Tag: John D Burgess

History of the Argyllshire Gathering part 39

History of the Argyllshire Gathering part 39

1974 BY JEANNIE CAMPBELL MBE This year there was a change in the rules for the major competitions. Competitors in the Open event at the Argyllshire Gathering and the Clasp at the Northern Meeting were required to submit six tunes from this list of twelve: Craigellachie, Lament for Colin Roy […]

The history of the Argyllshire Gathering, part 22

The history of the Argyllshire Gathering, part 22

1949-1950 By Jeannie Campbell MBE In 1949, competitors for the Open Piobaireachd had to offer four tunes, The End of the Great Bridge, Lament for MacDonald’s Tutor, Scarce of Fishing and The Vaunting. For the Gold Medal no tunes were listed but for the Northern Meeting Gold Medal the requirement […]

"… a re-tie of the bridle may solve a lot of problems for the piper."

Bridling the drone reeds

During the 1970s and 1980s, David V. Kennedy was a prolific contributor to the pages of both the Piping Times and The International Piper. His article here, on the subject of cane drone reeds, has been taken from the January 1980 edition of The International Piper. Clearly, if you play […]

‘Big Ronnie’ bridges the generations

‘Big Ronnie’ bridges the generations

Ronald Lawrie of Oban (1927-2008) wasn’t called ‘Big Ronnie’ for nothing. But his broad-shouldered, 6ft 5in frame and imposing, square-jawed presence were almost incidental to his considerable stature in piping — and an involvement that began with direct influences from the 19th century and continues into the 21st century. He […]