Full band indoor competitions

The Pittsburgh Piping Society and Carnegie Mellon University will host the 3rd Annual
Jimmy McIntosh MBE Piobaireachd Workshop from February 21-23, 2025. The workshop will be held at
Carnegie Mellon University’s Cohen University Center, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
Pipers of all competitive grades are welcome, with the requirement that each attendee can already
play at least one piobaireachd. Members of the public may register as ‘observers only’ as space
allows.

RNZPBA Annual General Meeting

Held the weekend prior to the National championships in Invercargill, we look forward to bands travelling south for the week.

Pipes in the Park is a celebration of Scotland, in the heart of Wellington.  Contest registration is now open.

Waikaraka Park Captain Springs Road Onehunga

Election of officers and directors and voting on proposed changes to rules and policies.

Elections will be held for two year terms for up to five Directors. In addition, a President will be elected. Eligible candidates for election must be current Active Members or Life Members of the B.C.P.A.

AGM Agenda

1. Elect an individual to chair the meeting, if necessary

2. Quorum confirmation

3. Approval of the agenda

4. Approval of the minutes from the last AGM, November 25th, 2023

5. Addressing any unfinished business from the prior AGM

6. Presentation of the Directors’ report on the financial statements of the Society for the financial year (ending September 30, 2024)

7. Presentation of other reports of Directors’ activities and decisions since the last AGM

8. Election of a President and up to five Directors for two-year terms

9. New business

10. Adjournment

2025 Marks the 14th year of the largest indoor competition in WUSPBA. For the second year, our Grade 1 aggregate winner will be invited to the Sandy Jones Memorial Championship under the Sun Belt Competition. Malachi Johannsen was the 2024 winner and was the winner of this year's Sandy Jones! Our competition is open to all amateur grades 1 through 5.

The Balmoral School of Piping & Drumming invites young pipers and drummers to apply to participate in the Balmoral Classic: US Junior Solo Bagpiping & Drumming Championships. The competition will be held Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at CRC Understory, Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260.

Pipers will compete in MSR and Pìobaireachd. The competition’s Overall prize is decided by a combination of scores from Pìobaireachd and MSR. The winner will receive a set of MacRae bagpipes donated by McCallum Bagpipes. Drumming trophies will be awarded for MSR, Hornpipe/Jig, and Overall. Prizes for the Overall Winner of the Drumming contest and all other prizes to be announced.

Piping judge Dr. Angus MacDonald of Glenuig, Scotland has won nearly all of the top solo prizes in piping, including the Clasp at Inverness, the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medals, and the Silver Chanter. His compositions are played throughout the world, and he’s a much-respected judge for important solo piping competitions.

Piping judge Matt MacIsaac has been a Pipe Major in the Canadian Forces, a multi-instrumentalist with Natalie McMaster’s band, a sought-after piping instructor, and the P/M of the Grade 2 St. Andrew’s Association in Ontario. He was winner of the 2022 P/M Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital-Challenge, the first non-Scottish piper to win.

Our complete lineup of piping and drumming judges will be announced when confirmed.

PIPERS APPLY BY OCTOBER 1 at:

Piping Application

DRUMMERS APPLY BY OCTOBER 1 at:

Balmoral Classic Drumming Application

Our Balmoral Classic weekend starts off with the piping and drumming competition on Saturday, 9:00am to 3:00pm, and an awards ceremony after. On Saturday evening, following the competition, Balmoral will present Beòlach in a live concert of Celtic music, with judge Matt MacIsaac featured on pipes, whistles, and guitar. There will be a free Piobaireachd workshop, taught by Dr. Angus MacDonald, open to all 2024 applicants and former Classic competitors, on Sunday morning.

Rooms for Balmoral Classic participants have been set aside at a discounted rate at the Courtyard by Marriott Pittsburgh University Center, 100 Lytton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA.

The West Point Tattoo is held annually on the grounds of the historic US Military Academy overlooking the scenic Hudson River. A day of performances by pipe bands, highland dancers, and other groups. Bring your picnic blankets, food, and enjoy the day celebrating pipes and drums music. The Tattoo is free and open the public. Tickets are not required.

Bands that are interested in participating need to submit their interest online at: https://forms.office.com/r/8MSm5tqDJc Invitations will be sent out to selected bands during the fall (Sep-Nov). There are no fees, other than your own travel, and we do not pay bands. Performance slots are 10 min long. Massed bands will occur at the daily Retreat ceremony when the post flag is lowered (5pm).

Dublin's St. Laurence O'Toole takes the stage of the Music Hall in Aberdeen, Scotland, for show that the band promises will be a stoater.

In small group classes, 1-on-1 lessons, and camp-wide seminars, students will receive instruction on the Great Highland Bagpipe. Interested students may also study Scottish smallpipes. Guest instructors for Balmoral's Summer camps have all won major piping awards and have incomparable records in the teaching and promotion of solo piping and pipe band music around the world.

Our first session, July 7-12, will be a piping camp at Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA. This beautiful campus is less than two hours from New York City, and one hour 17 minutes from Philadelphia. Teaching at Kutztown will be:

Bruce Gandy, a member of the 78th Fraser Highlanders, the first non-Scottish band to win the World Pipe Band Championships (1987). Bruce’s solo awards include the Canadian Gold Medal, Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting, Gold Medal at Oban, and Bratach Gorm. He is a 3-time winner of the MacCrimmon Memorial Cairn for Piobaireachd.

Derek Midgley has won B Marches and Silver Medal at the Northern Meeting, 2nd Highland Society of London Gold Medal at Oban; Dunvegan Medal, 6/8 Marches & 2/4 Marches at Dunvegan, Overall at the United States Piping Foundation Championship.

Andrew Carlisle, Director of Piping at Carnegie Mellon University, Andrew has won A Grade Strathspey & Reel at Oban, A Grade Piobaireachd & Overall at The Cowal Highland Gathering, US Gold for both Light Music & Piobaireachd, and three All-Ireland titles at Senior level.

Balmoral staff piping instructors Sean Patrick Regan and Richmond Johnston will join our world-class guest instructors at the Kutztown camp. Registration will close June 16, 2023. For more information or to register, please visit: www.bagpiping.org

The Mackenzie Caledonian Pipe Band organization – affectionately known as the "Mac-Cals" – is putting on a show by Willie McCallum, one of the most prize-winning Highland pipers in the history of the instrument on April 26th at the Woodlands Hotel near Broughty Ferry, Scotland, the original home of the Tayside-based band that was founded in 1918.

(Tentative) The Canadian Transportation Museum & Heritage Village provides the backdrop for a totally immersive Highland Games experience. Pipes & Drums, Highland Dancing, Heavy Events, Tug of War, Clan Village, Sheep Herding, Haggis Hurl, 5K Run/Walk, Vendors and so much more.

Forum on the state of pipe band drumming, organized by the Pipers & Band Society of Ontario. Contact education@ppbso.org for details.

James Duncan MacKenzie and Neil Smith taking the stage in Stornoway as part of the Lewis & Harris Piping Society's series of solo piping recitals.

World Solo Drumming qualifying and RSPBA eight-contest Solo Drumming Champion of Champions event for snare drummers 18 and older.

World Solo Drumming qualifying and RSPBA Solo Drumming Champion of Champions event for snare drummers 18 and older. Full Juvenile and Adult Tenor events.

The Lewis and Harris Piping Society presents Gold Medallist Niall Stewart in a recital on Friday, 26th January, at 7.30 pm, Caladh Hotel, Stornoway.

All solo and band grade competitions.

Strowan Day - South Island Championship