Some information for Cailean Maclean, writes Iain Duncan. I’ve been mulling over the photo identified as ‘Robertson, Skye,’ and I’d say with confidence this photo is post WWI, perhaps late 1920s, and he’s a civilian band piper.
His Glengarry cap-badge and sporran top both carry the crest of a right (dexter) hand holding a sword which belongs to the House of Inverinate, the Clan MacRae, and therefore, definitely civilian.
Furthermore, the sporran, which has three tassels, is identical to those worn by the Clan MacRae Society (CMS) Pipe Band as is the plaid brooch and the blackcock feathers.
The epaulets and the badges either side of his tunic collar also match CMS PB. If one looks very carefully there is the top of a cross-belt crest badge just protruding from behind his medal apron; this final item clinches his band identity for me.
I’ve done a comparison against the 1932 photo used to head part three of my Clan MacRae Society article and the piper standing third from the bass drummer’s left looks a fair match [above]. Hope this is of some interest to Cailean.
Scots Guards KO
The winner of yesterday’s Scots Guards Knockout heat was Angus John MacColl (pictured at the event). Angus beat young Bobby Allan in a very tight contest (one estimate was by one point) before a large crowd in the Scots Guards Club, Haymarket, Edinburgh.
Heats to follow are:
26 November: Brodie Watson Massey v Angus MacPhee
28 January: Sandy Cameron v Christopher McLeish
25 February: Cameron May v Luke Kennedy
Start 4pm, £6 entry at the door, pies sold at half time.
Winter Storm
The organisers have issued the following information regarding next year’s competition weekend: The Pipes and Drums Event in Kansas City, to be held January 11 – 14, 2024. Go to www.winterstorm.net for registrations and information.
Online registration for workshops and competitions is live now. The piping and drumming workshop and master classes will be held Saturday and Sunday, January 13 & 14, 2024. The Winter Storm concert will be held in the Marriott Grand Ballroom on January 14, 2024 at 7pm. The free concert is not open to the public. With limited seating, the priority will be for workshop attendees, competitors and accompanists, and their families.
The Winter Steam Ceilidh will follow the concert at approximately 9pm. Saturday – The Pipes and Drums concert and will be live streamed; Thursday and Friday – many of the Amateur and Professional contests, and the awards ceremony, will be live streamed.
The 2024 contests include entry limitations for all contests, a $1500 travel prize for the aggregate winner of Gold Medal Piobaireachd and the Gold Medal Ceol Beag, and a single classes for amateur tenor drum and bass drum contests
Professional Ceol Beag piping will be held in two categories, Gold Medal and Silver Medal, and neither will have a playoff.All Amateur competitions are on January 11 and all Professional competitions on January 12. (Gold Medal Snare qualifier Thursday evening, January 11.
Awards ceremony at approximately 9pm on Friday, January 12 in the Marriott Grand Ballroom.
The Glasgow Collection of Bagpipe Music
Now in its fifth reprint, this book of ceol beag first appeared in 1986. Tunes are: Mrs John MacColl, James MacMillan of Victoria – British Columbia, William MacDonald – Benbecula, Men of Argyll, Detroit Highlanders, Dumgoyne, Peat Harvest, Captain Grant, Braemar ‘Wali’, A Parting Glass, Ancient Clan March, Kitty Lie Over, MacDonald of the Isles, Battle of Sheriffmuir, Wellfield, Dunaskin Glen,…