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View towards Ben Cruachan from just north of Oban.

The Lost Pibroch – part 3

We conclude our three-part serial of Neil Munro’s famous short story. By Neil Munro The tune searched through Half Town and into the gloomy pine-wood; it put an end to the whoop of the night-hag and rang to Ben Bhreac. Boatmen deep and far on the loch could hear it, […]

The Lost Pibroch – part 2

The Lost Pibroch – part 2

‘The grey day crawled on the white hills and the black roofs smoked below’ By Neil Munro. The three men sat them down on three stools on the clay floor, and the blind man’s pipes passed between them. “First,” said Paruig (being the man of the house, and to get […]

Neil Munro.

The Lost Pibroch – part 1

The Lost Pibroch was serialised across the March, April and May 2009 editions of the Piping Times. The story was written by Neil Munro (1863-1930), the Scottish journalist, author and literary critic. We reproduce part 1 here along with the introduction written at the time by Dr Peter McCalister. Part 2 […]

Inveraray concert cancelled

Inveraray concert cancelled

As expected, given yesterday’s news that both the 2020 World Pipe Band Championships and Piping Live! have been cancelled, Inveraray & District Pipe Band’s Wednesday night pipe concert has also been cancelled. A statement from promoters, the Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band said: “We regret that we have also taken […]

Why practice makes perfect

Why practice makes perfect

2020 is rapidly becoming the year a virus devastated most of the competition season. Many will feel there isn’t really much point in practicing just now. However, perhaps this is indeed precisely the time to do the opposite: use the time to learn new tunes, perfect existing tunes, work on […]

Worlds and Piping Live! cancelled for 2020

Worlds and Piping Live! cancelled for 2020

The 2020 World Pipe Band Championships and the Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival were both cancelled today. Both events were scheduled to take place in Glasgow – the Worlds on August 14-15; Piping Live! from August 8-16. A statement from the RSPBA said: “The World Pipe Band Championships is the […]

50 years of judging

50 years of judging

Today’s article from our archives was originally a lecture. In 1985 James Campbell, the son of Archibald Campbell of Kilberry, delivered the John MacFadyen Memorial Trust Annual Lecture. It took place in the Chapel Royal of Stirling Castle on April 26, the night before the Piobaireachd Society Conference. Campbell’s lecture […]

Scottish Championships cancelled

Scottish Championships cancelled

The 2020 Scottish Pipe Band Championships was cancelled today by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA). The news will come as no surprise to the pipe band community. The cancellation of the ‘Scottish’ – the fourth of the RSPBA five annual major pipe band championships – came one day […]

Changing styles in pibroch playing – part 2

Changing styles in pibroch playing – part 2

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 […]

Changing styles in pibroch playing – part 1

Changing styles in pibroch playing – part 1

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 […]