Willie McCallum is the special guest on this week’s episode of The Piping Show. John Mulhearn interviews Willie and asks for his thoughts on the big competitions in Oban, Inverness and at Blair Castle. Willie talks about his family connections with these competitions, what they mean to him, what motivates […]
By TABBY ANGIER, September 19, 2022. The recent death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has reminded the entire world of the importance and significance of the lament, played on the Great Highland Bagpipe, at funerals, memorial services and commemorative events. Nothing else provides quite the same dignity, poignancy and reverence […]
PART 1 by JEANNIE CAMPBELL MBE The stories of Queen Victoria’s pipers are well known and there is no need to repeat them here, but there were several more pipers, perhaps less well known, who were employed by other members of Queen Victoria’s family. The young queen’s visit to Taymouth […]
In the spring 2000 edition of The Voice, Dr. John A. MacAskill conducted an interview with James Campbell, the son Archibald Campbell of Kilberry. When MacAskill asked him what he considered to be his greatest legacy, Campbell replied: “… I have taken pride in my contribution in the Piping Times […]
GREY’S NOTES by Michael Grey Piping Today #68, 2013. Angus Mackay. He’ll be known, at least by name, to many of you. Born on September 10, 1813 — under the astrological sign of Virgo — on Raasay, an island off the north-west coast of Scotland, he was to become one […]
I’ve long thought that Angus MacKay’s life would make for a great film. It has it all: sex, drugs (well, alcohol), rock n’ roll and a young death. Angus went from a childhood of poverty to an adolescence spent frequenting palaces and hobnobbing with the great and good of his […]
By Jeannie Campbell MBE In 1848, a new society was formed in London and several papers reported on the founding: “Within the last few months a new society has been formed in London; not strictly for Scotchmen, but of the friends and admirers of Scotland. The new society takes the […]
Renowned uilleann piper, Jarlath Henderson, is holding a master class for uilleann pipers this weekend in Scotland to mark the tenth International Uilleann Piping Day. The event will take place this Saturday (6th) from 1.00pm-9.00pm at the National Piping Centre Otago Street, the former College of Piping building in Glasgow’s […]
An Australian descendant of the 19th century piping genius, Angus MacKay is to donate a family portrait to the Museum of Piping at the National Piping Centre. The portrait, pictured below, appears to be an early photograph of Angus’ wife Mary (née Russell) and their son, John. It has been […]
By Roderick D. Cannon When attempting to compare Gesto’s canntaireachd staff notation we have some helpful resources which we can call upon. There are some other written records of canntaireachd, especially one compiled by Angus MacKay consisting of short quotations of tunes. They are quite possibly from Angus’s father, but […]
