We are grateful to Jack Lee of British Columbia, Canada, for forwarding this historic recording of Pipe Major Donald MacLeod, writes the editor. It was made in Seattle, WA, in 1955 whilst Donald was on a tour of the western US and Canada.
At the time he was still a serving soldier based at Fort George near at Inverness. As can be heard in the introduction, the recital was impromptu, so much so that Donald did not have time to don his kilt.
This performance was given before the publication of any of Donald’s world beating collections of arrangements and compositions and we hear many of his ‘greatest hits’ played by the master before they were widely available to the public.
He begins with a Scott Skinner tune, the Cameron Quickstep, and strathspeys and reels. Here we get a foretaste of the inventive genius that he was about to spring on the piping world as he adapts and alters to entertaining effect, the reel Mrs MacLeod of Raasay.
There then follows a slow air with the characteristic sharp D of chanters of that era and then Bobby MacLeod’s 6/8 Murdo MacKenzie of Torridon. Braes of Locheil is next with the set of jigs including Donald’s own Hen’s March.
The music follows the introductions about half way through the first excerpt:
- More to follow from the maestro later.
