Archive

Brendon Eade of Waikato became the first New Zealander to win the MacCrimmon Trophy at the Inter-Celtic Music Festival, a contest that requires Highland pipers to compete in Scottish, Irish and Breton musical genres in three separate events. Liam Kernaghan of Auckland, New Zealand, was second overall as well.

Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia’s Leading-Drummer Kerr McQuillan was the winner of the British Adult Solo Drumming Championship, the Sixth in the series of events to determine competitors in the semi-final at the World Solo Pipe Band Snare Drumming Championships on October 19th in Glasgow. Including the World Solos, points accrued in the eight events go towards determining the RSPBA’s new Adult World Solo Snare Drumming Champion of Champion title.

MacKenzie Fraser of Glasgow won the first heat in the 2024 Pipe Idol competition at this year’s Piping Live! Glasgow International Festival of Piping. The heat was held at the festival’s Street Café and judged by a group of unidentified pipers in the audience. They were the ones looking very serious.

As a service to the many pipe band enthusiasts, fanboys and fangirls in and around Glasgow for the Piping Live! festival and World Pipe Band Championships, we’re pleased to publish the 2024 edition of our pipes|drums Guide to World’s Week Grade 1 Band Practices. Fourteen are entered in the top […]

The Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival has officially started, with dozens of events across Scotland’s biggest city. With so many options, how can you decide what to attend? pipes|drums is here to help. So, if you don’t have unlimited time, as you might have to practice with your band, […]

Field Marshal Montgomery became the 2024 European Pipe Band Champions at a warm and sunny South Inch Park at the fourth and final RSPBA major championship before the World’s on August 16-17 in Glasgow. While Field Marshal Montgomery took the event and Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathagte Caledonia won the drumming, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia turned heads with two firsts in piping, placing fourth.

Pipe bag maker introduced sheepskin alternatives to non-UK markets

Named after Lady Maket, the first named-piper in history who lived more than 3,000 years ago in Egypt, the National Piping Centre has launched the Maket Collective, a group of six accomplished woman pipers working as “ambassadors” with a core objective of creating a focal point for content about women […]

In 2023, there were different winners of Grade 1 and Grade 2 and all major championships leading up to the World Championships, and on the eve of the European Championships, the same pattern is emerging. Only a few weeks before the RSPBA outdoor competition began, Perth, Scotland, stepped up as […]

For the second straight year, Derek Midgley of Tinton Falls, New Jersey, won the Col. Jock MacDonald Clasp for winners of the Dunvegan Medal for piobaireachd and Roy Bridge, Scotland’s Sandy Cameron won the 2024 Dunvegan Medal. Midgley was also the overall winner across all of the events held in Portree.

Melbourne, Australia’s Mark Saul is well known to most pipers and drummers as an accomplished teacher, piper, bagpipe maker, reedmaker, composer, performer, and recording artist. He’s just released Praxis, his third full album, this time with eight tracks that once again push the boundaries of Highland bagpipe music. On the heels […]

Held at Lovat Memorial Field, it was Decker Forrest of Isleornsay, Skye, who was awarded the Alasdair F.B. Roberts Memorial Quaich for best overall results in the senior solo piping at the Mallaig & Morar Highland Games. The Simon MacKinnon Memorial Trophy for best aggregate in the 18 and Under piping went to Seonaidh Forrest, also of Isleornsay.

Our final group of 4K videos from the 2024 North American Pipe Band Championships are of the Grade 2 MSR competition. Seven bands competed for the prize on August 3rd in Maxville, Ontario. Ulster Scottish from Philadelphia won the event and the overall Grade 2 title.

Jori Chisholm of Seattle has emerged as one of history’s great innovators for the Highland pipes. Recognizing the promise of internet “distance learning,” he was the first to harness the power of online teaching almost 30 years ago with the launch of BagpipeLessons.com. Numerous creations have stemmed from the teaching […]

4K videos from the Grade 2 Medley at the 2024 North American Pipe Band Championships on August 3rd in Maxville, Ontario.

We’re pleased to bring pipes|drums’ faithful supporters 4K videos from the Grade 1 events at the 2024 North American Pipe Band Championships on August 3rd in Maxville, Ontario.