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Decker Forrest of Skye won the Dunvegan Medal for piobaireachd at the Skye Gathering, and Innes Smith won the Col Jock MacDonald Clasp for former winners of the event. Smith played ” Lament for Donald Duaghal MacKay.” Both competitions highlight the music by or strongly connected with the MacCrimmon family dynasty of pipers from Skye. Both receive invitations to the 2013 Silver Chanter competition at Dunvegan Castle . . .

Jim Kilpatrick is its highest profile member, but the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association has suspended the 16-time World Solo Drumming Champion and myriad-times drum corps champion-winning Leading Drummer of the Grade 1 House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead Pipe Band for three months for a single comment he made on Facebook. Little did Kilpatrick know that when he wrote in a comments thread that the drumming result from the 2012 British Pipe Band Championship at Annan, Scotland, on June 30th, was “one of the most predictable shaftings on the calendar,” that it would result in the penalty that was handed down by the . . .

The Wednesday of World’s Week is the usually the last day of relaxation and pure freedom before the reality of Saturday sets in for competitors playing at the Big One on the Green, and the bright weather made the day extra special, especially for the free outdoors events, which drew more large crowds . . .

Forte, the Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band in concert, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, August 8, 2012

Iain Speirs of Edinburgh won his fourth Silver Chanter at Dunvegan Castle, continuing his great success rate when competing in the invitational event, which commemorates the music by and connected with the MacCrimmon dynasty of Skye . . .

Gordon Walker of Galston, Scotland, won the 2012 Lord Todd Bar Invitational Solo Piping Recital Challenge competition before the usual large crowd at the University of Strathclyde. Playing last, Walker wowed the audience with a vintage performance, balanced with the traditional to the flaming-fingered. Also competing were Chris Armstrong, Glasgow; Angus MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; and Niall Stewart, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland. Regarded by most as the event that inspired the Piping Live! Festival, the Todd Bar Challenge has been running for 12 . . .

Thursday before the World’s, and Piping Live! suddenly has a little more tension in the sun-soaked air, with the stark reality of the . . .

Glasgow – August 11, 2012 – The last  six spots for the Grade 1 Final competitions at the 2012 World Pipe Band Championships were determined after a 17-band MSR qualifier heat. The judges were Sam Young, Colin Moffett (piping); Greg Dinsdale (drumming); Peter Snadden (ensemble). Going through to join the […]

Field Marshal Montgomery were declared the World Pipe Band Champions for 2012 after a thrilling day on a sunny and warm Glasgow Green. It was the eighth World Championship for the Belfast-based FMM, a popular winner on the day. Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia finished strongly with two firsts in both events in drumming. It was also thr highest prize yet for ScottishPower, who relished their second-place. The Strahclyde Police under second-year pipe-major Duncan Nicholson also served notice for the future. Inveraray & District, who impressed many with their medley performance, finished out of the prizes . . .

Connor Sinclair of Crieff, Scotland, was the winner of the final round of the 2012 Pipe Idol competition at the Piping Live! Glasgow International Festival of Piping, after four rounds of qualifying events held each day of the week, with one contestant from each day going to the final. The 16-year-old Sinclair was elected the best . . .

The 2012 World Pipe Band Championships are done and dusted. Field Marshal Montgomery were worthy champions, taking their eighth World title, further establishing Pipe-Major Richard Parkes in the pantheon of pipe band leadership elite. Ten years have passed since the competition witnessed such weather ¨C intense sunshine and temperatures soaring to the mid-twenties. Spirits were high, and sunscreen took over from umbrellas as the most in-demand item ¨C outside, of course, of tone, execution and beer. The day was excellent for taking photos, and the pipes|drums team was out in force capturing images from the day.

The 2012 pipes|drums Pick The Six contest, where readers predicted the top-six finish in the Grade 1 Final of the World Pipe Band Championship, attracted nearly 3,000 entries from virtually every country in which the magazine is read. Ultimately, there was only one entrant who got the top-six exactly right . . .

The Masters Solo Piping Competition, the final event of the 2012 Piping Live! Festival, was won by Willie McCallum, who was second in the Piobaireachd and the MSR to come up the middle for the overall victory. The Piobaireachd even was held at the National Piping Centre auditorium, while the MSR went on at the new theatre at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland . . .

With the university and college year about to start, and many pipers and drummers around the world about to enter their final year of high school, professional-grade piper Liz Sheridan concludes her series with final advice and a list of piping/drumming-friendly institutions, many of which offer scholarships and even degree programs to deservingmusicians. The third and final part of the “Students’ guide to piping and university” is intended to help you in your choice of school and program. With so many options available for students, here are some things you may want to consider before accepting your offer of admission.Exclusively for subscribers to pipes|drums . . .

pipes|drums brings you one last series of sounds and sights from the 2012 World Pipe Band Championships, held on August 11th at Glasgow Green ¨C behind-the-scenes excerpts, commentary and more footage from the Field Marshal Montgomery celebration.

Greig Canning of Edinburgh was overall the best piper at the Nairn Highland Games where 10 competed in glorious sunshine . . .