Archive
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 […]
The second day of the 158th Antigonish Highland Games saw more clear, sunny skies and very warm temperatures as bands as soloists went all cazh again without ties and waistcoats. Ultimately, it was Alex Gandy of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, who had the best overall day in the Professional solo piping, while Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia’s Gillian Blaney took the overall in the Grade 1 Amateur solo piping.
The Piping Live! Glasgow International Festival of Piping is going global more than ever by expanding its online programming of the 2023 August events to a total of 30 hours of broadcast coverage. The organizers are using new viewing software, allowing viewers to subscribe to see all of the events […]
Queensland’s Craig Sked won both the Australian Gold Medal Piobaireachd and the overall A -Grade Victorian Championship in a tightly contested solo piping competition held at the Presbyterian Ladies’ College. William Mullighan of South Australia won the overall B-Grade Victorian Champion prize and Silver Medal piobaireachd, Jessie Sun, Victoria, took the Bronze medal for piobaireachd, and Michael Zhang, Victoria, won the overall C-Grade Victorian Champion prize.
It has been said that the only people who still wear ties and waistcoats no matter what the weather are politicians, newscasters and pipers and drummers, but on a typically hot and sunny at the 158th Antigonish Highland Games in Nova Scotia piping, drumming and pipe band competitors were given permission by Atlantic Canada Pipe Band Association Chief Steward Rick Crawford to dispense with the woolly and strangling accessories to be more comfortable while performing their music in 31°C sunny conditions.
In the thirteenth fundraising event since the registered charity started in 2013, Pipe Band Aid hit the pubs of Edinburgh and ended up raising £5,000 for Edinburgh Children’s Hospital, the latest charity to benefit from the efforts of volunteer pipers and drummers. Members of the group spread out across Scotland’s […]