Western Australia Police Pipe Band (WAPOL) is forming a youth development pipe band. It will feature both a professional grassroots teaching programme as well as a non-competing performance pipe band.
Places are available for all young people aged under 18 from beginners to the more advanced.
The tutors are all members of WAPOL Pipe Band and the programme will be managed by Alisdair McLaren, the Pipe Major of the WA Police Pipe Band. Alisdair was for 11 years the Director of the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland. He said: “Being a local West Australian, learning and developing my piping skills firstly through my school band at Trinity College and the Police & Citizens Youth Club, I am extremely excited about this new venture.
“… The team here at WAPOL is made up of many world class pipers and drummers with years of experience so it’s a fantastic opportunity for the local community to take advantage of this. Hopefully in the future we’ll see some of these kids making their mark both locally and internationally”.
For more information and to register interest, contact Alisdair via email at Alisdair.mclaren@police.wa.gov.au
Pipe Major Calum Campbell’s Caprice remains a popular hornpipe with pipers and rightly so. Joe Wilson’s composition from 1960 in honour of his Pipe Major in the Gordons stands the test of time.
But who was Calum Campbell? Due to his army service, Calum (pictured), who served in the Gordon Highlanders, wasn’t able to compete as often as did some of his contemporaries including Pipe Majors Donald MacLeod and Donald MacLean. Many readers will be well aware of Calum but for today’s generation, for whom he may be unfamiliar, Calum is the latest subject of our popular ‘Famous pipers’ series.
The feature, written by Joe Wilson in 2008 and published across several editions of the Piping Times, is reproduced here in one piece.
Edinburgh’s popular Scots Music Group is to run its autumn term online. The new terms commences in September with four levels of smallpipes groups on offer. the tutors are Andrew Macintyre, Fin Moore, Malin Lewis and Ailis Sutherland.
Email Sarah Northcott at devworker@scotsmusic.org
The Scots Music Grup is a community-based charity located at the Eric Liddell Centre on Morningside Road in Scotland’s capital city.
