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Sherwood Park, Alberta – July 22-23, 2023 – The weather was hot and sunny, with temperatures reaching 31°C for the Sherwood Park Highland Gathering at Broadmoor Lake Park where North Stratton of Edmonton won both Grade 2 band events against Calgary’s Rocky Mountain. The Professional Solo Piper of the Day […]

At a ceremony at Dunvegan, Skye, Calum MacCrimmon of Monifieth, Scotland, was officially appointed the 11th Honourary Hereditary Piper to Chief Hugh MacLeod of MacLeod in the long line of MacCrimmon descendants of Donald Ruadh MacCrimmon who inherit the role. The ceremonial pipe banner was presented by Kevin Tolmie of […]

John Mulhearn of Glasgow was the overall winner of the senior solo piping at the picturesque Lochearnhead Highland Games, with an almost perfect day by winning the Piobaireachd and Strathspey & Reel and placing second in the 2/4 March.

The weather was breezy and cool with a couple of light showers at the Airth Highland Games, where 10 competed in the senior open piping. Fred Morrison of Bishopton, Scotland, won everything.

William Donaldson writes: “The Sutherlands were an extended kindred in the far northern mainland of Scotland, where they were involved in frequent collisions with their neighbours the MacKays, and the Sinclairs of Caithness. Their chief residence at Dunrobin later became the seat of the notorious Duke of Sutherland one of the chief movers in the Highland Clearances.”

Approximately a day-and-a-half after the Grade 1 New Zealand Police Pipe Band parted ways with most of its drum section, including Leading-Drummer Olav Goud, the band made a formal statement regarding the move, saying, “The suggestion the Aussie drum corps was dismissed is totally incorrect.” With the strong majority of […]

In an off-season move that’s extraordinary even for the unusual world of pipe bands, the Grade 1 New Zealand Police of Wellington have reportedly dismissed all but a few members of its drum section. According to sources, Leading-Drummer Olav Goud and most of his section were asked by Pipe-Major Nick […]

The popular Inveraray Highland Games on the grounds of Inveraray Castle saw Argyllshire native Angus D. MacColl win the Premier- and A-Grade Piobaireachd contest, while Edinburgh’s Ben Duncan won the Marches and Steven Leask, Glasgow, took the Strathspey & Reel event.

Abbott: I say, Who’s on first, What’s on second, I Don’t Know’s on third and then you… Costello: You the manager? Abbott: Yes. Costello: You know the guys’ names? Abbott: I’m telling you their names! Costello: Well, who’s on first? Abbott: Yeah. Costello: Go ahead and tell me. Abbott: Who. […]

pipes|drums is pleased to bring our followers and subscribers videos of the Grade 2 pipe band medley competition from the 2023 Cambridge Highlnd Games in Cambridge, Ontario.

Heavy weather impacted the Cambridge Highland Games with a strong rainstorm in the morning and intermittent rain throughout the muggy day. The Peel Regional Police won Grade 2 against four other bands, continuing the band’s undefeated streak in 2023. Due to no entries, there was no Grade 1 band competition. Jacob Dicker of Ottawa was the Professional Piper of the Day and Kyle Wardell was the Professional Snare Drummer of the Day. Amateur Piper of the Day was an extraordinary tie, with no tie-breaker due to Kayleigh Johnstone and Henry Paluch both winning their piobaireachd groups, and no second tie-breaker in the rules.

With the world’s pipe bands struggling for numbers, competition venues and audiences, the Pipe Band Association of South Africa is working to grow audiences by trialing a new “Open Format Contest,” with the first events held in May in Johannesburg and the second in June in Pretoria. The format – […]

The Royal Scottish Pipe band Association reportedly acknowledged that it was an oversight that the organization didn’t make a separate draw for the first day of Grade 1 competitions to be held the Friday of the World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green, according to several sources. The 16 Grade […]

Alastair Lee of Surrey, British Columbia, won every Open event and Cameron Bonar, also from Surrey, swept the Grade 1 amateur solo piping at the 27th Skagit Valley Highland Games & Celtic Festival at Edgewater Park. The event was held in honour of Skye Richendrfer, a great mover and shaker for the Scottish arts in the Pacific Northwest. Several teachers in the area for the adjacent Celtic Arts Foundation summer school judged and performed at the festival, which regularly attracts more than 10,000 people. The weather was spectacularly sunny and warm.

Laura Mullin observes that many talented pipe band drummers continually struggle to find pipers to accompany them in solo competition but, the truth is, playing for drummers is one of the best ways to become a better piper . . . and friend.

With trend-setting compositions like “The Beaches of Harris” and original music compilations such as the multi-volume Antipodes Collection, Mark Saul of Melbourne is regarded as one of Highland piping’s best modern creators. With the release of Threnody as a digital download on Bandcamp, Saul takes his musical journey many steps […]