LBPS Winter Teaching Sessions on Zoom
Thursday, 19th January at 7.30 pm (GMT)
We kick off the new year with what looks certain to be another memorable online session. David Faulkner will be lead this one on Thursday (19th) evening.
David has a quarter century of professional piping under his belt through bands such as the Eel Grinders and Zephyrus. He has performed – and taught - all over the UK, Europe and North America.
For his session, David will take us through three pieces, 'The Fiddlers' (from the McFarlane manuscript of 1740), a Belurusian tune and a new tune.
David Faulkner
All members will receive a Zoom link by email near the day of the event.
If you are not yet a member of the Society, you are very welcome to join. Membership subscription rates start at £9 per year. Once your subscription has been processed you will receive an email with the details of the Zoom link. Membership includes reduced rates at the LBPS shop, invitations to other Zoom social and tutorial sessions, and access to the latest issues of the Society’s journal Common Stock, either online or posted out to you. Choose the subscription rate you prefer.
Tuesday, 21st February 2023
Jeremy Kingsbury will host our mid-February session on 21st February. Many of you will know Jeremy from his superb bi-weekly podcasts. Now approaching 100, his podcasts feature music from the 18th-19th century mostly played by Jeremy on a variety of pipes found in the British Isles.
In recent years Jeremy has released two albums of such music, Oyster Wives Rant and Pay the Pipemaker.
Jeremy lives in the US and is currently working on a PhD.
Jeremy Kingsbury
40th Anniversary Composing Competition
The committee has decided to hold a composing competition as but one element to mark the Society’s 40th anniversary.
Tunes submitted should have at least four parts and be in the Lowland idiom. The name of the tune shall be, ‘The Lowland & Border Pipers’ Society’.
Please email compositions to LBPS Treasurer, Bridget Taylor - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - and pay the £10 entry fee using the Entry Form below.
Please send entries in by Sunday, 30th April 2023.
Entries will be collated and sent to the judges with the composers’ names deleted. A recording of the composition is not a requirement but is encouraged. The winner will receive £400 plus a full run of the LBPS’ music collections and CDs.
A distinguished panel of respected individuals in Lowland piping and Scottish culture will adjudicate and the tune will receive its first airing at an LBPS event later this year.
Copyright of the tunes will remain with the composers but by entering the competition, entrants grant the LBPS permission to distribute and publish the tune in all media (whether now existing or the future invented) anywhere throughout the universe for all time.
Entry Form
Please enter your name and contact details on the 'Payments' page
LBPS 40th Anniversary
The LBPS is pleased to announce that 2023 is the year of the 40th anniversary of the society and the committee is planning some exciting celebrations during the year to mark the occasion.
These will include the following:
A composing competition
The name of the tune shall be, ‘The Lowland & Border Pipers’ Society’. Tunes submitted should have at least four parts and be in the Lowland idiom.
The winner will receive £400 plus a full run of the LBPS’ music collections and CDs.
A distinguished panel of respected individuals in Lowland piping and Scottish culture will adjudicate and the tune will receive its first airing at an LBPS event later this year.
More details are included in a separate News Post on this webpage.
Annual competition 18th March 2023
Our annual competition will take place on 18th March in the Burgh Halls in Linlithgow, West Lothian.
https://linlithgowburghhalls.co.uk/ The proved to be a superb venue last year, and with it being incredibly easy to get to we hope to see as many of you as possible.
A reminder that the Skeely Piper category for this year is any tune(s) with women in the title. We received enquiries as to whether that’s a woman’s full name or partial name. It can indeed be a partial name, e.g. 'Jenny Dang the Weaver' or 'Mrs MacPherson of Inveran'.
Details of last year's competition are available on the website. There will shortly be an update for 2023. https://lbps.net/j3site/index.php/events-reports/competition-and-rules
Pibroch Weekend
We intend to run our pibroch weekend again this year and once again will have Allan MacDonald leading it. Details asap.
