Latest news with #PipingLive!
Glasgow Times
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Piping Live! wraps up with global talent and big crowds
The international piping festival is now in its 22nd year. Finlay MacDonald, artistic director for Piping Live!, said: "There aren't enough words to describe this year's Piping Live!, so I'll start with just one – thank you. "A huge thanks to each person who made it such a successful year – from the hugely talented performers who travelled far and wide to be here, our dedicated organisers and volunteers, our funders and sponsors, and everyone who attended any of our events – we are beyond grateful to everyone for the support." Read more: Five Glasgow roads to close for major cycling event- here's when The festival, which ran for nine days, featured concerts, workshops, and competitions at venues including Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, and a newly reimagined outdoor site at the National Piping Centre. Artists such as Beinn Lee, Assynt, Cala, and Malin Lewis headlined the festival's Centre Stage. The final event was held at Saint Luke's, where the Ali Levack Big Band and Falasgair performed for a crowd of 500. Mr Levack, a former participant in the festival's emerging talent programme, said: "Piping Live! is an amazing festival, they are to be commended with how many opportunities they offer to younger musicians. "They have made such a difference to my own experience over the years." This year's Big Band showcase, which opened the festival on August 11, saw more than 200 pipers and drummers march through Glasgow's west end. The event supported Eilidh's Trust, a charity honouring Eilidh Macleod, a young piper who died in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. Bailie Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life, said: "The 22nd edition of Piping Live! has been an outstanding success. "Celebrating traditional and contemporary bagpipes music, this year's dynamic programme demonstrated the great versatility and popularity of the pipes, as well as the fantastic talent and skills of pipers of all ages from near and far." The festival also featured international performers from countries including Ukraine and Australia. Many participants went on to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green. Piping Live! will return next year from August 10 to 17.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Piping Live! reviews: Morvan Massif Trio
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Morvan Massif Trio, Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow ★★★★ Bann & Spirit of Ceòlas, National Piping Centre, Glasgow ★★★★ Midday sees the first band of the day – in this case the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Pipes and Drums – troop from the National Piping Centre, down Sauchiehall Street and, in what has become a Piping Live! ritual, strike up under the disinterested gaze of Donald Dewar's statue at the top of Buchanan Street. The warm air seems to thicken with this fiery music. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Brìghde Chaimbeul of Bann | Jelmer De Haas Piping Live! – the city's week-long countdown to this weekend's World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green – is centred on the National Piping Centre but occupies other venues and amid the Spanish baroque splendour of Kelvingrove Museum, a ritual of a different kind , the museum's famed lunchtime organ recital, gives way to the less familiar but thrilling sound of a central French musette shrilling out bourées and other dance tunes alongside accordion and guitar as the Morvan Massif Trio provide an afternoon recital. Composed of piper Gaël Rutkowski, accordionist Seb Lagrange and familiar Highland guitarist Ross Martin, the trio draws largely on traditional music of France's Morvan region. At Kelvingrove their sound competed with difficulty against the building's echoing background hubbub, but it was an engaging set nevertheless, dance music swirling from Rutkowski's musette, before he changed to Irish uilleann pipes for a waltz, deftly switching midway back to the French instrument. They finished with a Scots air followed by two lively compositions by Lagrange, and I could have listened to much more, ideally under more sympathetic acoustic conditions. Back at the National Piping Centre, Bann, a pan-Celtic showcase of women musicians was curated by Scottish smallpipes virtuoso Brighde Chaimbeul, joined by Irish uilleann piper Louise Mulcahy, Scots Gaelic singer Kirsty-Ann McInnes, Manx fiddler Isla Callister and harpist-pianist Ingrid Henderson, joined at times by another smallpipes player, April Sutherland. It was voice over drones, however, that opened proceedings with McInnes's magisterial lament, Cumha Mhic Shiridh, Irish and Scottish chanters keening between verses. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A more up-tempo song, Ill a Bho Dhubh – 'The Boy of the Black Cow' – gave way to the stirring O'Neill's March on pipes and fiddle, while another highlight was the lament Pililiù, singer and pipes alike echoing the burbling call of the redshank, a bird associated with that liminal territory between life and death. The concert had opened with a similarly female line-up, Spirit of Ceòlas, celebrating the vital cultural contribution made by the organisation that started life as a summer school on South Uist. The line-up also included harpist Henderson and her sister Megan on fiddle and vocals, along with piper and flautist Sheena Peteranna and step-dancer Sandra Robertson. They snapped into top gear right away, smallpipes and fiddle spinning strathpeys over piano and Robertson rattling the boards in a step dance. As well as songs of considerable pedigree, including one by the renowned 18th-century bard Duncan Ban MacIntyre (still timely, about the importance of preserving tradition), their repertoire included recently composed and fresh-sounding tunes – reflecting strength of ongoing Gaelic culture, thanks to the likes of Ceòlas, The Piping Live! festival runs until 17 August, see
Glasgow Times
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Piping Live! opens in Glasgow with record-breaking big band
The Piping Live! Big Band, which includes musicians from diverse backgrounds, kick-started the international festival on Monday, August 11, by marching from Mansfield Park to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The band performed a medley of popular tunes for the spectators and families who had gathered along the parade route. (Image: Supplied) Onlookers applauded the parade, which welcomed pipers and drummers aged eight to 86 years old this year. Many of the participants are expected to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships on August 15 and 16 at Glasgow Green. Read more: Huge supermarket chain creating 16 new jobs - here is what we know Drum Sergeant Alexander Manfield from Warwick Thistle Pipe Band made his first appearance at Piping Live! and the World Championships. He and his band travelled from Australia for the event, marking their first-ever venture outside the country. Alexander said: "I've been with the band 20 years and it's amazing to finally come to Scotland to perform in this beautiful part of the world. (Image: Supplied) "Many of the band have Scottish roots, so it means a lot to us to come here - some of us have travelled with family as there are multiple generations in the band, so it's special. "It's also great to meet people from other bands we speak to virtually – we've been snapping selfies already." The Piping Live! Big Band partners with a charitable cause each year, and this year, they have chosen to support the Eilidh MacLeod Memorial Trust. Established in honour of the talented piper Eilidh MacLeod, the trust supports music education for children and young people in Scotland. The late teen's family travelled from Barra to lead the parade. Roddy MacLeod, Eilidh's father, said: "We didn't expect there to be such an amazing turnout, it's so impressive, you can't beat seeing so many people take to the streets of Glasgow. "It means a lot to us to be thought of." The event's artistic director, Finlay MacDonald, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to see today's wonderful parade officially marking the beginning of what promises to be a hugely exciting edition of the Piping Live! "festival. 'This year is a particularly special one for us, as attendees can experience our brand-new reimagined outdoor space at the home of the festival, the National Piping Centre. 'We've got a fantastic week of events planned, with something on offer for all ages.' Bailie Annette Christie, chair of charity Glasgow Life, which supports the festival with funding, said: 'Celebrating the contemporary and traditional music of the bagpipes, and the great diversity of our national instrument, this year's dynamic Piping Live! programme boasts a wealth of exciting entertainment and activities that will appeal to a wide range of audiences." Rob Dickson, director of industry and events at VisitScotland, said: "Glasgow and Scotland are truly the heart and soul of piping, and nowhere is that more evident than at Piping Live!, a dynamic celebration of our rich musical heritage."
