Archive
2025 Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medallist Steven Leask of East Kilbride, Scotland, won the 2026 Silver Chanter for Piobaireachd, playing “Lament for MacLeod of Colbeck” for lone judge Niall Matheson at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Gaelic College.
illie McCallum of Bearsden, Scotland, enjoyed a spectacular two days at the annual Skye Gathering, with two light music firsts and a third in the Clasp on the first day and a first and second on day two, to secure the overall trophy and the special overall light music trophy.
Stuart Liddell of Inveraray, Scotland, won the 44th annual MacCrimmon Trophy for solo piping across Scottish, Irish and Breton events at the massive Festival Interceltique de Lorient.
Sandy Cameron of Roybridge, Scotland, won the Colonel Jock MacDonald Clasp for previous winners of the Dunvegan Medal for piobaireachd at the annual Skye Gathering. His tune was “Mrs. MacLeod of Talisker’s Salute and his second consecutive win of the prize.
Piping Live! Festival Manager Helen Urquhart is right now probably the busiest person in the piping and drumming world. Some way, somehow, she always makes things happen. Since the first edition of the festival in 2003, then with the name “Piping Hot,” the eight days of recitals, competitions, showcases, displays, […]
Ward Park was the venue for the 2026 Ulster Pipe Band & Drum Major Championships, and it was Ireland’s Manorcunningham that won the overall Grade 2 title with eight out of a possible eight firsts from the judges.
Ulster Scottish of Philadelphia enjoyed an impressive eight firsts from the eight judges in both events to win Grade 2, the top-grade contested band event at the annual Glengarry Highland Games in warm and muggy conditions.
Winning both light music events, Gordon McCready of Renfrew, Scotland, was the overall champion at the annual Dundonald Games near Kilmarnock.
Maxville, Ontario – July 31, 2026 – Playing “Lady MacDonald’s Lament,” Jean-Sébastien Gamache of Orleans, Ontario, won the 2026 Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) against 11 other contestants, and Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, playing “Nameless – Cherede Darievea,” won the Bar to the Medal event for previous winners of […]
The sensational Angus D. MacColl of Benderloch, Scotland, has been awarded rafts of trophies and medals for a lifetime of success in elite solo piping competitions and as the leader of Oban’s pipe bands. His trophy room will now sport the Bruno Schroder Medal, after the Argyllshire Gathering Trust decided […]
The 2026 edition of the annual Glengarry Highland Games at Maxville, Ontario, will feature five Highland Society of London Gold Medal winners at the top-flight solo piping competitions on Friday, July 31st, and now fewer than 53 bands across five grades at the Saturday contests. On any other weekend, Maxville […]
The Competition League for Adult Solo Pipers (CLASP) concluded its 2026 season at the recent Inveraray Highland Games, and thus calculated the overall winners across both in-person and “live online” for the year: Grade 1: Charles-David Mitchell, Montréal Grade 2: Anthony Kelly, Co. Roscommon Grade 3: Cameron Davison, Glasgow Grade […]
Neil Walker of Perth, Western Australia, won the James A. Center Trophy as the best overall in the A Grade solo piping at the 2026 Victorian Pipers Association Victorian Championships at PLC Melbourne. Walker won all three light music events and was second in the Piobaireachd, which Jono Quay, Melbourne, won.
Greighlan Cross won both events in Grade 3, the highest grade of contested band events, while Alastair Lee gained the Andrew Bonar Trophy at the Friday night Donald MacRae Pub Piping Hornpipe & Jig, Callum Bevan won the Open solo piping aggregate trophy, and Megan Millar was victorious in the Open solo snare drumming at the 79th Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games & Gathering at Enumclaw Expo Centre in warm, sunny, dry weather.
Dr. Donaldson says about the tune, one of the shortest pieces in the repertory: The earliest report on the circumstances of its composition comes from James Logan in the notes for Angus MacKay’s published volume of 1838, which emphasize in Logan’s usual style a culture of chiefly munificence and quasi-feudal dependence
Inveraray & District were crowned 2026 Scottish Pipe Band Champions at Levengrove Park, within sight of Scotland’s iconic Dumbarton Rock, against a field of eight other Grade 1 bands competing for the fourth of the five major championships on the RSPBA’s rota of major competitions. St. Laurence O’Toole won the Grade 1 drumming title.