Piping Live! Big Band set to return for 2022
The Piping Live! Big Band will return for its 5th showcase at this year's festival as pipers of all ages and abilities are invited to take part in the mass participation event.
Article Source: Piping Live!
Last Updated: 17 June 2022 11:34
On Monday 8th August 150 pipers will gather, ranging from little learners playing their chanters to seasoned professionals playing the pipes in their retirement. The bespoke big band will walk the streets of Glasgow as they perform a repertoire of tunes that everyone can play.
The Piping Live! Big Band is open to anyone who plays a practice chanter, bagpipes, snare, bass or tenor drum, or is a drum major! All ages are welcome, with past events welcoming people aged 8-86. Players can sign up to be part of the Piping Live! Big Band at www.pipinglive.co.uk
The Big Band is a way of bringing pipers who are not otherwise taking part in the festival together and lets them be a part of the prestigious Piping Live! line-up. Leading the parade this year will be Piping Live! Artistic Director and the Director of Piping at the National Piping Centre, Finlay MacDonald, as well as some of the National Piping Centre’s world-renowned teaching team.
The Piping Live! Big Band will set off from Blythswood Square at 12noon and make its way to George Square via West George Street. The event will last for around an hour.
This year will be the first Big Band event since 2019, due to the covid restrictions that were in place in 2020 and 2021. However, now with the festival back to its full in-person offering, organisers can’t wait to welcome everyone back to take part in this fantastic event.
Finlay MacDonald, Director of Piping at the National Piping Centre, said: “The Piping Live! Big Band is such a special moment for me at each year’s festival. I have really missed it these last two years as I love seeing all the age ranges and abilities come together to perform and collaborate. As a player and a teacher, events such as this that bring everyone together because of their love of piping are heart-warming. I’ll be leading the 150-strong band with so much pride this August.”
Since its inception in 2016, the Piping Live! Big Band has worked in partnership with a chosen charity and this year the festival is delighted to be working with Beatson Cancer Charity. Everyone who registers to be part of the big band will make a donation as the majority of the entry fee is donated, aside from the cost to cover the very eye-catching event t-shirt! On the Piping Live! website there is also QR code and link to donate specifically from this event if individuals would like to contribute more.
Beatson Cancer Charity’s aim is to try and ensure no-one faces cancer on their own. Over 14,000 patients have received therapies at the Wellbeing Centre Beatson Cancer Charity. The Beatson is an internationally renowned cancer centre and the busiest in the UK in terms of clinical activity and patient numbers as well as being the second largest cancer centre in the UK delivering all of the radiotherapy and much of the chemotherapy to the population of the West of Scotland, with a catchment area of 2.5 million people, which is around 60% of Scotland’s population. Each year The Beatson sees more than 8,000 new patients and delivers more than 25,000 courses of chemotherapy and 6,500 courses of radiotherapy.
Charlene Low, corporate partnerships fundraiser at Beatson Cancer Charity, said: “We are so grateful for the fantastic support we’ve received from The National Piping Centre. It always inspires us when our supporters come up with new fundraising ideas that haven’t been done before, and that’s why we’re particularly excited about working with The National Piping Centre on this event. We can’t wait to watch a sea of yellow marching in August and we hope everyone gets behind the organisation to support them.”
The Big Band will officially launch the Piping live! pipe band performances that will be taking place in Glasgow city centre this summer. Between Monday 8th – Thursday 11th August the festival’s flagship pipe band performances will take over Buchanan Street at 12noon each day as some of the best pipe bands in the country showcase their talents on this iconic street.
Piping Live! will celebrate its 20th event this summer with a calendar of in-person and virtual events taking place in Glasgow from Saturday 6th - Sunday 14th August.
Annually the festival typically attracts over 30,000 attendees to Glasgow, and the line-up this year includes world-class performances, music sessions, recitals, talks, competitions, book launches, workshops and so much more.
