PP Ed's Blog: Band Dates/ Andy's Tune/ South Florida

Spotted this on the internet and it may be a handy reference for the coming pipe band season: Download a printable PDF here. Northern Ireland piper Andy Wilson (above) achieved a highly commendable second prize in the ‘B’ piobaireachd at the recent Winter Storm contest in Kansas. Here’s part of his prizewinning performance of The Fingerlock: Chieftain at the last European Pipe Band Championships to be held at Forres in…

Winter Storm – Full Results with wins for Sarah Muir, Alastair Lee, Grant Cassidy and Andrew Elliot

Our Special Correspondent reports: Cool running in chilly Kansas. With a record number of competitors, the event ran for around 12 hours, using multiple rooms, venues and facilities in the Winter Storm Campus. The judges were allocated across the lot and full marks to that crew for sticking at it through the day. They only have the Workshops and Gala Concert to worry about today. The blue ribbon events were taken…

'Winter Storm' Competitions Underway in a Chilly Kansas City

The aptly named Winter Storm kicked off in Kansas City, Missouri, with a real winter storm biting at the heels of those flying and driving in from far-flung places, writes our Special Correspondent,  perhaps none further than eight-time World Solo Drumming Champion Steven McWhirter. Steven arrived the ‘long way round’ from Australia. Aside from the big names and celebrated champions, a record number of competitors (including a good number of Scots…

Winter Storm Entries Top 300

The Midwest Highland Arts Fund (MHAF) Board of Directors reports: Today the previous record of 271 solo contest entries, set in January, 2017, was broken with 313 solo entries recorded for its upcoming Winter Storm, January 12, 2018, piping and drumming contests. The entry deadline was Midnight, December 15, 2017, and the record numbers are attributed, in part, to strong growth in the amateur piping and drumming contests. Returning for…

PP Ed’s Blog: Joe Rafferty, Darach & Helen/ RSPS/ W Storm/ Robert Turner

George Barlow in the US has asked for information on P/M Joe Rafferty: ‘Could you please check this with your readership. At the annual competition at Inchdrewer House the Army School has a piobaireachd award named after Pipe Major Joe Rafferty whom I met in the 1980s when the Black Watch was on tour here. The P/Sgt. was Alex Brown whom I saw on YouTube doing a recruitment film for the…