Police pipe band on the beat again after successful salvation campaign – Scotsman.com News:

“ONE of Scotland’s oldest and greatest pipe bands has been saved after a campaign which attracted global support.

Twelve-time World champions, the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band have been at the centre of a year long dispute after police chiefs said serving officers would have to scale back their musical activities.

Both pipe major Don Bradford and piping sergeant Duncan Nicholson resigned in protest, but have now been reinstated after a last-minute compromise.

Robert Wallace, the principal of Glasgow College of Piping and editor of the Piping Times, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted that the band has been saved.’”

(Via news.scotsman.com – Read Full Article.)

Vernon Morning Star – Piping bursary available:

“Piping bursary available”

The McIntosh Girls Pipe Band Society awards an annual bursary to a deserving piper or drummer who wants to attend Piping Hot Summer Drummer, a school that is held at every summer at Silver Star Mountain.

Preference is given to anyone who was ever a member of the McIntosh Girls Pipe Band, and their relatives and friends.

When there is no applicant from that priority group, the funds are awarded to other individuals so all interested pipers and drummers are encouraged to apply. The funds are usually awarded to children and the names of promising young pipers and drummers have sometimes been put forward by pipe majors.

The McIntosh Girls Pipe Band flourished from 1946 to 1966 under pipe major Hilma Martens (nee Foote), who started the band with her parents. Her dad had been in a military pipe band and took charge of marching and drills.

The uniforms were made by Mrs. Foote. Hilma was pipe major and took lessons from an eminent piper, Mr. Barry, who was stationed at the army camp in the post-war period. The young women travelled all over North America.

When membership dwindled in the mid-1960s, the band folded.

Members formed a society which awards the annual bursary of about $400, depending on available funding sources. Donations will be accepted toward the bursary.

“Pipers and drummers coming up now have to compete with much stiffer competition that we ever did,” said Jan Mattock, who was a drum major in the band.

“Piping Hot is taught by the Simon Fraser Pipe Band, world champions and great teachers. They have classes for piping, base drums and tenor drums, leading a band and more.”

The McIntosh Girls Pipe Band Society currently has about 40 members including active alumni Birdie Cooney, Joanne Georgeson, Gloria Trierweiler and Jean Wetherill. Hilma Martens is now in her 80s and lives in Kelowna.

She is active on the bursary committee with Maureen Soichuk, also a former pipe major, and Mattock.

The deadline for application is April 30 each year.

Interested pipers and drummers should phone Soichuk at 250-542-3088 for information on the application process.

The process includes a letter from the student detailing their piping or drumming background and why they want the bursary, and a reference check with the applicant’s pipe major.

(Via www.bclocalnews.com – Read Full Article.)

N.J. Gov.-elect Chris Christie celebrates inaugural Mass | New Jersey Real-Time News – - NJ.com:

“EWARK — Hours from becoming New Jersey’s 55th governor, Republican Chris Christie started off the day attending a Catholic Mass at the city of his birth.
Hundreds gathered for the invitation-only Mass under the soaring ceiling of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the mother church for the area’s Catholic archdiocese. As the sun rose over Clifton Avenue and a Cuchulan Pipe band rang through the streets, an army of state police marshaled state dignitaries and press through the eaves of the church.”

(Via – Read Full Article.)

Bagpipes take the streets of Chile | Video | Reuters.com:

“Apr. 28 – In front of thousands of spectators, over 100 bagpipers paraded in the Chilean capital of Santiago.”

(Via www.reuters.com – View Video.)

Workshop boosts bagpipe bands | Warwick News | Local News in Warwick | Warwick Daily News:

“FOR Scotsman Sandy Dalziel, the second annual bagpiping, drumming and drum major workshop at The Scots PGC College is an opportunity to teach others how to excel in their bands.

They came from far and wide – some as far as Longreach and Rockhampton – to attend the course, which has increased from about 24 last year to 35 students this year.

However the term ‘students’ may be somewhat misleading about the age of participants, who ranged from eight years old to well into the retiree years, as Southern Downs Regional Council candidate Doug Cutmore, who attended, will attest.

