By Tabby Angier
Andy Venters, who died recently at the age of 90, will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Many years ago, when I first moved to Glenurquhart, and knew no one, Andy patiently helped me with my piping. He invited me to come up to Cameron Barracks, and play in the famous piping room. An honour, I felt.
His kindness will be fondly remembered by all his pupils. His attitude to teaching was in the tradition of the best of the Army Pipe Majors.
Years later, I returned to Cameron Barracks to interview him for an article I wrote which appeared in the Piping Times, under the banner of ‘Famous Pipers’.
Andy, a great Army Pipe Major, a great teacher, composer, friend and a true Gentleman. R.I.P.
Famous Pipers: Pipe Major Andrew A. Venters
By Tabby Angier, Piping Times, May 2018
Pipe Major Andy Venters was born in Granton near Edinburgh. His father was a box player and all the family loved music. Andy joined the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders in 1953 and served for three years, serving in Austria, Germany and Korea. He re-enlisted in 1960 and served in Edinburgh and Liverpool. He then returned to Edinburgh to attend the Pipe Major’s course at Edinburgh Castle and on completion returned to the amalgamated battalion, the Queen’s Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons).
The regiment was stationed initially in Singapore before it returned to Edinburgh. Andy was posted to Harrogate Army Apprentice’s College as Pipe Major. The students there were studying to become the future Senior ranks of the Royal Signals and learning to play the Great Highland Bagpipe was one of the activities they could take part in. After a year, Andy returned to the regiment where he became the Pipe Major of the Queen’s Own Highlanders.
The regiment was then posted to Sharhja in the Persian Gulf for nine months in the desert. It wasn’t a very pleasant place, Andy tells me but the Pipes and Drums were very fortunate to have a short tour of Tehran and Tokyo. The regiment was then posted to Germany and eventually Andy was posted back to Cameron Barracks, where he completed his time with the regiment. He was asked to stay on for another three years to recruit good, young pipers to the regiment, such as Alasdair Gillies and Callum McKenzie.
Most pipers know that Andy is a fine composer and that he has composed many tunes. His own favourite is the 6/8 march General Hunt’s Welcome to the Queen’s Own Highlanders, a tune I remember hearing Strathclyde Police playing. During his time teaching in the schools Andy was in an ideal position to spot talented youngsters and his Black Isle Junior Pipe Band was admired greatly. He is a great teacher and a piping judge of the highest standard of integrity and fairness. His dignified bearing and discipline has been an invaluable influence on his many pupils.
Andy is now in his 80s. He and wife Sheila recently returned to Edinburgh to live.
A note from Tabby about the tune below Adam S. Mckenzie: “Adam is now 97 years old and has been a very dear friend of mine for many years. He was instrumental in establishing the Scottish Korean War Memorial at Witchcraig Wood, West Lothian. It commemorates ALL the Fallen of the Korean War. 1950-53.”
