Piping Live! Thursdays are always very busy around the The National Piping Centre and Street Cafe. Heat four of Pipe Idol, and the final, take place on Thursday and no doubt the Street Cafe and NPC auditorium will be packed for both. Get your tickets for the final early, or buy LiveStream tickets to watch the action.
The Thursday evening event that is usually a sell out is the Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital Challenge. There is no LiveStream option for this event, so if you want to hear the playing of returning champion Matt MacIsaac, and Sarah Muir, Angus MacColl, Callum Beaumont and Stuart Liddell – get your tickets now!
Apart from the above, Thursday has so much to choose from including: the Piping Live! Trade Fair, a full Street Cafe schedule, the Big Rab Show live podcast live, a ‘canntaireachd choir’ with Barnaby Brown of The Pibroch Network, hear Willie McCallum discuss how to play an MSR, four pipe band performances in Buchanan Street and a piping recital from Ross Ainslie playing Gordon Duncan’s pipes.
If you can’t be in Glasgow next week but want to be part of the music, check out the Piping Live! 2023 Online Festival Pass here. There are two +LIVESTREAM events included in the pass for Thursday.
9.30am
The CLASP’s World Amateur Solo Piping Competition, Grades 3 & 4
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/the-clasps-world-amateur-solo-piping-competition-2023-grade-3-and-4
venue: The NPC – Otago St, WEST END VENUE
10.15am
Street Cafe Sessions – Pibroch Network Conversations
Pibroch Network Conversations – Singing. Remove barriers to connection and belonging by singing great music – Find out more
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/street-cafe-thursday
venue: The NPC STREET CAFE – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
10.30am
Learn @ Live! Simple Approaches to Performance of an MSR
Current Glenfiddich Champion Willie McCallum will demonstrate simple approaches, techniques and methods to assist in the performance of Marches, Strathspeys and Reels.
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/learn-at-live-thursday-simple-approaches-to-performance-of-an-msr
venue: The NPC – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
11.00am
Piping Live! Trade Fair 2023
The Piping Live! Trade Fair returns to the festival schedule for 2023. With a fantastic host of pipe makers, crafters, books and more, this will be a great way to meet your new favourite Scottish maker!
Taking part in the Trade Fair this year are:
- Wallace Bagpipes Visit their Website
- Iain MacNeill – author Visit his website
- G1 Reeds Visit the G1 Reeds Website
- Corrie’s Capers Visit the website
- Musicians Union Visit the MU website
- Debbie Bagcovers
- Maverick Chanters Visit the Maverick Chanters website
- Donald MacPherson – The Legend Lives On
- Marie Fielding – Fiddler/Educator/Composer/Artist Visit her website
- Sooty’s Sweet Scribbles Visit the website
- Flam 5 Visit the Website
- William MacDonald of Inverness Tune Book
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/trade-fair
venue: Strathclyde Suite, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
11.45am
Piping in Uist with Iain MacDonald and Seonaidh MacIntyre
Join renowned musician and Ceòlas Artistic Director, Iain MacDonald, for a discussion on Piping in Uist, with archive recordings and live piping from the celebrated South Uist piper, Seonaidh MacIntyre.
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/piping-in-uist-with-iain-macdonald-and-seonaidh-macintyre
venue: The NPC – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
12.00noon
Buchanan Street Pipe Bands – Bagad Brieg, France
https://pipinglive.co.uk/artists/bagad-brieg
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/buchanan-street-pipe-bands-thursday
venue: Buchanan St, Glasgow
12.00noon
Street Cafe Sessions – Pipe Idol Heat 4
Pipe Idol is back for 2023! Competitors will perform a set including a hornpipe and jig, a March, Strathspey and Reel and a medley of tunes between 5 – 7 minutes long, this will showcase the best young pipers in the world. With 4 to 6 competitors each day, one winner will be selected to go through the grand final which takes place on Thursday 17th August.
- Daniel Whelan – Australia
- Camron MacPhail – Scotland
- Flynn Porter – Scotland
- Ryan McCreadie – Scotland
- Brooklyn Morris – Scotland
- Hector Finlayson – Scotland
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/street-cafe-thursday
venue: The NPC STREET CAFE – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
1.00pm+LIVESTREAM
Lunchtime Recital Series – Ross Ainslie
Today’s recital is from one of Scotland’s finest contemporary traditional musicians, Ross Ainslie, who will perform a solo recital on an instrument played by his childhood teacher and mentor, Gordon Duncan.
