My book ‘A Boys’ Brigade Collection of Bagpipe Music’, published earlier this year, was dedicated to the memory of twins Dennis and Alan Finch. Dennis was good enough to write the Foreword for me but unfortunately did not live to see the book published. I regarded it an honour to have him involved since he hated to thrust himself forward, always thinking of others and the boys he served and…
I hope children who currently have to learn their piping using eletronic chanters won’t have to do so for too much longer. They have to press the fingers much too hard on the ‘holes’ and as we all know the lighter the grip the better. Learning pipes this way will be like learning piano on an electric keyboard; the sensitivity is all wrong. John MacDougall Gillies advocated treating the chanter…
November 14-15, 2020: The 14th Annual Balmoral Classic, featuring the US Junior Solo Piping & Drumming Championships, began on Saturday morning with piobaireachd contests streaming via YouTube starting at 8:30am EST. This was the first Balmoral Classic that was online, remote and virtual. Scheduling and logistics were intensive and very competently organized and executed by Sean Patrick Regan, Co-ordinator of Online Programs; Leslie Clark, Balmoral’s Associate Director; Elaine Lee, Marketing…
Further to our concluding episode on pipers and pipe music of WW1, leading piper, composer and adjudicator Bob Worrall of Ontario, Canada, has submitted a poignant retreat march in memory of his grandfather who died in the conflict. Bob writes: ‘My grandfather Albert James Worrall was killed at the Battle of Vimy Ridge on Easter Sunday, 1917. He was 29, leaving behind his wife and five young children. ‘About 3000…
Now to conclude this series, we will begin with more on Pipe Major William Lawrie, 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and other famous pipers. Willie Lawrie, a native of Ballachulish in Argyll, was a pupil of John MacColl, Oban, and won both Gold Medals at Oban and Inverness in 1910. Like MacColl, Willie was a gifted composer; his tunes include the competition 2/4s John MacDonald of Glencoe and John MacColl’s March…
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