Tag: John MacKay

The Piper’s House on Raasay: Taigh a’ Phìobaire 

The Piper’s House on Raasay: Taigh a’ Phìobaire 

PART ONE • By HUGH CHEAPE and DECKER FORREST • Piping Today 2010 Most players of the Great Highland Bagpipe will come to recognise a significant list of place names that are associated, in one way or other, with pipe music. Names such as Anapool, Borreraig, Gairloch, Chillicassie, Kilberry and […]

Angus MacKay on trousers, life and God

Angus MacKay on trousers, life and God

GREY’S NOTES by Michael Grey Piping Today #68, 2014. 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 […]

Boswell, left and Johnson.

Johnson and Boswell

By Seumas MacNeill From August to November 1773 Dr. Samuel Johnson and his disciple, Mr James Boswell, made a tour in Scotland, most of it in the Western Islands. Iain Dubh MacCrimmon was 42 years of age and living in Skye but the two travellers did not meet him. Donald […]

The works of Angus MacKay (Raasay) – Part 1

The works of Angus MacKay (Raasay) – Part 1

The literature of the Highland bagpipe The works of Angus MacKay (Raasay) – Part 1(Introduction) By Captain John A. MacLellan Angus Mackay of Raasay has been described by the late Archibald Campbell of Kilberry as one of the two most important pipers in 19th century piping. I would go further […]

Changing styles in pibroch playing – part 1

Changing styles in pibroch playing – part 1

With most of us self-isolating during these uncertain times, there is, perhaps inevitably, a dearth of news to report. However, we at Bagpipe.news will continue to use this time to bring you great articles from our archives. Today’s piece was written by Dr Peter Cooke and published in The International […]

Piobaireachd Society Secretary, Bill Wotherspoon plays at the grave of one of piping's great figures of the past, Major General C. S. Thomason. 2011 was the centenary of his death.

The Piobaireachd Society salutes its first president, General Thomason

By John KS Frater Major General Charles Simeon Thomason, one of the leading figures of the great Highland bagpipe, died on July 12, 1911. The first President of the Piobaireachd Society (PS), he had become quite an obscure figure until fellow Sapper and piper, Brian MacKenzie brought him to life […]

The John MacKay manuscript, pt. 1

The John MacKay manuscript, pt. 1

• From the May 1997 Piping Times. By Captain John A. MacLellan Some time ago the late Captain John A. MacLellan made a study of the John MacKay Manuscript and gave his findings in a paper to the Piobaireachd Society Conference. We are pleased to publish this important study. We […]