Lorient Festival Going Ahead this Weekend/ Piping Among the Bretons – A History, Part 3

The world’s biggest festival of Celtice music is about to get underway in Brittany, France, but in a much-diminished format. Scottish Organiser Tom Johnstone told Piping Press: ‘It is on but very much reduced. ‘For Scotland we have no pipers or pipe bands also no dancers. We had two folk bands at first and it was cut down to one but they have pulled out due to the self isolation…

Piping Among the Bretons – A History, Part 2

We continue with this article taken from a 1968 edition of the US-based magazine ‘Piping World’. Read the first part here… The post-war piping boom in Brittany, however, is almost beyond belief, and a leading part in the revival of active interest has been played by the same Highland bagpipe which some thought might ‘wipe out’ Breton piping in the region. The greatest advances have become apparent in the development…

John McLellan, Dunoon, Anniversary/ New John Dew Recording

Thanks for covering my Tribute website to P/M John McLellan DCM previously, writes Duncan MacGregor.As we are fast approaching two important dates on P/M McLellan’s calendar I thought I should let you know. July 31 [today] marks the 72nd year of Jock’s passing, and August 8, 2021, will be the anniversary of Jock’s birth in 1875. This picture of John McLellan DCM from the Anglo Boer War was only discovered…

Piping Among the Bretons – A History, Part 1

This article is taken from the March, 1968, edition of the US-based magazine ‘Piping World’. Though more than half a century has passed since its publication it will be particularly instructive to those readers who know little of the piping tradition in that part of the world. The peninsula which juts out some one hundred and eighty miles into the Atlantic from the northwest corner of France comprises the ancient…

Piper in the Cave of Melody With His Own Hebridean Overture on the Magical Isle of Staffa

The Island of Staffa lies to the west of Mull. It was once part of the Clan Macquarrie lands along with Ulva and a few other surrounding Islands. In 1772 a single family lived on Staffa trying to farm sheep, but due to winter storms and hard living they were not there for very long. The only structure to be seen today is the remains of a 19th century shelter…