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 […]
Tag: Angus MacKay
The music of John MacCrimmon, part 3
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 […]
Stories of the Tunes – Beloved Scotland
By Dugald B. MacNeill Nearly 30 years ago I heard John MacFadyen play this tune on the wireless. I was on holiday near Taynuilt at the time and it was one of the piping broadcasts I have enjoyed most. The very few other pipers who played it then and some […]
Novel gives a new voice to Angus MacKay
One of the most eagerly awaited piping books in many years will be published this spring. I Piped, That She Might Dance is a novel based on the life of Angus MacKay, the man who became the most famous piper of his own lifetime and whose legacy continues to this […]
Let’s cut out the vitriol and join together to effect improvement
In 2000, as the new millennium dawned, William Donaldson published his controversial The Highland Pipe and Scottish Society 1750-1950. It was a landmark publication and it remains a masterly – and controversial – work. It should be part of any piper’s library. In his book, Donaldson takes a swipe at […]
Stories of the Tunes – Lament for Mary MacLeod
The year is around 1707. It is only a couple of years since the burial of Sir Norman MacLeod of Berneray, one of the most famous chiefs of the Berneray branch of the MacLeods of Harris. He was the third son of Sir Roderick XV of Harris and Dunvegan. Today, […]
Willie Donaldson: What are we waiting for?
There has been a call in recent years for change in the long-standing arrangements in the big piobaireachd competitions; that the Piobaireachd Society should stop naming its own settings as the preferred ones, or stop setting the annual tunes at all, allowing the performers free choice in which tunes they […]
Donald Lindsay / St Valery stats / Bagpipe.News feedback
Donald Lindsay, the inventor of 3D-printed smallpipes, whistles and practice chanters, will be the subject of an interview on BBC Scotland’s The Nine programme on Friday night. Donald, pictured, who is ensconced in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on Ascension Island, will be talking about his ‘print and play’ […]
Stories of the Tunes: The MacDonald’s Salute
The MacDonald’s Salute is one of three compositions relating to the reconciliation between the MacLeods of Dunvegan and the MacDonalds of Sleat, following a protracted period of conflict between the two. The other tunes are MacLeod’s Controversy and The MacLeod’s Salute. The tunes are attributed to MacLeod’s piper, Donald Mòr […]
Set Tunes analysis: Isabel MacKay
Today, we kick off yet another occasional series, this time on the tunes that are set regularly for the major solo piping competitions. The first tune to be discussed is Isabel MacKay. The tune was last set in 2016, although it is in the current CLASP list. Here to take […]