One of the pleasant things about doing overseas piping trips is getting to to know your teaching colleagues better. Brian Lamond has been with us this week at the Northern Winter School in Germany.
On a quiet evening I was able to ask him about his early career and how he ended up with lessons from Captain John MacLellan. Brian had been started on the chanter by a local man, Bob Crawford, who lived a few doors down from him in Inverkeithing in Fife and who played with the town’s band. (Clearly an expert tutor as Brian’s perfect technique continues to show all these decades later.)
Brian duly joined the band and was taken under the wing of P/M Jock Innes who gave him all his early light music. The band travelled to Nottingham for the Worlds in 1979, Brian aged 11.
In a break in proceedings he warmed up behind the band bus playing the Mason’s Apron. An older gentleman walked past him, then ten yards on stopped and came back to listen. He asked Brian where had he got the tune and was it ‘from Mr Burgess’. A few words of encouragement and on he walked.
Being very young, Brian had no idea who his conversation had been with and thought no more about it until members of the band who had been witnessing the meeting revealed that his interlocutor had been none other than Captain John, now retired from his post as Director of Army Bagpipe Music and on duty at Nottingham as a pipe band judge.
Brian believes that another band member Andy Hunter, the well known singer and folklorist, may have followed up on the meeting – a meeting that resulted in Brian being taken by his father to Capt. John’s house in Dean Park Crescent, Edinburgh, for an audition.
Brian played Bonnie Anne, the Shepherd’s Crook and Thomson’s Dirk and Captain John agreed to take him on and did he want to come once a week or once a fortnight. ‘Once a week,’ said Lamond senior and so began eight years of lessons that made Brian the outstanding player and source of knowledge that he is today.
Iain Dall MacKay
Geoff Bardsley reports: Sunday 18th October brought exceptional sunshine with cool, dry and wind-free weather to Gairloch – perfect for pipes and the celebration of the life of Iain Dall MacKay, the Blind Piper of Gairloch. This event was planned as a trial run to assess the viability of reviving the annual celebration of the famous piper.
Twenty-two people gathered at the Flowerdale Glen car park to walk to MacKay’s memorial cairn, led along the muddy track by pipers Sandy Boyd and myself.
At the cairn, a summary of MacKay’s colourful life was spoken by Sandy. A tribute and a toast were made to local writer Ian Blake who died in 2025. Ian had organised the MacKay commemorations and piping competitions for several years. Marianne Kenley read one of his poignant poems in honour of MacKay.
I then played the piobaireachd Glengarry’s Lament in recognition of Iain Dall’s foundational contribution to the music. After two tunes of light music, all returned to the car park for a final tune before finishing with warming refreshments at the Gairloch Boat Club.
The attendance of 22 people shows a clear and high level of local interest. The consensus of opinion of everyone present was that this year’s celebration had been very successful and worth repeating in the future.
Support and strong interest in the event has been expressed by Gairloch Museum. Support from Alastair Pearson of the Old Inn, Gairloch Boat Club and Gairloch Estate were gratefully acknowledged. Further information from geoff.bardsley@icloud.com
NZ Bands
Liam Kernaghan has been re-elected unopposed President of the Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands’ Association, and Stuart McHale re-elected as a Board Member unopposed.
The NZ Management Board is made up of a President – elected annually – and two Board Members who are elected biennially on rotation. The Board for 2027 will be Liam Kernaghan, Stuart McHale and Peter Duncan.
‘It is a huge honour for me to continue to serve our pipe band community down under,’ Mr Kernaghan said. ‘The three of us continue to share the same aspiration – to see piping, drumming and pipe bands thrive in New Zealand.
‘Our top priority is education through our National Youth Pipe Band of New Zealand, or our annual Summer School, right through to the grassroots levels supporting bands with mentor programmes, teaching resources and financial support.
‘Given our geographic spread, that looks a little bit different to some other jurisdictions, but we’re excited about announcing new and innovative ways to bring piping and drumming to the people in 2027,’ Mr Kernaghan said.
The Royal New Zealand Pipe Bands’ Association will celebrate its centenary in 2028. Mr Kernaghan: ‘It will be a big moment for the Association that for almost 100 years has seen and helped the pipe band community evolve into one of the pipe band world’s most attractive places to visit, to participate in our activities and – for some – to make their home.
‘The 2028 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships will be held in Christchurch on March 17 & 18 2028, making it an easy destination for international bands to come and take on the best across Australasia and the South Pacific.’
Glass Chanter
Jean Cameron writes: ‘I wonder, can anyone throw light on when the Glass Chanter competition started and by whom? I think it was in the 1980s. Over the years there have been several and at one stage it was referred to as the Achergil Glass Chanter.’ Contact Jean on: wcameron883@btinternet.com
