Archive
The St. Louis Highland Games are set to return after several years’ hiatus, providing welcome good news in the wake of significant competition cancellations and struggles elsewhere. The games will be held on May 6th at Schroeder Park the St. Louis suburb of Manchester, Missouri, offering both MSR and Medley […]
True to its word, the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association made a statement on February 10th regarding a potential alternative solution to replace the cancelled British Pipe Band Championships, but surprised many by saying that it would not go ahead a plan to hold various grades of competitions at smaller […]
In the wake of the revelation that the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s British Championships are likely not to take place as a single event in 2023, rumours swirled that the UK Pipe Band Championships might also be in jeopardy. We checked with both the RSPBA’s Northern Ireland branch and […]
National Piping Centre director of piping, renowned piper, recording artist and performer Finlay MacDonald is scheduled to speak to the interests of pipers and drummers at a special session of the Scottish Parliament on February 23rd. The parliamentary session is to discuss potential drastic budget cuts to BBC Scotland programming, […]
St. Paul, Minnesota – February 4, 2023 – Playing “Corrienessan’s Salute,” Bill Zadra of Fridley, Minnesota, gained the distinction of winning the Skye K. Richendrfer Memorial Challenge Cup for Grade 4 piobaireachd, an award named for the late piper, teacher, leader and organizer who died in October of last year. […]
“Names and Places 2023 The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland and various artists Glasgow Royal Concert Hall February 4, 2023, 12.30pm Reviewed by Karen McCrindle Warren On a cold winter’s day, nothing sounds more inviting than heading to one of Scotland’s finest venues to enjoy an afternoon of high-quality pipe band music. Particularly of […]
The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s annual general meeting on March 11th promises to be a lively event after the world’s most powerful piping and drumming organization revealed in a statement to the general public that the “Board of Director’s [sic] despite their best efforts has been unable to secure […]
Two of our greatest experts in the field: Jeannie Campbell MBE, the world’s authority on the history of bagpipe makers, and Jim McGillivray, a specialist in identifying the makers of antique Highland pipes, have collaborated to bring you this series. Campbell has written Highland Bagpipe Makers and More Highland Bagpipe Makers, two excellent books on bagpipe makers, and […]
The relatively progressive Northern Ireland branch of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association has put another stake in the ground in terms of its desire to do things differently with the unveiling of a new brand tagline intended to support its “Rebuild, Restart, Rediscover” campaign launched in 2022 as the […]
It might be the middle of the harsh Prince Edward Island winter, but hearts are glowing with the College of Piping & Celtic Performing Arts of Canada deciding to name a state-of-the-art building after the College’s firebrand founder. The Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre immortalizes the famous piper, who died […]
We continue our December 1994 exclusive pipes|drums Interview with the late great piper Andrew Wright. In Part 1, he discussed his piping roots and his work as a piper in the famous Grade 1 Red Hackle Pipe Band under Pipe-Major John Weatherston. Combined with his solo piping prowess, his pipe […]
Ticket sales for the afternoon Names and Places 2023 concert on Saturday, February 4th, at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall are reportedly strong, probably in no small part to several video endorsements from some of the biggest names in piping and drumming lending their voice to the impact that the […]
When Andrew Wright died on October 23, 2022, the piping and drumming world lost a remarkable figure. He left behind a legacy of piobaireachd tuition, whose excellence that will carry on as long as the big music is played. In the winter of 1994, we got together with Wright at […]
By Jeannie Campbell Archibald Ferguson will be unknown to most pipers, apart from the very few who notice composers’ names on their copies of tunes. Ferguson has only one published tune to his name, “Lieut C.A.H. MacLean Younger of Pennycross’s Welcome to the 93rd,” better known to us today simply as “MacLean of Pennycross,” although […]
Lord it’s the same old tune, fiddle and guitar Where do we take it from here? Rhinestone suits and new shiny cars It’s been the same way for years We need to change. Somebody told me when I came to Nashville Son you finally got it made Old Hank made […]
Since 2001, Dr. William Donaldson has been contributing his Set Tunes Series for pipes|drums readers. Now comprising more than 170 piobaireachd, the series is the world’s largest free online repository of ceol mor. Each piece includes all known published manuscripts, often from obscure publications only available from the National Library […]