Piping historian, Jeannie Campbell MBE says she has been ‘overwhelmed’ with the reaction so far to her new book, Pipe Bands.
The former curator of the Museum of Piping at the College of Piping published her massive reference book last week and says she has already sold half of the initial print run.
“I’ve been quite taken aback by the demand,” she said. “It got quite overwhelming last week. I’m fulfilling orders every day and becoming an extremely familiar face at the courier drop off place and at my local Post Office! You can imagine the reaction when the staff see me coming through their doors laden with packages every day! I was a bit worried that overseas postal costs would put some people off but it doesn’t seem to.”
Jeannie told us she has also received many positive comments from readers around the world. “Over the years many people have contacted me to tell me they’ve used my articles and books in their own researches and in PhD projects. That’s flattering.
“With Pipe Bands, it’s only been out for two weeks and I’ve already been contacted by an American reader asking me for permission to use extracts for his PhD.”
We asked Jeannie if she had ever considered submitting her research towards a PhD of her own but she reminded us that she wouldn’t be able to do this as she has never attended a university.
Jeannie is also the author of Highland Pipe Makers, More Highland Pipe Makers, and Pipers and Pipe Music of WW1.
• In the Queen’s Honours List in 2015, Jeannie Campbell was awarded the MBE for Services to Piping. She was a founder member of the Lowland & Border Pipers’ Society, an ex-president of the Scottish Pipers’ Association, and is a long-time member of the Piobaireachd Society. Despite never attending university, it remains a glaring omission that Scotland’s academic world has not as yet recognised her contribution to research and history in this important aspect of the country’s culture. Her lengthy history of the Argyllshire Gathering is currently being serialised on Bagpipe.News.
* Pipe Bands is available directly from the author or from The Bagpipe Shop.
Roddy MacLeod MBE’s recital due to take place last night on Lewis has been postponed.
Roddy’s recital – for the Lewis & Harris Piping Society – has been rescheduled for Friday, November 19 and will be held in the Kinloch Community Hub, Old Balallan School. His recital will be a showcase of the music of Pipe Major Alex M Maciver.
Both pipers have strong family connections to the district of Lochs and to Laxay and Balallan in particular. Roddy’’s paternal grandmother was from Balallan and his paternal grandfather was from Laxay. Alex Maciver’s father was from Laxay and his mother was from Achmore.
Bagpipe.News understands that a woman who lives in the village where the recital will take place is in the last moments of terminal cancer. Tradition dictates that there are no social events when there is a death in the village.