The world’s biggest piping festival celebrates its return to in-person events for the first time since 2019, offering a blended showcase of in-person gigs and online events, so both local and international audiences can enjoy the array of world-class performances. Virtual audiences from around the world can enjoy around 40 hours of live stream content which is all included in one Livestream Festival Pass. Content that will be included in this online festival pass will include The Silver Chanter, The Masters Solo Piping Competition, the Lowland & Borders Pipers' Society Showcase, The Pipe Idol Final, The Gordon Duncan Memorial Competition and the closing concert with Fred Morrison and Paddy Keenan. Several daytime events and the Learn at Live! workshops will also be streamed.
More information and tickets for all events taking place at Piping Live! 2022 are available at www.pipinglive.co.uk
Sponsored Links
Latest Glasgow News
MINISO is coming to Buchanan Street... get ready to explore!
Global lifestyle sensation MINISO is set to bring its signature blend of joy, creativity, and affordable design to Buchanan Street, with a brand-new store opening on 26th November!
READ MORE
Black Friday Savings at Buchanan Galleries
Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow is abuzz with Black Friday deals, offering shoppers incredible discounts across a wide range of products – from fashion and footwear to jewellery, beauty, and homeware.
READ MORE
The Maclean Brothers row onto Celtic Connections bill as new wave of shows announced
The Maclean Brothers are among a wave of exciting new names to join the world-renowned Celtic Connections bill, it has been announced.
READ MORE
BBC CBeebies starts the panto season at Glasgow cinemas
The CBeebies panto Cinderella is coming to the big screen in Glasgow from Friday 21st November.
READ MORE
The Pavilion Theatre is taking part in the largest Black Friday Theatre Sale in the UK
As part of Trafalgar Entertainment, customers can now access some of the best theatre ticket deals for shows at the Pavilion Theatre as well as unmissable productions in the West End.
READ MORE
BBC ALBA Hogmanay Ceilidh to broadcast live from Glasgow
BBC ALBA will bring together some of Gaelic music's biggest names as Cèilidh na Bliadhn' Ùire returns to Glasgow to celebrate Hogmanay and usher in 2026.
READ MORE
Cast Announced for Flora, a new musical coming to The Pavilion Theatre Glasgow
The full cast has been revealed for Flora which sees one of Scotland's most famous daughters, Flora MacDonald, take centre stage to tell her own tale!
READ MORE
Christmas in Edinburgh and Glasgow: Celebrate the festive season with Candlelight Concerts
Featuring classic Christmas carols, this live, multi-sensory musical experience will light up St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral and Merchants House and The Trades Hall for an unforgettable evening.
READ MORE
Innis & Gunn to open the biggest festive beer hall in Glasgow at Winter Wonderland on The Green
Glasgow is getting its largest-ever Christmas beer hall, and it’s all down to award-winning brewer Innis & Gunn.
READ MORE
Find a festive backdrop in Glasgow and the West
From frosty gardens to cosy tearooms, National Trust for Scotland places in Glasgow and the West are offering a host of winter experiences and special events this festive season.
READ MORE
Glaswegians invited to Panto Town as Glasgow 850 finishes with festive flourish
Glaswegians are being urged to embrace the unique spirit of the city's pantomimes with the launch of Get You in Panto Town!
READ MORE
Buchanan Galleries celebrates the season of giving with festive family fun
The magic of Christmas has arrived at Buchanan Galleries, with a heartwarming line-up of festive activities taking place throughout November and December.
READ MORE
Scottish Ballet creates a brand new wee version of the big ballet
Scottish Ballet's Wee Nutcracker is coming to Glasgow's Tramway this December. The beloved festive ballet, The Nutcracker, has been specially adapted for wee ones aged 5+ and their families!
READ MORE
The Wizard Wae The Big Bawz: New adult panto brings comedy to Scotland in January
January needn't be a drag as Scotland's brand-new adult panto, The Wizard Wae The Big Bawz, hits the road, arriving just when the country needs a burst of joy!
