Editor’s Notebook: William Fraser & Bob Brown/ Desperate Battle Event/ Newtonards Contest/ Weekend Solos

I discovered this old picture in a rummage through the PP library. It is of one William Fraser the man who started Bob Brown on the chanter. Little did he know the favour he was doing piping.

Brown went on to have further lessons from P/M George Allan [he of the Donald MacLeod hornpipe] and then John MacDonald, Inverness, and the rest you know, or should know. Jimmy McIntosh’s excellent book (get it here) has the following: ‘RU Brown was born in 1906 at Strachan on lower Deeside.

‘His father was head gamekeeper on the Blackhall Castle Estate. He started piping instruction aged 10 with William Fraser, a pupil of GS McLennan. He was first taught piobaireachd by George Allan who took him to Oban in 1926 where he won the junior piobaireachd.

‘That same year he entered the Royal Service and moved to Balmoral joining Nicol [Bob] in the bothy at Invergelder near Balmoral Castle…. he had won the Gold Medal at Inverness in 1928 and at Oban in 1931…At the outbreak of the Second World War Brown was pipe major of 5/7th Gordon Highlanders.

‘Nicol was his pipe sergeant and James [Jimmy] McGregor his pipe corporal. He [Brown] saw action at El Alamein in 1942…after the war he won the Clasp on two occasions, 1947 and 1951…he retired in 1971 and the following year, at the premature age of 66, died suddenly a few days after returning home from a teaching visit to Australia and New Zealand

‘Tragically, the cause of death was almost certainly pulmonary embolism, a known hazard of long distance flights.’

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Desperate Battle
On August 12 at 8.30pm Scottish folklorist James MacDonald Reid and piper Cameron May present a Gaelic folktale blending traditional narration with the piobaireachd, the Desperate Battle of the Birds.

The blurb: ‘A story originally learned in his youth, James shares it as he heard it in the traditional manner, while Cameron responds by playing the classical bagpipe piece of the same title. An exciting blend of ancient oral lore and music! Performed in English, with Gaelic throughout.’

James says, ‘I did a similar rendition of this epic folktale last autumn using an electronic cellist. But he has had to go to Australia to work and therefore I recruited Cammy May to play the piobaireachd on the pipes.

‘I used to play it myself as well as reciting the story, but peripheral neuropathy has diminished my dexterity (specifically the feeling in my fingers, rather than the movement) and so I tend to miss the chanter holes now. 

‘I have done this sort of presentation with many such pipe tunes where they are related to classic Gaelic folktales that I heard in my childhood. When these pieces were composed and played within the community, everyone would be familiar with the tale and make the association. Unfortunately, these tales have become largely forgotten even among Highland folk.’

The concert is part of the Edinburgh Fringe. Tickets here.

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Ards & North Down Bands
The Ards & North Down Pipe Band Championships are tomorrow, July 19, at Regent House Playing Fields, Newtonards. The Chieftain is Councillor Vicky Moore, Deputy Mayor of Ards and North Down.

Andrew Graham, Chairman of the RSPBA Northern Ireland Branch said: ‘We are very much looking forward to a return to Newtownards for this year’s Championships. The kind support of Ards and North Down Borough Council is much appreciated.’

Free parking will be available on a first come, first served basis at the grounds of Regent House School located on Circular Road, Newtownards BT23 4QA. All event information is available here.

A small parade, with local bands Kirkistown and Cleland Memorial together with Down Academy Pipes & Drums from Ballynahinch, is scheduled for 2:30pm.

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Weekend Solos
There are games at North Uist today (July 18) at Baile Loin, senior and juniors, entries on field; Taynuilt tomorrow (July 19), seniors and juniors entries on field till 10am; Tomintoul, also tomorrow same categories, 1pm start; Stonehaven, Sunday 20th, on field, seniors and juniors from 12.15; and an indoor piping event at Helensburgh’s Victoria Halls also on Sunday.

Next week we have Inveraray on Tuesday 22nd (leave plenty of time for roadworks at the Rest and be Thankful) and on Wednesday, South Uist Games. The following day, Thursday 24th, there is the Young Piper of the Year at Benbecula and the games at Tobermory on Mull (check the ferries before travelling).

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