The Competing Pipers Association (CPA) is to hold several online solo piping competitions this summer. Ceòl Mòr and MSR competitions for each grade will feature. Videos of pipers’ performances are to be recorded and uploaded rather than live-streamed. In a statement released today, the UK-based organisation that represents competing pipers […]
A new edition of Willie Donaldson’s book, Pipers will be published in July. The book was first published in Great Britain in 2005 by Birlinn, the Edinburgh-based publishing company that’s also behind the new edition. The book – its full title is Pipers: A Guide to the Players and Music […]
We have received some feedback regarding the blog post from Simon McKerrell, pictured right, that appeared here last week. All of the feedback we received came from competing pipers and a couple of judges. Most were supportive of Mr McKerrell’s suggestion that it is time to gradually abolish the Set […]
By Brett Tidswell A number of articles have been published recently that have cited the number of pipers involved in the Second World War. In one article it was suggested some 10,000 pipers had perished during the war. A second article was published subsequently after many must have questioned that figure […]
Pipe Major Ewan Henderson and Leading Drummer Arthur Cook have resigned from their respective roles at the Grade 1 Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band. 2020 was to have been the last competitive season for both. Cook said: “It has been my privilege to lead the drum corps to become Grade […]
Entries are invited for the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award 2021. The competition is for singers or instrumentalists aged between 16 and 27 with a passion for traditional music. Winners receive a recording session with BBC Radio Scotland, a performance at the Scots Trad Music Awards, an invite […]
Further to yesterday’s report about the forthcoming book of Evan MacRae’s memoirs, we hear of a fellow piper in the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders is currently completing his memoirs. Jimmy McIntosh MBE (94) served in the regiment from October 1939 (aged 14) until 1949. He served with the 5th Battalion, […]
We hear that the life of Evan MacRae (1922-1991), who is mentioned briefly in the Lochaber Gathering report from 1996 (below), will be the subject of a new book. Evan is remembered by many in Lochaber today from his time there working as a piping instructor in the schools. Born […]
Dr Hugh Hepburn, a keen support of piping and was a popular and well known face in the piping scene of the northwest of Scotland, died, aged 80, on May 8. The Aberdeen-born piper had a short battle with Myeloma, a form of blood cancer. Boxing was another of Hugh’s […]
Reader, Stewart Donaldson from Blairgowrie, Scotland sent us these photographs with a plea for information. He tells us the photographs were taken by Fred Oudney from Perthshire town who played in the local pipe band and also the Perth & District Pipe Band in the 1970s. The photographs are part […]
