Brìghde Chaimbeul Recital/ Roderick Cannon’s Funeral/ CNE Tattoo

brighdeA good crowd of 60 or so gathered at St Mary’s Church in Haddington last Sunday to hear 17-year-old Brìghde Chaimbeul from Skye give a very well-received piping recital.

Brìghde played a wide-ranging set of tunes on both the Highland pipes and smallpipes. She began  with a selection of 6/8 marches, including MacLeod of Mull and MacNeill of Ugadale. She then played some hornpipes and jigs and continued with the MSR, Braes of Castle Grant, MacBeth’s Strathspey and the Sheepwife before playing the piobaireachd, MacDougall’s Gathering.

Brìghde then played Scottish and Galician tunes on the smallpipes before finishing her set with some Gaelic Airs and a traditional set including the jig Three Wise Men Beyond the Glen.

St Mary’s Church Haddington is a beautiful venue for piping with great acoustics for this well-attended event and the good folk of the kirk are to be congratulated for organising the recital for this young piper. Here is a short sample of her playing:


[wds id=”13″]


roddy-cannonRoddy Livingstone: The funeral of the late Professor Roderick Cannon was held on Monday 6th July at Christ Church, Eaton, Norwich, where he and his family had been active members of the congregation for many years. A large number of family and friends, from all areas of Roddy’s full and interesting life, gathered to say farewell. Fittingly, the minister officiating was a close friend and neighbour of Roderick and Elizabeth.  His personal reminisces added a unique and sometimes humorous insight.  The anthem ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’, from Bach’s Mass in B minor, was performed by the church choir of which Roderick had been a keen member.  In recent years he had spent time researching the history of liturgical hymns and psalms and their similarities to some aspects of pipe music. The commendation and blessing were followed by the ground and variation one of the Lament for Mary MacLeod performed by Dr. Decker Forrest.
Following the church service all were invited to a reception at the University of East Anglia’s Sainsbury Centre for visual arts, during which a number of short tributes were made covering the many and varied parts of Roderick’s life.  Although many of us knew him through his interest in piping, his brilliance as an academic chemist was also a huge part of his life.  Above all, it was his total commitment as a loving husband, father and grandfather; loyal friend, and respected colleague which was celebrated in everyone’s memories.

I knew that Roderick and Elizabeth had for many years actively and practically supported the charity ‘Age Concern’.  However, only a few days ago I was made aware that Roderick regularly visited the elderly in the ‘lifers’ unit of Norwich Prison.  A report in the charities newsletter regarding this quietly conducted act of service stated ‘He gave his time and compassion – never asking why these lonely men were there, just accepting them as they are. He brought humour and friendship’.  A most fitting tribute to Roderick Cannon.



A new letter on the Canadian National Exhibition Tattoo/ Intercontinental Pipe Band Championships today. These were great days in the 70s when bands from Scotland and Ireland had a chance to meet their North American counterparts on their home soil. Great friendships were made, great Canadian Pipe Majors such as Ken Eller, Ed Neigh and Gordy Tuck became household names this side of the Atlantic,  and the pipe band world was bound together like never before – all thanks to the men behind the CNE Tattoo.


[wds id=”15″]