The eight pipers who will compete at this year’s Pipe Major Donald MacLeod Memorial Invitational Solo Piping Competition have been confirmed as:
Stuart Liddell,
Niall Stewart,
Iain Speirs,
Angus MacColl Snr.,
Connor Sinclair,
Sarah Muir,
Willie McCallum,
Gordon McCready.
The competition will be held on Friday April 3 at the Caladh Inn hotel in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. Finlay Johnston was the overall winner at the competition last year but cannot participate this year as he has a prior engagement teaching in South Africa. Finlay is pictured receiving the winner’s trophy from Fiona MacLeod, one of Donald’s two daughters.
John Wilson, Murray Henderson and Dr Angus MacDonald will adjudicate.
The National Piping Centre (NPC) requires a Marketing and Design Co-ordinator. The role comprises marketing for all of the NPC’s activities as well as for PipingLive! Glasgow International Piping Festival.
Aspects include social media strategy and implementation, developing blogging content and creating bespoke design within the organisation’s branding guidelines.
A full job specification can be found here.
The closing date is Friday, February 14.
Two hundred (200) music industry professionals from 23 countries are descending on Glasgow next week for five days of music and entertainment. Each year for 21 years, Showcase Scotland offers a spotlight on an international partner. This year there will be a Scandinavian flavour with Finland as the partner region. Both leading and emerging Finnish artists will perform alongside their Scottish counterparts over the four days.
This year, Showcase Scotland, the country’s leading international music industry gathering, has partnered with the Scandinavian country, Finland to showcase its unique music.
Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland, said: “The list of acts who have performed at Showcase Scotland over the past two decades reads like a Who’s Who of modern folk music. Along the way, careers have been made, friendships have been formed and Scotland’s traditional music has evolved to become the envy of the world. Showcase Scotland is the perfect cultural crossroads, where our best artists meet delegates from home and abroad – the starting point of a long and exciting journey to performing for eager audiences across the planet.”
The initiative is organised by Active Events on behalf of Celtic Connections.
Gary Nimmo, who was for six years the Piping Instructor in the state schools of Wester Ross, is the new Pipe Major for the Grade 4 band of the Perthshire piping and drumming organisation, the Vale of Atholl.
Gary joins as the former Pipe Corporal of the Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band and former Pipe Major of the Grade 2 Royal Burgh of Stirling Pipe Band. He has also been appointed as the Vale’s principal Piping Instructor.
Gary said: “After working with the band over the last few months, I am delighted to be taking on this extra responsibility, and being part of a world class teaching organisation. Such community focused groups are absolutely vital for the development of pipers and drummers of the future.”
A spokesman for the Vale said: “We are all very excited about this appointment and, along with Mark Stewart taking on the Grade 3 band, the organisation has never been in better hands for many years. “
Gary is also the proprietor of Achiltibuie Bagpipe Specialists, based in central Scotland.