A concert at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
This year, as another way of marking our 40th anniversary, the committee is hoping to host a concert at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It will be in August and we shall advise you of the date, the venue and the bill asap.
The Collogue 30th September 2023
The Collogue will take place in the autumn on Saturday 30th September 2023. The venue is to be confirmed. Aspects of the bellows-piping revival will feature.
A Burns supper (2024)
We plan to end the anniversary celebrations in January 2024 with a Burns Supper in The Globe Inn, Dumfries. As many of you will know, Robert Burns frequented The Globe Inn whilst working as an exciseman. It was reportedly his favourite “howff”.
December 2022 Issue of Common Stock
The latest issue of Common Stock is available to logged-in members HERE
To download the issue, click the 'Open' button at the bottom right of each double-page and use the bottom link of the menu pane on the left side
June 2022 Issue of Common Stock
The latest issue of Common Stock is available to logged-in members HERE
To download the issue, click the 'Open' button at the bottom right of each double-page and use the bottom link of the menu pane on the left side
LBPS Annual Competition 2022 – The Results
The LBPS Annual Competition 2022 was held in Linlithgow on Saturday, 9th April 2022.
It was the first time the Society had been to this historic town. The town's old municipal building, the Burgh Halls proved to be a superb venue and was only a five-minute walk from the railway station. The town itself is conveniently situated roughly halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
December 2021 Issue of Common Stock
The latest issue of Common Stock is available to members HERE
To download the issue, click the 'Open' button at the bottom right of each double-page and use the bottom link of the menu pane on the left side
The results of the two LBPS Competition classes held at the Annual Collogue and AGM in October 2021
The Society held its Annual Collogue and AGM at the end of October along with two remaining classes from the competition in what turned out to be a very pleasant day at Old Gala House in the Scottish borders.
The competition was organised by Anne Duncan and featured a mix of in-person and pre-recorded entries. Hamish Moore was the judge along with members of the audience in the time honoured fashion.
Some of the performances can be watched on the LBPS Youtube channel at Lowland & Border Pipers' Society Official - YouTube
The winners were:
Skeely Piper, Sir Walter Scott theme
1 - Robert Porter - Jack Lattin
2 equal - Matt Seattle - Soor Plums, Hoop and Gird Her.
2 equal - Anne Duncan - Uamh an Oir
3 Pete Stewart - The Border Widow Lament, Hoopers and Girders, Round Headed Cuckolds Come Dig.
London Trophy- New Composition
1 - Matt Seattle- The Little White Rose of Scotland
2 - Pete Stewart - The Auld White Road
3 - Rod Nevin - Whitmire
Binders for Common Stock
Binders for Common Stock are now available from the Shop.
The binders are beautifully embossed with the Common Stock logo. Each binder can hold 12 issues (6 years of Common Stock).
One binder costs £12 or you can buy a 2-pack at the reduced price of £20.
June 2021 Issue of Common Stock
The latest issue of Common Stock is available to logged-in members HERE
To download the issue, click the 'Open' button at the bottom right of each double-page and use the bottom link of the menu pane on the left side
LBPS Funding Applications
Applications are invited from individuals for funding for projects related to Scottish bellows blown bagpipes which accord with, or complement, the Society’s own aims as per the constitution published at www.lbps.net
For full details of the award and the types of project for which you may apply, please see the terms and conditions below.
Please submit your completed application form to the Treasurer by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in time to meet one of the two annual deadlines of 1 March or 1 October.
The LBPS YouTube channel
There is now a new official LBPS YouTube channel. Please do have a look and PLEASE SUBSCRIBE.
At the moment the channel is mostly made up of archive footage, but all LBPS members are now invited to submit videos for others to enjoy. As recent Zoom events have shown, we are an international community of enthusiastic pipers and we would like the videos on YouTube to reflect this too!
Please see below for guidelines for submission:
