By Peter Cooke In the first part of this article I described how two distinct performing traditions, which existed at the end of the 18th century, could be exemplified in the way notators chose to write out what is best regarded as one formulaic motif — the echoing beat on […]
With most of us self-isolating during these uncertain times, there is, perhaps inevitably, a dearth of news to report. However, we at Bagpipe.news will continue to use this time to bring you great articles from our archives. Today’s piece was written by Dr Peter Cooke and published in The International […]
Finlay MacDonald has today been appointed as the Director of Piping of the National Piping Centre (NPC). He takes up his new role in June. The NPC released the following statement today: “The Board of the National Piping Centre is delighted to announce that Finlay MacDonald has been appointed to […]
Organisers of VE Day 75, which was to have taken place on May 8-10, hope to re-schedule the event for the weekend of August 14-15 – the same weekend as the World Pipe Band Championships. Gourock Highland Games had been set to play a leading role in VE Day 75, […]
Finlay MacDonald, pictured, a member of staff at the National Piping Centre (NPC) for almost 20 years, has been appointed Artistic Director of this year’s Piping Live! Glasgow International Festival of Piping, the world’s largest bagpipe festival. MacDonald has been involved with the festival’s programming since its inception in 2003. […]
This weekend’s amateur piping competition held for members of the Competition League for Amateur Solo Pipers (CLASP) was voted an overwhelming success by competitors and judges alike. As a result of the Conronavirus pandemic, the contest was held using videoconferencing technology and audio files. Competitors – from around the world […]
The All Ireland Pipe Band Championships will not now be held on July 4. The Ireland Pipe Band Association and the RSPBA(NI) have postponed the event until later in the year citing concerns about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The contest was due to take place in Newbridge House and Demesne […]
The RSPBA has confirmed the cancellation of four more pipe band contests in response to the current Coronavirus outbreak (CoVid-19): July 4 – Annan August 8 – North Berwick August 22 – Rothesay The cancellation of Rothesay (Bute Highland Games) and North Berwick will be of particular concern to others […]
In the second part of his two-part article on pipe band tone, Bob Shepherd discusses volume and also the controversial subject of pipe band formation. Tone in the pipe band– Part 2By Pipe Major Robert T. Shepherd From the table above (Fig. 6) it is observed that Pitch is employed […]
With most of us in some form of ‘lockdown’, many members of pipe bands are using technology to try to maintain some form of practice. In reproducing this excellent two-part article written by the late Bob Shepherd and published over two editions of The International Piper (November and December 1978), […]
