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St. Laurence O’Toole marched off the park at Glasgow Green with the 2024 World Pipe Band Drumming Champion corps leading the band. It was the seventh drumming title for the band under Leading-Drummer Stephen Creighton. Enjoy a brief video of St. Laurence O’Toole celebrating their success on August 17, 2024. […]
Even with the World Pipe Band Championships consuming almost all of the piping world’s attention, about 10 pipers competed at the Glenfinnan Highland Gathering, where Jacob Dicker of Maxville, Ontario, won two firsts and a second to hoist the overall trophy. Weather was reasonably good: overcast, breezy and a few showers, but the renowned West Highland midges were “out in force.”
After two days, two medleys and two MSRs, Inveraray & District won the 2024 World Championship at Glasgow Green. It was the third World Championship title for Inveraray & District after winning in 2017 and 2019. Inveraray & District was also awarded the 2024 RSPBA Grade 1 Champion of Champions title for overall band and drumming.
Best wishes to all bands competing. May your performance always exceed your potential.
The 14 Grade 1 bands competing finished the first round of MSR and Medley performances under dry, fairly bright, and somewhat windy weather before a large crowd at Glasgow Green. Every band arrived at the line exactly at their assigned time, once again demonstrating the RSPBA’s uncanny ability to run […]
Our final series of Piping Live! images by Alister Sinclair are from Thursday, August 15th. We hope you’ve enjoyed these shots from one of Scotland’s best amateur nature photographers. If you’re interested in seeing Alister’s amazing work, from his travels to the length and breadth of beautiful Scotland, be sure to check out his website.
During the Piping Live! festival, the Competition League for Amateur Solo Pipers (CLASP) held competitions at the National Piping Centre’s Otago Street premises in Glasgow. Overall winners were Grade 1: Brady Webb, Westville, Nova Scotia; Grade 2: Michael Saxer, New York; Grade 3: Owen MacPherson, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; and Grade 4: Lou Lanaro, Collingwood, Ontario.
By Iain MacDonald and Barabara MacDonald A regular contributor to pipes|drums, Iain MacDonald of Regina, Saskatchewan (don’t start to stutter) is one of Canada’s foremost pipers and contributors to the art. For decades, he has led pipe bands and taught dozens of newcomers to the pipes, many of whom have […]
Before a capacity crowd at the Strathclyde Suite at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Angus D. MacColl of Benderloch, Scotland, won the 2024 Pipe-Major Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital-Challenge Solo Piping Competition, the progenitor of Piping Live! and, for many, the crowning official festival event of the week. It was the eight time that MacColl won the event, beating his own record.
After four heats to determine four finalists, Bobby Allen of Glasgow emerged as the 2024 Pipe Idol competition winner for pipers 21 and younger. For his work, Allen received a set of Reelpipes from and made by Fred Morrison. Allen had qualified earlier in the day as the winner of Heat 4.
Our man with a cam, Alister Sinclair, is putting his lenses on Piping Live! this week. Here are his picks of pics from Wednesday’s events.
Bobby Allen of Glasgow secured the fourth and last spot in the grand final of the 2024 Pipe Idol competition by winning Heat 4 at the National Piping Centre’s auditorium.
“I’m sincerely telling it like it is, as best as I can, beginning my personal highlights with one word: marvelous.” Snare drummer Rita DeNobriga reviews the big Pre-World’s Concert by Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia. She liked it. A lot.
Checking in on a number of things in and around the festival
For the first time a mid-week event at Piping Live!, the 2024 Gordon Duncan Memorial Solo Piping Competition was won by Matt MacIsaac of Aurora, Ontario, Canada.
Reece Doherty of Donegal, Ireland, won the third heat to determine one of four places in the August 15th Grand Final of the 2024 Pipe Idol competition for young players.