The Lowland & Border Pipers’ Society (LBPS) holds its annual conference (‘collogue’) next month.
The conference is open to all. This year the society, founded in 1983, has another interesting day of presentations and music lined up. A central feature of the day is the centenary of the birth of Hamish Henderson, the Perthshire-born poet songwriter, communist, intellectual and soldier credited with being a catalyst for Scotland’s folk revival in the 1950s.
Along with Calum MacLean, Henderson co-founded the University of Edinburgh‘s School of Scottish Studies and it is fitting that the presentation is to be given by the LBPS’s Honorary President, Gary West, who has been a lecturer there since 1994.
In 1951, Hamish Henderson organised the Edinburgh People’s Festival Ceilidh, an event that put traditionally performed Scottish folk music on the public stage for the first time. John D. Burgess was on the bill.
Gary’s presentation includes group playing of some of his well known tunes.
The 2018 Inverness Gold Medal winner, Dr Peter McCalister, will be giving a talk how to control your nerves when performing in public, an important subject to most pipers not just amateurs. Peter’s first foray in piping as an adult was in the world of bellows piping before he returned to the highland pipe in the late 1990s.
Hamish Moore presents on a subject that is of interest to many amateur pipers – and possibly connected with Peter’s talk, that of tuning your pipes .
Nigel Gatherer and Allan Sturrock are the other two speakers and they will discuss session etiquette (playing with other instruments) and writing bagpipe music on your computer.
The conference takes places on November 16 in the Coachman Hotel in Kilsyth, near Cumbernauld.
The LBPS will hold its annual AGM in the middle of the day. A ceilidh later in the evening features the Scott Harvey trio interspersed with tunes and songs from anyone who wants to contribute.
Full details and booking information can be found HERE.
