By Major D. M. Henderson, Women’s Royal Army Corps TA The following article is reprinted from British Army Review of 1988. We are grateful to Brigadier P. H. O’meara and to the author, Dr Diana Henderson, for permission to publish it here. Through an arched grey stone walkway of Edinburgh […]
• From the July 2008 Piping Times. Bruce Thomson, who died on January 13, was an extremely gifted composer of pipe tunes. Robert Mathieson was someone who admired Bruce’s composing skills and indeed became friends with him. Here, we reproduce an article from the Piping Times 12 years ago where […]
By David V. Kennedy In the last few years, pipers have recognised that the pitch of the chanter of the Scottish piob mhor has risen to approximately B flat from A natural. Chanter makers seem to have responded to a popular demand to make higher pitched canters – mostly from […]
By James E. Scott This strathspey takes its name from a song written by Robert Tannahill, the Paisley poet, who was born in 1774 and died in 1810. He wrote some fine songs, and it is a pity that we do not hear them sung today. He did not compose […]
Blue Bonnets to Amazing Grace – the origins of the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards By Andrew S. Gardiner During a televised programme of an Edinburgh Tattoo broadcast, there were occasional close-up shots of drummers in bearskins, overalls and spurs, highlighting the presence of the Royal […]
By Arvey R. McFarland Over the years, I’ve read commentary in the Piping Times regarding the fact that piping receives very little of the same respect and appreciation afforded to other forms of classical music. After attending professional competitions in Scotland and the US, and most recently, one held by […]
Pipers are often in the spotlight displaying their talent – and their expensive instruments. Our pipes are one of our most important assets so it makes sense that we look after them properly and make sure they are protected from thieves. Adequate insurance is a must. Those who are members […]
I’d like to explore the different approaches to learning ‘appropriate’ material when starting out on the road to achieving a better understanding of Piobaireachd, our classical music. Of course, it applies to light music as well. In any endeavour, anyone wishing to reach the heights (whatever level that may be […]
Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton are two of the most talented all-round musicians on the planet. To know that it was the bagpipes that brought them together makes what they do even more remarkable. They started their life-long musical journey as kids in the late Gordon Duncan’s Pitlochry-based Vale of […]
Dr. Angus MacDonald 2020 marks 200 years since Donald MacDonald produced his first volume of piobaireachd in staff notation. This is the oldest comprehensive written record of ceòl mòr by a piper. A pioneering work, he tackled the difficult problem of committing intricate piobaireachd embellishments to staff notation. He was […]
