The Historical Newsletters page has been updated with the release of archival B.C. Pipers’ Newsletters from 1974.
Besides the regular news of competitions and results, BCPA Life Member Bill Elder has compiled the following interesting news of that year:
- Search is on for new Editors
- Iain MacFadyen to judge Annual Gathering
- Results of the 42nd Annual Gathering. Based on the results, Terry Lee and Steve Geddes become BC’s amateur and professional piping representatives to the 1st Canadian Inter-Provincial Championships held at the City of Ottawa Highland Games in June
- Triumph Street PB captures the Annual Gathering band contest, placing ahead of the City of Port Moody and City of Victoria PBs for the first time
- World Pipe Band Champion Pipe Majors Bob Hardie, Iain McLeod, and John Weatherston watch the band contest at the Annual Gathering
- The Empress Scottish Gathering at the Empress Hotel in Victoria determine BC’s amateur and professional snare drumming (Murray Munro and John Fisher), pipe band (Grade 1: City of Victoria, Grade 2: Vancouver Ladies), and highland dancing representatives to the Canadian Inter-Provincial Championships
- City of Victoria PB places 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Grade 1 Inter-Provincial and Open events, Vancouver Ladies PB places 2nd in the Grade 2 Interprovincial event, Terry Lee wins an open amateur event, and Murray Munro and John Fisher win the open amateur and professional drumming events respectively at the 1st Canadian Inter-Provincial Championships
- Jim Barrie moves to Vancouver from New Zealand
- Articles on the Lake Sequoia Piping School (with Seumas MacNeill) and Glentruim School of Piping in Nelson (with PM Donald MacLeod)
- City of Victoria PB wins the trio Knock-out competition over the Vancouver Police PB
- Editorials on Massed Bands, Western Pipe Band Association, A New Hall and Highland Games
- James McColl wins the Spokane Piobaireachd Society Banner of the Mountains at Coeur d’ Alene and places 4th in the Gold Medal at the Northern Meetings
- Significant presence of Portland area bands (Blue Heron Bay, Portland Ladies, Portland Grays) at competitions across the region
- Hal Senyk and Jim McMillan form the Vancouver Piobaireachd Club
- Historical and Traditional Notes on Piobaireached: My King has Landed in Moidart, Lament for the Union.
- Results of the Northern Meeting. Bill Livingstone’s 2nd place in the Gold Medal revoked when a recording reveals he made a “serious error” in his tune. He goes on to win the March, Strathspey & Reel, and Jig events
- Starting with the 1974/75 season, the Friday night Bi-Monthly amateur piping competitions at the Seaforth Armoury were replaced with the Saturday “Mini-Gatherings” at the Scottish Auditorium, in early November and early February. All grades, except for Novice, played two events at each Mini-Gathering
- J.T. McHardy’s Scottish Supplies in downtown Vancouver, the top piping and drumming supplies store for many decades, winds down the business with the retirement of its founder John T. McHardy
- Top Pipers Slam “Tape Scandal” at the 1974 Northern Meeting Gold Medal
- Several responses to the “Tape Scandal”
- Reports on the Vancouver Island Pipers Club meetings
- Article on Bands in Eastern Canada by Ian Whitelaw, who moved from Ontario in the fall to play with the Triumph Street PB
