Six classic piping books were offered for sale today for by the Piping Press Shop. These have now sold within one hour of going on sale. The books, first lot, were the ‘Seaforth Highlanders Collection’, Seumas MacNeill’s ‘Tutor for Piobaireachd’ and Roderick Cannon’s ‘Highland Bagpipe and Its Music’. Revenue from these sales will help maintain Piping Press’s not for profit, subscription-free service.
The ‘Seaforth Collection’, currently retailing new at £25, was first issued in 1936 and contains over 250 tunes. The edition offered here was the 1998 reprint. What makes the Seaforth Collection so outstanding is the quality of the settings. No superfluous gracenotes, just good traditional and regimental tunes easily assimilated by every competent piper.
Seumas MacNeill’s ‘Tutor for Piobaireachd’ was first published in 1990 and was the first modern tutor for this music. Tunes covered are the Company’s Lament, Mackintosh’s Banner, Glengarry’s Lament and Lament for Alasdair Dearg MacDonnell of Glengarry.
Dr Roderick Cannon’s ‘Highland Bagpipe and Its Music’ was first published in 1995 and is a very well-written account of the instrument, its history and the nature of its music. Dr Cannon was a bagpipe music scholar of considerable renown and for 30 years a mainstay of the Piobaireachd Society’s Music Committee. This book is essential reading for every young piper.
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The second lot we had for sale is now sold too. The books were ‘P/M Angus MacDonald’s Bk 2’, currently out of print, the ‘Seumas MacNeill Collection’ and ‘Masters of Piping’ also by Seumas MacNeill.
P/M Angus’s book (1995) is a formidable collection of tunes by the late, great, pipe major (pictured top). Stand outs are Allan MacDonald’s Dr Flora MacAuley, Carradale, Alan MacPherson of Mosspark, P/M Joe Wilson, P/M Angus MacDonald, another great tune by Allan MacDonald, the piobaireachd Lament for Alan, My Son, the airs Mull of the Mountains, Highland Cathedral, Peter MacLeod’s celebrated march, the Rhodesian Regiment and many, many more.
‘Seumas MacNeill’s Collection’, was offered in its original edition, was first published in 1960 and also contains some outstanding music: Major Byng M. Wright and Jeannie Carruthers by John MacColl, David Ross of Rosehall by Seumas’s teacher Archie MacNeill, the Back of the Moon by Archie Kenneth, Echoes of Oban by Donald MacPherson, Jim Tweedie’s Sea Legs by New Zealander J Allan MacGee to name a few.
The third book in this lot was ‘Masters of Piping’ by Seumas MacNeill and edited by Robert Wallace. Published in 2008, its 220 pages explore the lives of some of the great names of piping of the past: Calum ‘Piobair’ Macpherson, John MacLellan, Dunoon, Donald Cameron and Willie Ross are four. A very valuable book for those interested in piping history.
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