I am happy to announce the launch of my new website S. D. Samson Music which has been recently upgraded to showcase my music more effectively, writes Captain (ret’d) Stuart Samson MBE. This gives the buyer the ability to purchase my music books directly and receive them instantly.  Very importantly, there are recordings available within the website for all the tunes as written. It has been a number of years…

We are grateful to Alan Chatto, Australia, for forwarding this article from the ‘Piping, Drumming and Highland Dancing Journal’, the forerunner to the SPBA’s ‘Pipe Band’ Magazine. Many of those listed went on to become household names in the pipe band world: Alex Connell of Strathclyde Police, Betty Jeffrey, later wife of RG Hardie, Alick McCormick, Glasgow Police, Gordon Jelly, Billy Stevenson, Jock Kerr, Jim Hutton, Jimmy Catherwood…. THERE is…

By Robert Wallace There have been few upsides to the current pandemic but one has been the time it has afforded us to sort through ‘stuff’. Old photographs, cuttings choke the PP library. A solid sift last weekend yielded a note and snaps I received from the late Aladair Gillies in 1997 when he was installed at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. I had done an extensive interview with…

In 1953 it was decided that there should be a Coronation Highland Gathering to mark HM The Queen’s ascent to the throne. It was held at Ibrox Stadium on May 30th with 40 bands entering an ungraded contest. A special organising committee had been formed by the then Scottish Pipe Band Association and the competition rules they set raised more than a little debate and interest in piping circles. The…

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…