In February 2020, for their appearance and tone, I bought a used set of silver and faux ivory 1980 Kintail bagpipes. I then spent months trying to bring that tone properly to the surface, where I could be confident that they would still be near in tune whenever I picked […]
A documentary airs in Belfast next week that tells the story of pioneering women pipers who helped pave the way for women musicians at a time when the traditional music scene in Ireland was dominated by men. The documentary, entitled ‘Mná Na Bpíob’ (‘Women of the Pipes’), is part of […]
With the 18th Piping Live! festival ending last weekend we take a brief breather here at McPhater Street and bring you some highlights in pictures of this incredible piping event. See you next year!
The results from last weekend’s Grampian Highland Gathering piping competitions were: March – 1. Allan Russell [pictured]; 2. Calum Brown; 3. Pipe Major Ben Duncan; 4. Gordon McCready; 5. John MacDonald. Strathspey & Reel – 1. Pipe Major Ben Duncan; 2. Allan Russell; 3. Calum Brown; 4. Gordon McCready; 5. […]
The National Piping Centre. Friday, August 13. As compère, Fergus Muirhead noted, Piping Live! has always showcased the huge diversity of bagpipe music. This concert was a great example of that. Funding was received from the PRS Foundation Open Fund to commission five Scottish composers to make new pieces for […]
The overall winners from the 2021 World Solo Amateur Piping Competition held during Piping Live! last week are: Stuart Marshall (Grade 1), Ben Hall (Grade 2), Alasdair Beaton (Grade 3) and Riccardo Brunelli (Grade 4). They receive a keepsake Silver Medal and a free place on one of the National […]
Lincoln Hilton from Australia was the overall winner at the Gordon Duncan Memorial Piping Competition broadcast live this afternoon from the National Piping Centre (NPC) in Glasgow, Scotland as part of this year’s Piping Live! festival. Hilton won two of the three categories: sets in the Scottish, Irish and Breton […]
Gordon McCready from Renfrew in Scotland won the overall Professional category at the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario (PPBSO) fifth and final online event of 2021. This competition may – may – well prove to be the last big solo piping competition, in Canada and elsewhere, to be […]
We wish organisers well as they prepare to put on the first physical highland games in Scotland since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The games will go ahead in Aberdeenshire today. Almost 1,000 tickets have been made available for the Grampian Highland Gathering which will be held between 11:00am […]
By Margaret Dunn Thursday of Piping Live! is traditionally the day CLASP awards the league winners with their CLASP keepsake medals. The World Solo Amateur Piping Competition @ Piping Live! marks the start of the new CLASP season and the Piping Live! festival is the perfect setting to present the […]
