skeelyThe Queen sits in Dunfermline toun, Drinkin the blude-reid wine
'O whaur will A get a skeely piper
Tae play this spring o mine?'

Now if you’re scratching you head and thinking that doesn’t sound quite as you’d remembered it, you’d be right! This was Matt Seattle’s take on the ballad of Sir Patrick Spens when we were casting around for a name for the new trophy to be presented at the competition this year.

The Skeely Piper was a popular title for the wee man who was designed by Stuart MacDonald of MacDonald Pipe Band Fabrications especially for the LBPS. Stuart is a Highland piper with an engineering background who has started making piping and drumming figures out of nuts and bolts as souvenirs.
More at https://www.facebook.com/MacDonaldPipeBandFabrications

The trophy is awarded for a new class at the competition which will change theme every year. This year’s event required competitors to play a 3-4 minute selection of James Scott Skinner tunes to mark the publication of George Greig and Harry Gray‘s book of Skinner tunes set for pipes. We believe the theme will be First World War Tunes next year.
With 8 competitors this was the class with the highest entry on the day and people obviously relished the challenge of learning something new. The winner was Andrew MacIntyre, pictured here with the trophy.
RD