Double Gold Medallist, Niall Matheson has composed another excellent piobaireachd, this time in tribute to the 51st Highland Division. The tune comes a few months after we aired his tribute to the late Alasdair Gillies, with whom Niall served in The Queen’s Own Highlanders.
Listen to Niall play the ground of his Salute to the 51st Highland Division here:
Here is the score of the full tune, courtesy of Niall:
Niall’s tribute comes one month after pipers around the world paid tribute to the Scots soldiers who were killed or captured during the disastrous surrender of the 51st at St Valéry-en-Caux, France on June 12, 1940. That tribute took place on the 75th anniversry of VE Day.
Among those taken prisoner at St Valèry were William MacDonald, (Inverness), ‘Big’ Donald MacLean, John Wilson (Edinburgh, later Toronto), Ian Lawrie (son of Willie Lawrie, Ballachulish), George MacIntyre and Pipe Major Donald MacLeod.
After various amalgamations, the 51st (Highland) Division disbanded in 1968.
Niall Matheson was born in Newtonmore and taught by by John MacDougall and Dr Kenneth MacKay. He now lives in Ross & Cromarty and teaches piping in its state schools.
Bradley Parker of Glasgow, Scotland won the overall C Grade category at the Competing Pipers’ Association’s (CPA) first online solo piping competition. The competition is the first of a series the CPA is holding online this summer.
Bradley won both the Ceòl Mòr and MSR events.
47 pipers from around the world took part.
Results:
Ceòl Mòr – 1. Bradley Parker; 2. Scott Armstrong, New Zealand; 3. Chris Gray, Scotland; 4. Luke Kennedy, Scotland; 5. Brodie Watson-Massey, Scotland.
Judges: Patricia Henderson and Bob Worrall.
MSR – 1. Bradley Parker; 2. Luke Kennedy; 3. Alex Gehrig, Switzerland; 4. Teddy Krogh, Alaska; 5. Andrew Hutton, Ontario.
Judges: Roddy MacLeod and Ronnie McShannon.
The CPA’s next online solo event is on August 1-2. This one is for B Grade members. A and P Grade competitions are planned for September
