Benoni MacTalla take first 2012 championship

At the first pipe band championship of the season, the South Coast Highland Gathering, held on Saturday 28th April 2012 at Hutchison Park in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu Natal, Benoni MacTalla were declared the overall Grade 2 Champions.

The Band had a clean sweep on the day winning both the March, Strathspey and Reel and Medley Selection contests as well as the Drum Corps and Bass Section prizes.

View all the pipe band results here.

In the solo contests on the Sunday, 29th April 2012, Richard Payn, of 1 Medical Battalion A Pipe Band, won the Gold Piobaireachd; Nicholas Taitz, of Sandton Scottish Pipe Band, won the Open Piping March Strathspey and Reel; David Murray, of Benoni MacTalla Pipe Band, won the Open Snare Drumming March, Strathspey and Reel and; Tarryn Mocke, of Benoni Juvenile Pipe Band, won the Open Tenor Drumming March, Strathspey and Reel.

View all the solo piping and drumming results here.

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100 Guineas up for grabs this Saturday

The 100 Guineas is South Africa’s premier solo piping competition and takes place this Saturday, 31st March, at King Edward VII School in Houghton. Presented by the Scottish Piping Society of the Witwatersrand, this event showcases some of South Africa’s finest piping talent. Scotland based champion piper, John Mulhearn, shall also be competing in this year’s 100 Guineas thus bringing an international flavour to local proceedings.

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Tunes from Troon – The John Mulhearn Recital

John Mulhearn, who is visiting our shores to compete in the 100 Guineas solo piping contest on the 31st March, will be performing a recital for a South African audience for the first time on Friday night, 30th March.

John picked up the practice chanter at the age of nine, receiving initial instruction from his father Brian, a stalwart of the South African piping scene. After a year he started lessons with Angus J. MacLellan at the College of Piping in Glasgow. From this point on, summers were spent touring Scotland playing around the games where he won most of the major junior events – including the MacGregor Memorial at the Argyllshire Gathering, the SPA Amateur and, the Scottish Junior Championship at Carnoustie. At the age of eighteen, John entered the senior ranks being placed third in the Silver Medal at Oban and Inverness, and runner-up in the Dunvegan Medal on Skye.

While studying at Glasgow University, John worked at the College of Piping. Around this time he stopped playing for a few years as other musical interests took over. However, the pipes resurfaced when, in Australia for a year, the chance came up to play and work with the Queensland Police Pipes & Drums under R.S. MacDonald. Since being back in Scotland, John has worked at the National Piping Centre and been competing regularly, winning the MSR event at the Duncan Johnstone Memorial earlier this year.

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Entry Forms available for Lyttelton Manor Gathering

The Lyttelton Manor Gathering, hosted by the Lyttelton Manor Pipe Band, shall take place at Lyttelton Manor High School, Clifton Avenue, Lyttelton, Pretoria on Saturday, 14th April 2012. The prospectus and entry forms can be found here.

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Sandy Mallen Memorial Kicks Off Solo Piping Season

The solo piping contest season kicks off this Saturday, 25th February, at KES at 13h00 with the Sandy Mallen Memorial Solo Piping Competition. The contest is run by the Scottish Piping Society of the Witwatersrand and further information can be found here.

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East London to host 2012 Eastern Cape Highland Gathering

The Eastern Cape Highland Gathering shall take place in East London on the 7th April 2012 at Selborne College. Prospectus and entry forms are available here.

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Of Myth and Legend

Presenting Haggis and Bong’s long awaited and ground-breaking album, Of Myth and Legend.

This album introduces new faces and new sounds, adding more depth and feeling to the music. The line-up that appeared on the band’s debut album (Fire in the Bowl), namely, Angus Nixon (Pipes), Thomas Hughes (Drums) and Dominic Skelton (Pipes), are now joined by Xavier Knox (Bass), Liam O’Flaherty (Pipes), Dave Callaghan (Guitar), completing the bands permanent touring line-up. Perhaps the biggest addition to the sound being the guitar, filling the gap that was missing in the band’s sound previously and allowing the pipes to come forward and drive the band even more.

The album also presents cameo appearances from William Bishop (Trombone) and Martin Eccles (Cello), adding an extra flavour to specific parts of the music.

The album artwork is done by England’s Dan Mumford, who has also done, among many others, artwork for The Black Dahlia Murder and Protest the Hero.

Of Myth and Legend is a statement, an affirmation of the glory of the sound of the pipes. The energy of this group of individuals is evident in the music and the live performance will, without fail, prove to be a truly unforgettable experience.

With such a powerful album, a boosted, charged-up and rearing to go line-up of Celtic Warrior Musicians and a take-no-prisoners type of mentality; Haggis and Bong are ready to take South Africa by storm. The band will cover the whole country over the space of wee bit more than a month, not leaving any stone unturned. From KwaZulu Natal to the Transkei, from Cape Town to Middelburg, the sound will spread like a Celtic Wildfire.

Haggis and Bong has always been considered a brilliant live band and had received some criticism that the debut album didn’t represent the intense energy that the live performance breeds. This is definitely not the case with the new recording and with the boost to the line-up and the increased energy in the music, as well as the good few years of stage experience that this group now has, the shows will never fail to be an electric affair.

The experience and funding that the band will build up from this tour will be used to steer the band overseas later in the year. The time has come to take this unique sound to every corner of the globe and over the next few years this is H&B’s sole mission.

For further information please contact Angus Nixon or visit Facebook, MySpace or, Reverbnation.

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Rob Roy Scottish Supplies up for Sale

Rob Roy Scottish Supplies, the well-known Scottish imports business with a large Hire service for highland regalia, all stock, Customer and Supplier information, is available for sale.

Established in 1980 as a hobby from home, with one product line, this business has grown over the years to be the leading supplier of Scottish regalia and accessories in South Africa, and also has a number of export customers all over the world. We supply dancing and pipe band instruments and accessories, giftware and music; novelties; tartan and tweed fabrics; Celtic and clan crest jewellery; hats, ties, scarves etc. Gents Highland Outfitting forms a large part of the business, and the demand for hire outfits for weddings, dinners, Matric dances etc, continues to grow.

The Owner wishes to retire, and hopes that someone with the same passion and love of all things Scottish, would like to continue the business, which, despite the difficult economic conditions, still has great potential for growth. The premises are currently on a short-lease basis, and do not have to be continued by the new Owner.

Any interested parties are requested to contact Jenny Edmunson, the Proprietor, on +27 11 678 5618 or +27 11 678 5623 during office hours or, alternatively, by e-mail. Appointments for meeting must be made in advance.

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Highland Dancers to Entertain

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St Andrew’s Scottish Society to host St Andrew’s Day Festival

The St Andrew’s Scottish Society is hosting a St Andrew’s Day Festival on Saturday, 19th November 2011, at Herbert Park Bowling Club in Turffontein. Gates open at 13h00 and festivities run from 14h00 to 18h00. The entrance is in Turf Club Street.

For any further information about the event, or the St Andrew’s Scottish Society, please contact Tommy Soutar.

Posted in African Skye Pipe Band, Pan's Kilt, St Andrew's Scottish Society | Leave a comment