Breton piper Youn Pensec has written from France: ‘I want your help for my search about an old piper. I have numbered old recordings on wide band tape made about 1960 by a lover of piobaireachd in my bagad (Auray).
‘The recordings were given to me by a friend with no name of the piper or the tunes. I have recognised Pass of Crieff, Patrig Og, Viscount of Dundee, Battle of the Birds.
‘Certainly it is an old 33rpm recording but I don’t found the answer in my personal or friends’ collection. One canntaireachd unknown.’
First recording is, as Youn says, the ground of the Battle of the Pass of Crieff, but cut slightly short:
Editor’s comment: Very well played on lovely mellow pipe. Cut down to low G made me think of Captain John MacLellan or Donald MacPherson. Clearly a top flight piper
Second recording is of the first line of Lament for the Viscount of Dundee:
Editor’s comment: Same mellow pipe; throw on D light – needs more C. ‘Chelalho’ run down much more open than we hear today but attractive for all that.
Third recording is of part of the ground of Patrick Og MacCrimmon’s Lament. The tape jumps in places:
Editor’s comment: Lower pitched pipe gives that sweet high G. Is this a different piper? The D throw is more grounded. Very well set out tune; clearly an expert piper; cannot be Donald MacPherson as he did not play the ‘F, doubling on E’ version of ‘chedari’.
Fourth recording is four minutes of the Desperate Battle of the Birds:
Editor’s comment: Again, expertly played. Can I hear bird’s tweeting dubbed on in the background. If so that could be the key to identifying the piper. Does anyone have this recording? At first the slight reverb reminded me of a recording of this tune played by P/M Donald MacLeod in Dunfermline Abbey.
Final excerpt is of someone singing ‘canntaireachd’:
Editor’s comment: An elderly gentleman but I found this unintelligible. The tape may have been reversed.
If anyone has anything they can add to the above please commit to our comments section below.
