Paul Brown at Kingdom Thisle pipe band supplies in Fife sent the YouTube link below and this question: ‘I know this is a bit strange but we played a tune with Dysart and Dundonald a while ago and I’m trying to get the name of it. I think it’s one of Robert’s compositions. Do you think he could tell me the name of it?‘ The tune is the Isle of…

Here are some suggestions for those thinking about festive gifts for piping friends or family. First on offer we have the new bound volume of books from the Piobaireachd Society (pictured above). This book is considered a very significant achievements in 20th century piping bringing together into one volume 16 books and some 250+ tunes edited and published by the Society over more than 100 years. All of the ceol…

The music here is by the hand of the legendary John MacDougall Gillies and belonged to his pupil Robert Reid. Check out the full score below where you can just make out Reid’s signature bottom right ‘Property of Pipe Major Robert Reid’. All piobaireachd players will recognise the tune as MacFarlane’s Gathering or, as is given here, ‘Togail nam Bo’ (Taking of the Cattle’), rustling to Western fans. I read…

As the years roll on the value of the video interviews conducted by former Strathclyde Police piper Allan Hamilton under the banner of ‘Pipers’ Persuasion’, increase in value. Without them a large part of our piping and pipe band history would have been lost. Here Allan remembers the early days of the project and some of the stumbles on the way….. Pipers’ Persuasion made a great start in 2010 when…

All of the following interesting information is taken from the May 1936 edition of ‘Piping & Dancing’ magazine…… Advert for RG Lawrie: ‘Nothing less than the best is good enough if you would play on the Pipe. Lawrie Bagpipes are made by craftsmen whose life-work is to produce the best bagpipes on the market. These men have the assistance of all the aids that skill and science can devise…’ Lawrie…