Devotees of classical bagpipe music in Ireland are being encouraged to enter a competition to write a piobaireachd around the theme of 'Beyond the Arches'.
It's being run through the RSPBANI school, and there's a prize of £150 up for grabs for the best submission. More details of the challenge are available from Ian Burrows (ian.burrows@rspbani.org) or Winston Pollock (rwspollock@btinternet.com). Meanwhile, scottish Power pipe major Chris Armstrong will be leading the third consecutive winter series of piobaireachd seminars. The first takes place in the Arches Centre, Randalstown, on saturday and sunday october 27 & 27.
Due to the ever growing demand for top level tuition in this discipline, Chris will again have the assistance of pipe sergeant Glenn Brown (shotts & Dykehead) plus the back-up of a quality team of home-based instructors led by pipe major Norman Dodds. The local group of instructors provide a weekly programme of piobaireachd tuition as an integral part of the syllabus studied by students at the Branch school centres.