Category: History

In Search of Piping on the Beautiful Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides

Posted on      by      4 Comments

This past week saw me take a visit to the Inner Hebridean islands of Eigg and Muck with my bagpipe for company. Eigg is small but there is plenty of walking and quite a few historical places of interest to visit. It’s mainly a farming community with a few other enterprises which keep everyone employed. Once part of Clan Ranald lands, the island was the subject of a community buyout…

More In Search of Piping on the Beautiful Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides

New Victorian Era Trophy for Northern Meeting

Posted on      by      1 Comment

News from a very generous Piping Press reader……. My name is Robert Baker, I live in Maclean, New South Wales, Australia. In 2018 I acquired, from Colin Ross, Ontario, Canada, two antique snuff mulls, belonging to his ancestors. I have included pictures. I am a piper, as were my sister, father, great-grand father and great uncle (Murdo Mackenzie, Gold Medallist 1895). Much as I enjoy my mulls, I also felt…

More New Victorian Era Trophy for Northern Meeting

Editor’s Notebook: Pipes Difficulty/ Muirheads Articles/ Paddy Moloney/ Jim Murdock/ John MacLellan Recital

Posted on      by      1 Comment

In a recent poll covered in the national press the pipes came on top as the hardest instrument of all to play. The order given was 1 Bagpipes 2 Piccolo 3 French horn 4 Violin 5 Oboe 6 Flute 7 Cello 8 Accordion 9 Organ and 10 Drums. I’m not sure who conducted this survey or what the criteria were, but it seems spurious to me – no mention of…

More Editor’s Notebook: Pipes Difficulty/ Muirheads Articles/ Paddy Moloney/ Jim Murdock/ John MacLellan Recital

Memories of Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band and the Great P/M Robert G Hardie – Part 2

Posted on      by      10 Comments

As the competition season approached, practices became more frequent and intense.  The week before ‘The Worlds’ would involve several extra practices. I remember one night having just completed a gruelling MSR comprising a six part march, an eight part strathspey, and an eight part reel. Hardie made no comment but casually said, ‘We’ll try that again’!  By Gordon Ferguson Yes, these were solid practices and we were ‘match fit’ by…

More Memories of Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band and the Great P/M Robert G Hardie – Part 2

Memories of Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band and the Great P/M Robert G Hardie

Posted on      by      5 Comments

I have been asked by the Editor to reflect on my time playing with the Muirhead and Sons Pipe Band and in particular what it was like being led by the maestro that was P/M Robert G Hardie. Though I have lived in Queensland, Australia, for many years now, my time with the band when we won a civilian band record of five World Championship wins in a row 1965-69…

More Memories of Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band and the Great P/M Robert G Hardie