•Ali Levack performing in the Friday Night Folk gig at Piping Live! 2025. Photo: John Slavin
Piping Live! may wind down, just a little, on the Friday as many head to Glasgow Green, but the music around the Centre didn’t stop. The Bothy Tent had the launch of Allan MacDonald’s Moidart Collection book 3 where we heard tunes from the three MacDonald brothers from Glenuig, and it wouldn’t be a Piping Live! Friday without the Big Street Cafe Session led by Finlay MacDonald on Border Pipes.
•Allan MacDonald and Dr Angus MacDonald on pipes. Photo: John Slavin•The Big Street Cafe Session at Piping Live! 2025. Photo: John Slavin
One of the musical highlights of the week was a two hour, high octane Gordon Duncan Celebration which was enjoyed by a large audience on the steps of the amphitheatre in front of the Centre Stage. Surely this needs to be reprised in 2026!
•Celebrating Gordon Duncan with Ross Ainslie, Finlay MacDonald, Lorne MacDougall, Brian Lamond, Bobby Allen and Gillie O’Flaherty on guitar. Photo: John Slavin•Brian Lamond – Celebrating Gordon Duncan at Piping Live! 2025. Photo: John Slavin•Kyle Howie – Celebrating Gordon Duncan at Piping Live! 2025. Photo: John Slavin•Ross Ainslie – Celebrating Gordon Duncan at Piping Live! 2025. Photo: John Slavin•Bobby Allen – Celebrating Gordon Duncan at Piping Live! 2025. Photo: John Slavin•Finlay MacDonald – Celebrating Gordon Duncan at Piping Live! 2025. Photo: John Slavin•Gordy Duncan – Celebrating Gordon Duncan at Piping Live! 2025. Photo: John Slavin•Gillie O’Flaherty – Celebrating Gordon Duncan at Piping Live! 2025. Photo: John Slavin
The Friday Night Folk concert in St Luke’s with Falasgair and the Ali Levack Big Band, in a packed out venue, was a fitting way to round off another successful Piping Live! – Glasgow International Piping Festival.
•Falasgair performing in the Friday Night Folk gig at Piping Live! 2025. Photo: John Slavin•Ali Levack performing in the Friday Night Folk gig at Piping Live! 2025. Photo: John Slavin
