Archive
Editor’s note: Ten years ago, Liz Sheridan of Oakville, Ontario, was on a rapid ascent as one of the world’s most promising solo pipers. After promotion to Professional by the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario, she was scooping up prizes in the top grade until she encountered difficulties […]
By Jim McGillivray Duncan and Gavin MacDougall are two of our most iconic pipemaking names. Now, photo evidence shows that the workshop in which they made many of their legendary pipes stood in the backyard of Duncan MacDougall’s former home in Aberfeldy until well into the 1980s. Lorne Cottage is a beautiful home on Kenmore […]
The Grade 2 Rocky Mountain Pipe Band of Alberta, Calgary, was facing an uncertain future only a few weeks ago after their lead-drummer resigned, leaving a critical void for any band. But after reading the pipes|drums story on the band’s situation, Ian Aastrom reached out to Pipe-Major Sean Somers with […]
The Grade 1 Glasgow Skye Association has returned to its roots after a two-year search to find new leadership with the return of Kenny MacLeod as pipe-major and the appointment of Les Galbraith as lead-drummer. It’s the third time that MacLeod has taken on the role, leading the band for […]
The Eliza Ross Collection – Original Highland Airs Collected on Raasay in 1812 Volume VII in the Musica Scotica series, edited by Peter Cooke, Angus MacDonald, Morag MacLeod and Colm Ó Baoill Taigh na Teud Music Publishers Available from many dealers, £25 Reviewed by Iain MacInnes At last! Eliza Ross’s superb collection of Highland music, […]
A few weeks after Donald Mackay replaced Keith Bowes Jr. as pipe-major, Grade 1 Johnstone has made a change at the lead-drummer position with Les Galbraith giving way to Gavin Orr. Orr takes the role after many years as a corps drummer with Grade 1 Inveraray & District, while Galbraith […]
Skye Richendrfer, the accomplished piper, organizer, and elected official, died on November 20, 2022, at the age of 64, following a struggle with leukemia that was diagnosed only in July 2022. A native of Bellingham, Washington, he was known by most today as the Executive Director of the visionary Celtic […]
Hamilton, Ontario – November 19, 2022 – After aggregate results over the three events were tabulated, Callum Bevan of Abbotsford, British Columbia, emerged the obvious overall winner of the 2022 George Sherriff Memorial Amateur Invitational Solo Piping Competition, held at St. Paul’s United Church. The 18-year-old Bevan won persuasively, with […]
Pittsburgh – November 12-13, 2022 – After a few days to retabulate results, Paul Mackay of Redmond, Washington, was announced the 2022 Balmoral Classic Champion, taking two second prizes to gain the award. Abby Long of Houston won the piobaireachd event and Leland Reid, Germantown, Maryland, took the MSR. Mackay […]
The George Sherriff Memorial Amateur Invitational Solo Piping Competition is set to return to an in-person event for the first time since 2019, with 10 of North America’s most successful non-Professional/Open pipers vying for prizes across three events. The competition returns to its familiar venue of St. Paul’s United Church […]
A quick look at his back-story, and you will realize that Jim Sim is a person of commitment: A member of only two Chicago-based bands in his lifetime. Thirty-four years as lead-drummer of Chicago’s Midlothian Scottish Pipe Band, going from Grade 4 to Grade 1 over that time. Declined numerous invitations to join top-grade bands […]
Inverclyde Council became something of a knight in shining armour for pipe bands when it came in to rescue 2022 British Championships after Renfrewshire Council withdrew from its long-term commitment to the event. Now, the licensing of the 2023 British Championships from the RSPBA is reportedly up for tender after […]
Some 47 bands from across Australasia have so far entered for the biannual 2023 New Zealand & South Pacific Pipe Band Championships to be held on March 10-11 in Christchurch, including an eight-band Juvenile competition, five in Grade 1 and a five-band Grade 2 contest that will include 2022 Australian […]
Scotland’s private Strathallan School in Forgandenny, near Perth, has further upped its piping program with the promotion of Craig Muirhead to oversee the hallowed institution’s Traditional Music as well as the entirety of the school’s Scottish cultural activities. Strathallan also announced that renowned piper and pipe band leader Ian Duncan […]
Maitland, Florida – November 12, 2022 – The first Sun Belt Invitational Solo Piping Competition (“An Crios Gréine”) was held before a crowd of more than 200 at the Orlando Sheraton North, and ultimately Callum Beaumont of Dollar, Scotland, emerged the overall champion. Beaumont received an additional US$1,000 for the […]
The city of Inverness has cancelled its plans to host the 2023 European Pipe Band Championships, saying that the event is “no longer financially viable” due to fees and infrastructure concerns. Under the banner of “Piping Inverness,” the northern Scotland city had won a three-year deal with the Royal Scottish […]