Archive
The Grade 1 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) of Halifax, Nova Scotia, are in L-D recruitment mode again as Tom Cuming resigned after three seasons in the role to devote more of his time to an ailing family member. “I fully understand and sympathize with his family situation,” said Alex Gandy, […]
There’s an adage that Highland dancers inherently make better pipers when it comes to imparting the nuance of strathspeys, reels, hornpipes and other dance-genre tunes. If that’s true, then the Grade 1 Police Scotland Fife have an advantage with Pipe-Major David Wilton being a seven-time World Champion Highland dancer, and […]
The Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario elected Malcolm Bow as its new president at its annual general meeting, held online on December 7th, 2024. Bow replaces Andrew B. Giles, acclaimed to the role at the PPBSO’s December 2023 AGM, as a replacement for Michael Grey, who resigned from […]
The Eastern United States Pipe Band Association has re-elected President Bill Caudill and Vice-President Joe McGonigal. The results were finalized and communicated to members the day before the organization’s 2024 annual general meeting, which will be held online on December 7th. Caudill received 70% of the nearly 900 votes cast, […]
We continue with the eleventh installment of “Castle Recordings” piobaireachds in our exclusive series of performances captured on reel-to-reel tape at Edinburgh Castle in the early 1960s by the late Captain John A. MacLellan MBE. “The Battle of Baladruishaig” “The Battle of Strome” “Clan MacRae’s Salute” “Cluny MacPherson’s Salute” “The […]
The British Columbia Pipers Association elected David Hilder president, replacing incumbent Rene Cusson, at its annual general meeting on November 30th. The election was not made official until later in the week, when a letter from Hilder was sent to all BCPA members on December 5th. He is the former […]
“If you want to do it, I say go for it, because but you do need assistance. You need people willing to help you out, because you can’t do it by yourself.” So says Beverley Gandy of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, about her nine-month quest to return to competition pipe band […]
It’s the merriest time of the year, even in the Antipodes where their contest season is in full swing! As we like to do, we’re pleased to offer the pipes|drums Holiday Shopping Guide as a service to our thousands of readers worldwide who are looking for gift ideas for their […]
“The stark findings and statistics show clear areas where it is critical that improvements are made right across piping and drumming in Scotland with immediate effect.” Helen Urquhart, Head of Events at the National Piping Centre, reached this conclusion after a survey of 291 female pipers and drummers commissioned and […]
After 14 years with the piping and drumming program at Haileybury College in Melbourne, and the last 10 of those years as its director, Lincoln Hilton will leave the post to focus full-time on “composing and producing both bagpipe and mainstream music, innovating within the piping community, and private tuition.” […]
Close to 150 enthusiastic ticket-buyers came out for the recital by back-to-back and reigning Glenfiddich Champion Callum Beaumont at the Woodlands Hotel in Broughty Ferry, Scotland, on November 29th, the second Mackenzie Caledonian’s ongoing series in support and promotion of piping and drumming the Dundee area. Beaumont debuted a new […]
The Royal New Zealand Bands’ Association‘s long-planned three-part 12,000 Miles documentary chronicling four Kiwi pipe bands’ months-long journey to Scotland to compete at the World Pipe Band Championships has finally launched, now available to view for free on the RNZPBA’s website. 12,000 Miles follows Auckland & District, Canterbury Caledonian Society, […]
Her return after nearly four decades away is an inspiring story of determination, told with the help of Alex Gandy and others.
The final Live Online competition of the 2024 Competing League for Adult Solo Pipers CLASP saw the usual bevy of contestants from around the world performing live via online video, their recorded performances assessed over a few weeks by the judges.
We speak with President Douglas Gardiner and Honourary Pipe Major Euan Anderson about the Edinburgh group, which emphasizes a convivial atmosphere of camaraderie, pipe music, and steak pies as hallmarks.
McCallum Bagpipes of Kilmarnock, Scotland, has launched the new “Kintyre” long practice chanter co-designed by the company’s co-owner Stuart McCallum and Willie McCallum, one of the greatest competitive solo pipers of the last century. The practice chanter is modeled on the Willie McCallum-designed solo pipe chanter with the same hole […]