2009 and 2016. Adjudicator Allan MacDonald praised the high quality of all the players. The…