I have produced a new book of tunes, ‘Let Piping Flourish: A Musical History of Highland Piping in Glasgow’. It will be launched at Piping Live in August with pre-orders available from early May.
Nowhere has shaped modern Highland piping as profoundly as Glasgow (motto ‘Let Glasgow Flourish’). Given the city’s unique history – its cycles of economic expansion and migrations – it is no surprise that its impact on piping has been immense.
By John Mulhearn
With the sheer number of figures who have shaped the city’s piping tradition from the mid-19th century onward, we can find ample memorials that reveal the depth of its influence.
‘Let Piping Flourish: A Musical History of Highland Piping in Glasgow’ presents such a narrative. By identifying the major strands of the city’s piping tradition, it illustrates – through music and images – the role we all play in shaping a place’s heritage.
There are, of course, the legendary names, but just as crucial, for different reasons, are the lesser-known individuals whose influence, while not as widely felt, remain invaluable.
The legacy of Highland piping in Glasgow is not the work of a single generation or a handful of famous figures but a collective effort spanning nearly two centuries.
Tunes are more than melodies; they are also memorials, carrying echoes of the past and linking generations through a shared language and a collective memory. The shared identity that pipers enjoy is rooted in mutual acquaintances, common reference points and intuitive understandings.
Did a world without Maggie Cameron, the Atholl Highlanders, or Lament for the Children ever even exist? It’s hard to imagine. They feel as old as the hills. But they’re not. A world did exist before tunes like Pipe Major Willie Gray’s Farewell to the Glasgow Police.
This idea – that tunes are part of a common language and contribute to a collective memory – can inform the way we view tune books. In this light, they are not merely compilations but portals to another time, helping us understand the evolution of piping.
Taking this further, a collection of tunes can create a narrative, where the longstanding tradition of naming tunes after people, places, and events provides us with the memorials necessary to chart a story.
While practical limitations may shape the clarity and scale of that story, the possibility remains – given the right subject matter. For more information follow me on Facebook or Instagram.
