Archive
Jimmy Begg, whose handmade sheepskin pipe bags have been played by generations of the world’s leading solo pipers and pipe bands, is retiring after more than four decades in the business. Begg established Begg Bagpipes in Glasgow in 1980, initially working from home before setting up premises on Robertson Street […]
Double Gold Medallist Ian K. MacDonald has left the Grade 1 78th Fraser Highlanders to rejoin the Grade 2 Toronto Police, the organization with which he has had a lifelong relationship. Continuing as pipe-major is Scott Russell, who commented, “Ian K. is a fabulous resource to have in any band, […]
The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association has officially elevated Scotland’s Royal Burgh of Annan and the USA’s Ulster Scottish to Grade 1, bringing the total number of actively competing top-grade bands to 19. In Philadelphia-based Ulster Scottish’s case, the band joins Houston’s St. Thomas Alumni as one of the only […]
pipes|drums is pleased to present followers with performances by the five prize winners in the March, Strathspey & Reel at the 2026 Glengarry Cup, held on September 26, 2026, at the Army Ottawa Junior Ranks Mess in Canada’s capital city. Here are the videos in prize-list order, beginning with Andrew […]
Andrew Hayes of Nepean, Ontario, won the 2026 Glengarry Cup, the overall trophy awarded to the contestant by winning the MSR and placing fourth in the Piobaireachd. Colin MacLellan of Edinburgh won the Piobaireachd.
“What would it be like if we played together, and not just stood together?” That’s the central question that the new “100% Collective” wants to address by bringing together 30 women from the world’s Grade 1 bands and Celtic folk musicians from around the world, who will perform for the […]
The Glengarry Cup for Professional/Open grade solo pipers continues to bolster its status as one of North America’s preeminent competitions, and the 2026 edition on September 26th has attracted contestants from beyond Canada. Held in Canada’s capital just a few blocks from Parliament Hill, the event is perhaps emblematic of […]
Led by piping and drumming rights advocate and first-class piper Eilidh MacDonald, 30 young female pipers and drummers will take the Scottish Gas Murrayfield pitch as part of the sensational Scotland v. Australia Women’s Rugby International match on Saturday, September 26th, in Edinburgh. The All-Girls Pipe Band will be the […]
The Victoria Faithful Service Medal awarded in 1872 by Queen Victoria to Pipe-Major William Ross, her personal piper from 1854 to 1891, will be auctioned on October 7th, with an expected sale of between 4,000 and 5,000 GBP. The medal includes a bar attached to the ribbon in 1882 for […]
Would you like to teach piping at an exclusive private school in the rolling Renfrewshire countryside, about 20 minutes from Glasgow? You have until September 30th to apply to St. Columba’s School, which is looking to replace outgoing piping instructor Chris Gray, who has held the role since 2022. Being […]
Our fourth exclusive video is of Angus D. MacColl ripping a blazing final set, beginning with a few tunes delivered in a distinctive dance music style – trademark Angus D.
By winning the Piobaireachd, Brodie Watson-Massey of Edinburgh won the Willie McCallum Sr. trophy for best overall at the 2026 Springbank Invitational Solo Piping Competition after tying Chris Armstrong of Glasgow in aggregate Piobaireachd + MSR points.
Pipe-Sergeant Mike Cusack has retired from the Grade 1 St. Thomas Alumni Pipe Band of Houston, and longtime member and fellow Northern Meeting Clasp winner Nick Hudson has accepted the role effective immediately. Cusack had held the left-front-corner spot since 2014, working closely with Pipe-Major Jamie Gattinger and Lead-Drummer Graham […]
We uncover yet another previously unpublished gem by the genius composer John “Jock” McLellan, DCM. Here, the manuscript of “Hands Across the Water,” transcribed in McLellan’s hand, is a four-part reel, an idiom for which McLellan composed only five previously published pieces. True to the inimitable composing style that created […]
Recruitment, retention and improvement of bass drummers in pipe bands can only come through teaching, respecting and nurturing
Pipe bands have played at and to great heights: Estes Park in Colorado at 7,522 feet above sea level; impromptu (and definitely entirely sober) 35,000-foot performances on jet planes; and of course, the Grade 1 events at this year’s World Championships. But the 42 piping and drumming students from Sydney, […]