A Tune from James Duncan Mackenzie/ Jimmy McIntosh Scholarship Details

We asked Lewis-based James Duncan Mackenzie if he would be prepared to play something from his new book for us.

We were delighted to receive the following video of James, an expert piper, playing the first tune in the book, the 2/4 march, Katie Mackenzie of Dingwall.

We hope you enjoy this exclusive for PP readers and thank you James and Katie:

The ‘James Duncan Mackenzie Collection’ features 52 pipe compositions. Many of his tunes have been played by other musicians and bands including Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band who included the tune Smelling Fresh in one of their World Championship winning medleys. 

James’s book is available here.

We are pleased to announce the creation of the Jimmy McIntosh Memorial Scholarship, writes Joyce McIntosh.

It was Jimmy’s wish to create an annual scholarship that would afford a promising U.S. piobaireachd player the opportunity to receive advanced tuition from some of his most accomplished pupils, those who have distinguished themselves over many years in the field of piobaireachd.

The scholarship committee has done its best to develop a program that would carry out Jimmy’s vision. We will begin accepting applications in December 2021, and the recipient will be chosen by early March 2022.

The scholarship recipient will begin his/her experience by spending a week at St. Thomas Episcopal School in Houston, TX, under the tutelage of Mike Cusack, Nick Hudson, and Andrew Carlisle.

After this introductory week, depending on the recipient’s geographic location, he/she will continue receiving instruction from any of these three, or from Amy Garson or Nancy Tunnicliffe for a further six months.

At the completion of this series of lessons, the student will attend a weekend workshop in Pittsburgh, together with other pipers. During that weekend, as a culminating activity, the scholarship recipient will perform several pieces he/she has learned during the intensive course.

Interested pipers can obtain more information and a link to the application by contacting the committee at jimmy.mc.scholarship@gmail.com