PT Editor’s Blog updated 23/11/12
All roads lead to the Echoes of Oban tomorrow night. Big contingent coming down from Oban led by Torquil and another contingent coming through from the Army School. £6 at the door; bar and refreshments. Please come early. Music will start sharp at 7.30pm with Alastair Dunn playing Donald MacPherson’s eponymous tune.
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PT December has gone to bed and features a report on the John Young presentation. This photograph didn’t make the magazine. It’s of the pavement plaque to this hero with the framed tune in the background.
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Also not making it is this tune from Northern Ireland’s Andy Wilson of the Blackthorn Pipers Society. Don’t worry Andy the report is in, just no room for the tune.
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Increased costs have made a small price rise inevitble for the PT, effective from Jan 1:
12 MONTHS - U.K. £28 EUROPE £36 N.AMERICA & REST OF WORLD £40
24 MONTHS - U.K. £55 EUROPE £69 N.AMERICA & REST OF WORLD £77
Digital sales remain at £19 (£16 for CPA members, CoP facebook ‘friends’, CoP members). iPad and tablet priced also unchanged.
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Tremendous response to the Ceol na Mara composing contest with 50 tunes + in so far. We’ve extended the deadline to Decmber 31 to let those still working on a few pieces time to get them completed. Email all entries with contact details to me at the PT . Six categories: march, strathspey, reel, hornpipe, jig, slow air.
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Neil Clark tells me he is settling in well up there in the Great Glen. He’s surrounded by piping history. Says Neil: ‘Place is totally fantastic piping wise, there’s so much in the locality. Borlum farm, of Macintosh of Borlum, is 500 metres away, and off the top of my inexperienced head we can count about another 30 piob based in the pretty immediate locality. The Willie Ross Memorial Cairn is up Strathfarrar, about 10 miles away as the crow flies. Strathfarrar is shut just now, as lots of things need shot apparently. Do you know anything about it? It’s got to be on the tours. Also, I saw a letter from sometime asking re access to the Borreraig Cairn in PT recently, I’d be happy to take anyone over there. And I was overwhelmed to find I was a crossword clue in the same issue. Drumnadrochit Piping Society is going strong and I look forward to playing my part if they’ll have me.’
Sure they will Neil. The Willie Ross cairn was unveiled a couple of years back after a heroic fund raising campaign by Finlay MacRae, Dingwall. Like the MacCrimmon Cairn at Borerraig, the Angus MacKay Cairn on the Solway and my old kilt jacket still for sale at Paddy’s Market, it is a must see on any piping heritage trail.
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Bruce Hitchings of Highland Reeds has sent this: ‘We are committed to creating the best customer experience we can. I’ve been listening to the great feedback I’ve received on my product range and am in the process of re-branding and expanding, with a new company launch slated for January 1st, 2013. My completely redesigned website with video product support will reflect a new direction and will make it even easier for customers to gain the best experience from Highland Reeds products.’ Get Bruce’s full range via the CoP Shop. Contact Bruce at ; Phone & Fax: +44 1506 883 747.
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Tony MacDonald deserves the good wishes from us all. He’s been struggling with illness for quite some time. A great player and a superb teacher Tony’s efforts are sorely missed down Dumfries way. Jimmy Banks has written a fine tune for him which I hope to carry in the next PT or here on the blog. We’re thinking about you Tony.
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2014 seems a long way away but the tourist people here are already gearing up for what they are calling The Year of Homecoming (yes, another one). It seems Arisaig Games are heavily involved http://www.