It's almost time!

The World Pipe Band Championships are almost here. Bands from several continents are busy packing, prepping and praying for a command performance. Bands start arriving in the Glasgow area on August 9th, with the qualifying on Friday the 14th and the Championship round on Saturday.

For Bands on the European Continent, there is still time to play a few final contests to test their mettle. But for those that have to travel great distances, final practices and run through of their performance often waits until they arrive on Scottish soil.

The week before the contest begins, has bands from all over the world playing concerts and giving open air performances, constantly fine tuning their repertoire for the qualifying round on Friday the 14th.

This past weekend, the "Piping Times," a publication devoted to happenings in the bagpipe world, posted an excellent article which reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the major competitors in the upcoming Championship Contest. It's well worth the read!

In case you wondering what a winning Grade 1 performance sounds like, Here's SLOTs (Saint Lawrence O'Toole, Dublin Ireland) performance. Courtesy of  the EUSPBA & Drone Chorus.