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Peter Aumonier reviews the ScottishPower Pipe Band’s ‘Energy’ concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on August 10, 2011.

With a games ground bordering the River Tay, the Atholl & Breadalbane Gathering at Aberfeldy, Scotland, has decided to cancel the 2011 event, originally scheduled for August 13th, because of a waterlogged ground. While the event coincides with the World Pipe Band Championships . . .

Michael Grey shares his views on the legendary Rona Lightfoot’s Piping Live! discussion on canntaireachd at the National Piping Centre

Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Scotland, was the winner of the 2011 Lord Todd Bar Recital Challenge, the event that more than a decade ago inspired the successful Piping Live! Glasgow International Festival of Piping. Liddell produced an at times jaw-dropping performance that enthralled the capacity crowd at the Lord Todd Bar at the University of Strathclyde. Liddell competed against four other invited pipers: Andrew Bonar, Vancouver; Angus MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; Niall Stewart, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland; and Gordon Walker, Galston, Scotland. Each competitor could perform for a maximum of 30 minutes . . .

The last six spots for the Grade 1 Final competitions at the 2011 World Pipe Band Championships were determined after a 13-band MSR qualifier heat.

Field Marshal Montgomery of Belfast won the 2011 World Pipe Band Championship in convincing style at Glasgow Green, on a day that saw mostly dry, but generally heavily overcast, weather. Simon Fraser University of Canada was second, while ScottishPower cracked the coveted top-three with a third overall. Inveraray & District rose up the ranks, finishing fourth, and 2010 World Champions, St. Laurence O’Toole, fell back to fifth.

Meaghan Proudfoot reports on the Pipes of Peace Concert – Celtic Spirit, Lomond & Clyde, Simon Fraser University, St. Laurence O’Toole, Wasatch & District, Bob Worrall – SECC, Glasgow, August 11, 2011

Iain MacDonald reports from the Piping Live! Festival Club, one of the gems of the festival that runs each night at the National Piping Centre, starting after 10 pm and continuing until . . . whenever it ends . . .

The final full day of Piping Live! festivities before the big day at Glasgow Green took on a slightly more subdued tone, with anxiety on the . . .

Stuart Liddell extended the success of his Piping Live! week by taking the overall prize at the Masters’ Invitational, giving him an invitation to the Glenfiddich Championship later in the autumn. Roddy MacLeod won the piobaireachd event. The event was held at the Auditorium of the National Piping Centre.

While 99.99 per cent of the piping world had its attention affixed on the World Pipe Band Championships, a few soloists were out for a day at the annual Nethybridge Highland Games. Niall Matheson of Inverness won three events . . .

pipes|drums thinks the Juveniles deserve some attention. So, as in 2010 when we listened to and recorded the Grade 2 final at the World Pipe Band Championships, we committed much of the morning this year not to the Grade 1 Qualifier, but to the eight dedicated young Juvenile bands competing on Glasgow Green starting at 9 am. The result is eight high defition MSR videos that we hope inspire you as much as they inspired us.

Alistair “Aggy” Glendinning was a primary reason why the Scottish Borders Pipe Band was formed from a merger of the Hawick and Stow bands: he said that he would die a happy man if . . .

Glenisla Games had 17 competing in the senior solo piping on a dry day with, as usual, a mostly “international” entry. Alex Gandy of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, won all three events. There was no piobaireachd competition. All events were judged by James Burnett, Tom Speirs and someone identified . . .

Fifteen solo pipers from all over the world took part in the Glenfinnan Highland Games on Scotland’s west Highland coast in mostly overcast but dry weather with occasional sunshine. Peter Hunt won both light music events and was second in the piobaireachd, and Decker Forrest took the top prize in the ceol mor . . .

While about the same number of contestants were on the other side of the country at Glenfinnan, another 15 were at Nairn, where Euan MacCrimmon had the most overall success in dry, warm and partly sunny weather . . .