Tag: SPSL

Members of the LBPS committee playing at Arbroath Abbey earlier today.

London C Grade / Blàs online / LBPS conference / Tiny piper?

The Great Highland Bagpipe (and its music) has long been embraced by people from all walks of life and cultures. Further evidence of this can be seen in the entries for this weekend’s online C Grade competition organised by the Scottish Piping Society of London. We understand that at least […]

SPSL online competition /   New album from Ross Ainslie

SPSL online competition / New album from Ross Ainslie

The details for the Scottish Piping Society of London’s online solo piping competition are now available on its website. The competition will include C Grade ((Piobaireachd and MSR) and Open Amateur categories as well as SPSL member events (Piobaireachd, March, Strathspey and Reel, and 6/8 March). There will be a […]

J. B. with the practice chanter he later gifted to John Shone.

Famous pipers: J. B. Robertson

James Blair Robertson was born in Dundee, Scotland in 1905. He was for many years a living legend among competing pipers and when he died, in London on October 2, 1988, one of the last remaining links with the leading pipers of the 1920s and 1930s was gone. Competitively, his […]

Oban 2017. The annual march through the town to Mossfield Park for the light music competitions at the Argyllshire Gathering is led by the previous day’s winner of the Gold Medal and Silver Medal.

Oban finally cancels for 2020

The 2020 Argyllshire Gathering was formally cancelled today. It had been due to take place in Oban, Scotland over August 26 and 27. The belated announcement will surprise no one and comes exactly three months after the Northern Meeting cancelled its competitions for 2020 due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. […]

Memories of London greats

Memories of London greats

Jeannie Campbell’s recent article on Owen MacNiven contained a few passages that triggered in solo piping judge, Roddy Livingstone a few memories of some of the leading lights of the London piping scene of yesteryear. He writes: “During the 25 years I was a pupil and friend of James Campbell […]

Lewis Beaton, Dr W. M. MacPhail and Archibald Campbell.

The London Championship: from 1930s idea to piping institution

Since its inception in the 1930s the London Championship has grown in stature and is second only to Oban and Inverness in importance. In this article, by John Shone, we chart the progress of contest from idea to major championship Back in 1932 a group of very keen pipers found […]