READ MORE
Matthew Kelly and George Costigan lead new production of Waiting for Godot at the Citz
Matthew Kelly and George Costigan star as Estragon and Vladimir in a new production of Waiting for Godot, co-produced with Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and Octagon Theatre Bolton.
READ MORE
Hoolie in the Hydro opens doors to young Gaels for Glasgow 850
More than 1,300 Glasgow schoolchildren are being given the opportunity to access live music as part of a special tie-up between Hoolie in the Hydro and Glasgow 850.
READ MORE
ASN sessions to be held at Winter Wonderland Glasgow Green
Dedicated ASN sessions are to be hosted at Glasgow's Winter Wonderland at Glasgow Green to enable families in need of support to have a festive day out.
READ MORE
77th Glasgow (Disabled) Scouts awarded with highest honour given to volunteer led groups
The 77th Glasgow (Disabled) Scouts has been recognised with The King's Award for Voluntary Service 2025, the highest honour for volunteer-led groups in the UK.
READ MORE
Topgolf celebrating 25 years of fun with a week of deals and prizes
Topgolf's journey started in Watford at the turn of the millennium and has since grown into a global enterprise with more than 100 venues worldwide.
READ MORE
The Doddie Weir match ball delivery is voted Greatest Murrayfield Moment
Doddie Weir’s emotional match ball delivery at Murrayfield in 2017 has been voted the greatest moment in the stadium’s 100-year history, after thousands of fans took part in a nationwide poll.
READ MORE
Glasgow Fort unwraps festive celebrations
Christmas magic is set to return to Glasgow Fort on Thursday 20th November as the centre unveils its seasonal line-up!
READ MORE
Global fashion brand Stradivarius opens first Glasgow store at Silverburn
Scotland's leading retail and leisure destination, Silverburn, opens Glasgow's first-ever Stradivarius store, further elevating its fashion offering.
READ MORE
Boney M ft Maizie and Newton Faulkner join Fun For Life Fest lineup
Boney M featuring Maizie Williams are set to co-headline the Fun For Life Fest on Saturday 16 May 2026, with Newton Faulkner also joining the line up.
READ MORE
Trafalgar Entertainment becomes official sponsor of Box Office Radio
Global live entertainment company – Trafalgar Entertainment – has become the official sponsor of Box Office Radio.
READ MORE
New book launches in Busby by local author, Marissa McCudden
Debut author, Marissa McCudden, has launched her new book, 'There's Lots of Different Types of Clever' with illustrator, Michael Spy on Amazon.
READ MORE
Much loved classic Scottish play, The Steamie, is set to return to venues in 2026
The Steamie has been scrubbed up ahead of making a return to theatres across the country next year as part of an exciting new chapter in its long-standing story in the theatre landscape.
READ MORE
Medea to tour Scotland in 2026
Bard in the Botanics will be launching their 25th Anniversary year with a Scotland-wide tour of their award-winning version of Medea, by Kathy McKean (after Euripides).
READ MORE
The Ivy Buchanan Street unveils festive set menu for 2025
From traditional Turkey Ballotine to a tangy Tamarind Beetroot & Endive Salad the festive set menu brings the best of festive flavours, reimagined by The Ivy across two or three courses.
READ MORE
Glasgow will shine bright this Christmas with a new city centre lighting trail
Glasgow's Christmas lights are a much-loved tradition, and this year they will shine brighter than ever with a brand-new Christmas lighting trail set to illuminate the city centre from 20 November!
READ MORE
KOCHCHI expands to Glasgow, bringing Sri Lankan heat to the West End
The West End will welcome KOCHCHI, the award-winning Sri Lankan street food brand, as it opens its first standalone restaurant in the former The Hanoi Bike Shop on Ruthven Lane.
READ MORESponsored Links
Sponsored Links