Glasgow Times
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
2025 World Pipe Band Championships set for Glasgow Green
The 2025 World Pipe Band Championships return to Glasgow Green on August 15 and 16, marking the 77th time the event has been held in the city. It will bring together 207 bands from 15 countries, including groups from Oman, Zimbabwe, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. (Image: Kris Kesiak) Colin Mulhern, chief executive of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, said: "Our decision to stage a dedicated youth competition as part of the 2025 World Pipe Band Championships is underpinned by our mission to nurture young talent in piping and drumming. "Showcasing the incredible talent and skills of the next generation, the youth competition also reinforces our ongoing commitment to the future of pipe band music. Read more: Paul Sweeney MSP: We can't just let them build another desert wi' windaes "We hope as many people as possible will come to support these brilliant young performers as they take their well-earned place at the heart of the world's premier pipe band event. "As ever, tickets are in great demand for the event, so anyone who doesn't want to miss out on the experience should book now for Friday, August 15, and Saturday, August 16." (Image: Kris Kesiak) This year introduces a new format, with a dedicated youth competition on the Friday. More than 1,540 under-18s will compete in Juvenile and Novice Juvenile categories, and the day will end with a massed performance and prize-giving. The senior band competitions will take place on the Saturday, culminating in the crowning of the 2025 world champions. (Image: Kris Kesiak) Tickets for the event are available at Bailie Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life, said: "Glasgow is privileged to be home to the world's biggest celebration of Scotland's national instrument. "Every summer, our great UNESCO City of Music is filled with sensational sounds and sights as the traditional and contemporary music of the bagpipes is showcased during our prestigious World Pipe Band Championships and vibrant Piping Live! "festival." The championships coincide with the Glasgow International Piping Festival, Piping Live!, which runs from August 11 to 17 and celebrates its 22nd edition this year. Event highlights will be broadcast on BBC Scotland on August 21.
Scotsman
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Road closures as Scottish city hosts world's biggest pipe band battle
The battle of the bands attracts thousands each year Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The biggest pipe band competition in the world is returning to Glasgow next month, as performers from around the globe descend on the city to celebrate Scotland's national instrument. It will see the return of the Piping Live! festival from August 11-17, culminating with the World Pipe Band Championships on Glasgow Green on Friday 15 and Saturday 16. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The festival is in its 22nd year and sees over 30,000 attendees annually. Events are held at venues across the city, with this year's edition featuring a new site at McPhater Street. The competition will see pipe bands from across the globe battle it out on Glasgow Green | PA Organisers say attendees can enjoy taster sessions, street performances and concerts, with an array of international talent on display. The World Pipe Band Championships, taking place at the end of the festival, has been hosted every year in Scotland since 1986 and is the highlight of the competitive pipe band calendar. Last year's battle of the bands saw 204 bands from 13 countries including Australia, Oman and Hong Kong, take over Glasgow Green. There were 119 bands from Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The event will kick off with the juvenile competition on the Friday, followed by the full championship competition on the Saturday. To support the running of the event, a number of road closures and parking restrictions have been announced by Glasgow City Council in and around Glasgow Green. They include road closures and restrictions on parking. The full list of restrictions are here: Prohibition of vehicle movements 4am on August 15 to 11:59pm on August 16 Charlotte Street, between Greendyke Street and London Road East Carriageway for its full length Greendyke Street, between Turnbull Street and London Road West Carriageway for its full length Prohibition of waiting, loading and unloading 3pm on August 14 to 11:59 pm on August 16 Arcadia Street, both sides, between London Road and The Green. Charlotte Street, both sides, between Greendyke Street and London Road. East Carriageway, both sides between Templeton Street and The Peoples Palace. Greendyke Street, both sides, between Turnbull Street and London Road. James Morrison Street between London Road and St Andrews Street Monteith Row, both sides, between Monteith Place and Greendyke St. Templeton Street, Both sides for its entire length The Green, both sides, between Arcadia Street and King's Drive. West Carriageway, both sides, between Greendyke Street and The Peoples Palace.
