New addition to the PP Audio Archive today with the playing of Donald MacPherson in the Former Winners’ MSR at the Argyllshire Gathering in the early 1970s.
Once more we are indebted to Breton piper Patrick Molard for sharing his archive with the rest of piping community worldwide.
The recordings were done on a reel-to-reel tape machine whilst Patrick stood at the side of the competition board. Donald’s playing is typical of his bright ceol beag performances, phrasing often different from the norm, but always managing to keep a steady tempo and rhythm.
The tunes are the Duchess of Edinburgh, Maggie Cameron and Major Manson. There is a gap in the recording towards the end of the march.
It is near impossible to judge the instrument but listeners can rest assured it would have been in formidable shape. Donald MacPherson never competed with anything less than a perfect bagpipe.
Check out this track here and also enjoy other fine performances of ceol mor and ceol beag all free of charge thanks to the generosity of the pipers featured, collectors such as Patrick and to readers’ support for our advertisers and the Piping Press Shop.
Hugh MacCallum has been in touch re the recent recording of his excellent playing we have posted on the PP Audio Archive: ‘Reference the recording of myself at Oban, I am sure it was not 1971 as the article states. I won in 1971 but with the tunes John MacFadyen of Melfort, Tulloch Castle and Alick C. MacGregor, so it must have been another year. I also won the year before (1970) but unfortunately I don’t have the tunes I played.’
Thanks for that Hugh. We have updated article. If anyone has the results from the early 1970s MSRs at Oban please pass on.