Colin Melville of Munlochy on the Black Isle, Scotland, is the winner of the 40th anniversary composing competition launched recently by the Lowland & Border Pipers’ Society (LBPS). There were 21 composition entries submitted for the competition.
Colin’s tune will be entitled The Lowland & Border Pipers’ Society. He wins £400 in cash in addition to a full run of the LBPS’ music collections and CDs. Colin (pictured), who used to play with The Tannahill Weavers for over a decade, said: “I am absolutely delighted. I’d had fragments of the melody in the back of mind for a few years and the first part came quite quickly.”
LBPS Convenor, Stuart Letford, said: “The committee had thought that, with many other piping organisations having tunes named for them, it was time the LBPS had one, particularly in this its 40th year.
“Colin’s tune fits the remit we asked composers to take into consideration and the judges agreed that his tune was the clear winner. Indeed, I understand both had it as their respective top choices before comparing notes. We look forward as an organisation to playing this tune whenever we meet. It is a lovely tune. Our thanks go to all who entered.”
Judges, Gary West and John Purser, said: “We feel that Colin’s entry is a splendid tune which has every chance of becoming a standard within the Lowland and Border bellows pipes repertoire.
“Like all the best tunes, it is not overly complex, and every phrase does its job very well. It is the kind of tune that all levels of player should be able to play, and to learn without too much difficulty. We can certainly imagine it becoming something of a theme tune at LPBS gatherings, and indeed well beyond our immediate community, too.”
•Listen to Colin’s tune – The Lowland & Border Pipers’ Society
The LBPS will continue to mark its 40th year this year by staging two shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in addition to its usual night at Piping Live! Bagpipe.news thanks the LBPS for allowing us to publish Colin’s winning tune, below:
