By Stuart Letford Ever wondered what it would be like to have a private recital given by our ten best pipers? Well, that’s almost what I experienced last Friday at Blair Castle where this year’s Glenfiddich, the 47th, was held behind closed doors. By now, you will no doubt have […]
An interesting commentary on musicality by Duncan Watson appeared in the Piping Times 20 years ago. Duncan was essentially responding to an article penned by Robert Mathieson on dull pibroch playing. Duncan’s comments are in some ways still relevant and worth repeating. By Duncan Watson On browsing through my back […]
We are sad to report that Jock Agnew, a very well known and popular figure in the bellows piping scene in both Scotland and England, has died. Jock died on October 26, from chronic heart disease, aged 86. Stuart Letford, Convenor of the Lowland & Border Pipers’ Society, said: “Jock […]
Donald WG Lindsay and I have come to know each other over the last decade through the very small network of bagpipers pushing the boundaries, capabilities, and future possibilities of the bagpipes and bagpipe music. His recent explorations in smallpipe and chanter design are seen through the lens of a […]
Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Scotland took home the overall prize at the 2020 Glenfiddich Piping Championship, held yesterday behind closed doors in the Ballroom of Blair Castle in Perthshire, Scotland. Inveraray & District Pipe Band’s Pipe Major notched two seconds which were enough to secure him the overall title. It […]
The 47th annual Glenfiddich Piping Championships kicks off this morning at 10:00 (GMT). This year’s event will go down in piping history because, due to the coronavirus panedemic, it is being held behind closed doors at its usual venue, Blair Castle in Perthshire, Scotland. Bagpipe.News will be there to record […]
Glasgow’s annual Celtic Connections festival will go ahead in 2021 – digitally. Europe’s largest winter music festival usually welcomes over 2,000 artists to take part in over 300 events each year. However, as with the rest of the world, plans have been turned on their head as the global pandemic […]
The limitations of the great highland bagpipe are: A fixed range of melody notes/fixed octave drone; No dynamic ability; No rests (traditionally). Nevertheless, considering our instrument cannot become louder or quieter, we don’t start and stop, and we are restricted with what keys we can play in, it’s amazing the […]
The Scottish Pipers’ Association’s (SPA) popular annual Juvenile competition will be the latest junior solo piping event to be held online. Crucially, the event is open for entries from young pipers all around the world, although entrants must be a member of the historic piping organisation. SPA President, Logan Tannock, […]
The 29th annual amateur piobaireachd competition for the Archie Kenneth Quaich will take place on Saturday, February 27, 2021, writes Dr Peter McCalister of the Piobaireachd Society. We hope to hold it in the usual venue, the rooms of the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society at 127 Rose Street Lane South, […]