Mr Dalziel said the course focused on the main areas of being in a bagpipe band – drumming, drum major, bagpiping and mid-section (tenor and bass drums).

The Scots PGC College band master and school tutor said the best part of the school, which is sponsored by the Queensland branch of Pipe Bands Australia, was that it gave people from regional areas the opportunity to further advance themselves in the craft.

‘We have people from Brisbane and Toowoomba as well, but it is an opportunity for people from regional areas to come and learn,’ he said.

‘I have been surprised by the enthusiasm, the keenness of people wanting to take down all the information on recorders and notepads away with them.’

One of those people was Caitlyn Jarrett, who travelled all the way from Longreach to refine her skills on the tenor drum.

She said she didn’t mind making the trip, given she would take what she learnt back to her band.”

(Via – Read Full Article.)

Dear Student,

It is now only a few weeks until our annual New York Piping and Drumming school to be held in St Josephs school, Babylon, Long Island. This year we have 5 excellent teachers giving instruction and we have given things a little shake up in terms of the piping options – a change which we hope will provide greater flexibility and choice.

This year we are offering 3 options:

Five day school with group classes rotating around instructors Mon – Fri

Half week workshop sessions. Mon – Wed for Novice/ Intermediate Levels and Wed-Fri for Intermediate/Advanced Levels.

The workshop programme and descriptors can be found in the PDFs at the bottom of this website page – http://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/schools/new-york/workshops-individual-tuition/

Individual workshops can be signed up for as required at $40 per session

Those taking the group classes for the week will also be able to select workshops as they please through the week.

Each day will conclude with an Instructor recital. Also to round the week off the Invitational Metro Cup Solo Piping Competition is held in Newark which is a short train ride away from Babylon.

For more information and booking visit http://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/schools/new-york/

Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to enjoy a great week of piping and drumming with instruction from world class teachers.

Best wishes

Roddy

30-34 McPhater Street

Glasgow

G4 0HW

Tel: 0141 353 0220

Fax: 0141 353 1570

http://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk

http://www.pipingfestival.co.uk

Highland bands run out of puff – Local News – News – General – The Advertiser:

“A CRITICAL shortage of highland band pipers is affecting several visiting bands and may stop them taking part in the Maryborough Highland Gathering street march on Friday.

Officials are very concerned that a reduction in the number of younger people learning the bagpipes is having a detrimental effect on pipe band numbers.

With the retirement of older members, it has reached a critical stage in the viability of some pipe bands.

It is reliably reported that the Australian Defence Department has disbanded the Australian Army Highland Pipe Band, which is a disappointment for highland pipe band supporters.

An urgent appeal has been put out for volunteer pipers to support the City of Horsham Pipe Band and the St Arnaud (Norman Simpson Memorial) Pipe Band so that the two bands can take part in Friday’s street march.

Band officials are keen to take part in the street parade and in the on-oval presentation, but are short of several pipers.

While highland pipe bands in the local region are strong in Maryborough, Castlemaine and Daylesford, there is continuing pressure on the number of available pipers in St Arnaud and Horsham.”

(Via www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au – Read Full Article.)

From the January 2010 « Emerald Society of the Boston Police:

Battle of the Bagpipe Bands

“February 27th will be the date of the first annual ‘Battle of the Bagpipe Bands’ from 1:00 to 5:00 pm at the St Nectarius Church hall across the street from 10 Birch Street. The bands will be dressing and lining up at our hall and marching across the street to compete. After the competition we will be hosting an after party from about 7:00 pm to midnight. Mark this date in your calendar. We are looking to have between ten to fifteen bands competing. This will be an early start to St. Patrick’s Day. It will be a great way for the entire family to celebrate their Celtic roots. More details will be in the next newsletter and in some of the local publications as well.”

(Via www.bpdemeraldsociety.com – Read Full Article.)

Rare live performance of Mull of Kintyre with a full set of highland pipers, a 18-piece Balmoral Highlanders Pipe Band. Part of the third encore at the London O2 Arena performance on 22 December 2009.