The ballots from the bands are in and counted, and the men (and women) on the pen have been decided.
The association has not put the judges into panels or events yet but they are confirmed as
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Students and Tutors at the 2012 NZ Summer School have begun to arrive in Christchurch for the week-long piping and drumming event (more…)
2012 is going to be a big year for pipe bands and piping; with the NZ and Australian Championships taking place, plus Kiwis in Scotland and bands taking on the World, we are looking for more contributors to our online news website. (more…)
Once again, PBNews is running a series of polls – this year run by SurveyMonkey – on the highs and lows of 2011. Readers get the opportunity to vote in a series of polls aimed at finding our favourite and most successful soloists/bands/contests/moments of the past year. (more…)
After the devastating earthquake on the 22nd of February, little was known about the future of any events in Christchurch. Of particular interest to pipe-bandsmen was the annual Victoria Square Day competitions – traditionally the first major hit out for all graded bands for the season – which had been held since 1990. The Canterbury Caledonian Society – organisers of the event – have secured a new location for the contest, to be held the first weekend of December at the Okeover Reserve at the University of Canterbury. (more…)
Libby O’Brien has been announced as the next Editor-in-Chief of the New Zealand Pipe Band Magazine, succeeding Chris Stevens after his 10-year tenure taking the magazine into the new millenium (more…)
Both the Canterbury Caledonian Society Pipe Band and Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band had good starts to their respective 2011 World Pipe Band Championship campaigns, with Manawatu finishing runners-up to Field Marshal Montgomery in Ireland. Back in Scotland, Canterbury Caledonian finished 3rd in both the MSR and Medley at North Berwick, behind Boghall and Bathgate, and took 5th at Bridge of Allan the next day. (more…)
Manawatu Scottish are including a trip to Northern Ireland amongst their two week sejourn to the 2011 World Pipe Band Championships. (more…)
Richard Hawke, one of New Zealand’s premier solo pipers, was invested into the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Pipe Bands; a thoroughly deserved award for a man who has given everything he can to piping over the past 30 or so years, including two successful stints as Pipe Major of the Canterbury Caledonian Pipe Band. He was awarded the medal during the Queens Birthday Honours list; a fitting moment for him, considering he was in attendance at the Queens Birthday Solo competitions where several of his students had been successful. (more…)
Brendon Eade scored a rare double on Saturday, after taking both the Claidhmor and the Targe events at the 2011 Colin Craig Claidhmor invitational. This is only the fourth time in the history of the event one piper has taken both events; Greg Wilson, Grame Bilsland and Stewart McKenzie being the others to complete the feat. Marion Horsburgh was runner up in the Piobaireachd, with Martin Frewen placing second in the MSRHJ.
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