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/lunchtime-recital-series-thursday
venue: The NPC – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
1.00pm
Buchanan Street Pipe Bands – Gordon’s School Pipe Band, Surrey, England
https://pipinglive.co.uk/artists/gordons-schools-pipe-band
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/buchanan-street-pipe-bands-thursday
venue: Buchanan St, Glasgow
1.45pm
Street Cafe Sessions – Duos from Bagad Brieg
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/street-cafe-thursday
venue: The NPC STREET CAFE – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
2.00pm
Gig in the Gallery: Ireland
Jarlath Henderson, one of the foremost proponents of the uilleann pipes will perform in the beautiful Centre Hall.
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/gig-in-the-gallery-ireland-thursday
venue: Kelvingrove Museum, Argyle St
2.00pm
Buchanan Street Pipe Bands – Riverside Alliance Pipe Band, Belgium
https://pipinglive.co.uk/artists/riverside-alliance-pipe-band
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/buchanan-street-pipe-bands-thursday
venue: Buchanan St, Glasgow
2.30pm
Pibroch Network – The Big Sing
The Big Sing will be a community event, open to all, wherein renowned musician, Barnaby Brown, will lead a workshop in performing pibroch music through group singing, using traditional vocables chanted by pipers for centuries.
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/the-big-sing
venue: The NPC – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
2.30pm
Cabadaich Le Ceòlas – Learn the basics of Gaelic
Learn the basics of Gaelic with Ceòlas – a conversation-focused session for beginners level, with a different theme every day. These events are delivered in partnership with Ceòlas.
- Diardaoin / Thursday’s session will focus on Days of the week & Piping Live!
The rest of the week’s sessions will look at:
- Diluain / Monday – Cò thu? Greetings and meeting people
- Dimàirt / Tuesday – Àitichean – Places
- Diciadain / Wednesday – Ceòl – Music
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/cabadaich-le-ceolas-thursday
venue: The NPC – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
2.30pm
Street Cafe Sessions: Emerging Talent – Ruairidh Buxton & Friends
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/street-cafe-thursday
venue: The NPC STREET CAFE – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
3.00pm
Buchanan Street Pipe Bands – St Andrews Pipe Band of Winnipeg, Canada
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/buchanan-street-pipe-bands-thursday
venue: Buchanan St, Glasgow
4.50pm
Street Cafe Sessions: The CLASP World Amateur Solo Piping Championships Results
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/street-cafe-thursday
venue: The NPC STREET CAFE – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
5.00pm
Street Cafe Sessions: Live Podcast – The Big Rab Show
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/the-big-rab-show-podcast-live
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/street-cafe-thursday
venue: The NPC STREET CAFE – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
5.00pm+LIVESTREAM
Pipe Idol Grand Final
After four heats of fierce competition the four finalists will play one last time in front of a panel of secret judges in the National Piping Centre auditorium to see who will be crowned champion. Watch throughout the week as the heats take place at the Street Cafe to see who makes it through to the grand final.
Thanks to Fred Morrison Pipes for their generous sponsorship of this event.
For livestream tickets, click here: https://thenationalpipingcentre.vhx.tv/
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/pipe-idol-grand-final
venue: The NPC – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
7.30pm
Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital Challenge
Five top solo pipers will each perform a 25 minute medley of their favourite tunes, to become the champion for 2023! The pipers for 2023 are: returning champion Matt MacIsaac, Sarah Muir, Angus MacColl, Callum Beaumont and Stuart Liddell.
This event usually sells out, so we would recommend getting your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/pipe-major-alasdair-gillies-memorial-recital-challenge
venue: Strathclyde Suite, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
10.30pm
Late Night Sessions with Fionnlagh Mac A Phiocair
Join us for some late-night music at The National Piping Centre, led by Fionnlagh Mac A Phiocair.
Doors open at 10.30 pm and tunes will start from 11, so bring your instrument and join in, or just sit back over a late-night drink and enjoy the music!
Free to attend. Over 18s Only.
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/late-night-sessions-thursday
venue: The NPC – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE