Owen MacNiven was a well-known piper of the pre-war era. Born in Paisley in 1916 he was taught initially by John Morrell 1926 before the great Pipe Major Robert Reid took him on. By all accounts, Owen was an excellent piper – and the only one of Robert Reid’s pupils […]
Yesterday, we kicked off the new year with the results of Michael Grey’s survey of pipe bands over the last century, the results of which were interesting indeed. Today, we feature another pictorial from the camera of John Slavin. This time it is the 2009 World Pipe Band Championships. That […]
We take another look back over the decade about to end, this time featuring the 2009 Scottish Pipe Band Championships at Dumbarton. In 2009, the Scottish was held on May 16 and was the first major championship of the season. Field Marshal Montgomery won Grade 1, Inveraray won Grade 2, […]
At this time of year, it is natural to look back over the year about to end. Today, we look back over the decade about to end by featuring a pictorial from the 2009 European Pipe Band Championships. The contest that year was held at Gourock, and Field Marshal Montgomery […]
The William Kennedy Piping festival was founded in 1993 in Armagh, Northern Ireland and has gone from strength to strength BRIAN VALLELY, Festival Director, reports on this year’s festival. When the William Kennedy Piping Festival was first launched in 1994, we little thought that a quarter of a century later […]
Piper, teacher, reed maker, judge and all-around bon vivant, Colin has spent a lifetime around bagpipes. While he’s the son of a piping legend in Captain John A, he’s done the business and won the big piping prizes — and much more. In his life he has been a living […]
Ronald Lawrie of Oban (1927-2008) wasn’t called ‘Big Ronnie’ for nothing. But his broad-shouldered, 6ft 5in frame and imposing, square-jawed presence were almost incidental to his considerable stature in piping — and an involvement that began with direct influences from the 19th century and continues into the 21st century. He […]
While not cut from the cloth of the competitive piper, Mike Katz is one of the world’s most successful American-born pipers. Born in the Los Angeles region of the San Fernando Valley, he broke his piping teeth in his older brother Steve’s high school pipe band – along with a […]
By Willie Bryson Pipers around the world played at the annual Remembrance Day parades last weekend to honour the war dead. Here, one veteran piper of the Highland Light Infantry (HLI) looks back on his days before, during and after World War 2 . . . I was born into […]
