Bagpipe News

I got thinking about the importing of Highland culture into the Lowlands and Ulster, which then got me thinking about bagpipes. Pipe bands are generally believed to have emerged from British Army regiments in the late 1800s and early 1900s. However maybe the origins of bagpipes in Ulster are in fact more authentic, as the following excerpt from The Montgomery Manuscripts might suggest.

Bloggin fae the ‘Burn: Bagpipes in Ulster.

As many of the earlier visitors were walking in, a group called the Stonehenge Druids formed a procession and was playing bagpipes. Although I entered the site about the same time as the Druids, the physical exertion of producing music from the bagpipes meant they were walking much slower. The bagpipe players had some of the best cloaks at the celebration.

Surfing the Luminiferous Ether » Blog Archive » The 2008 Summer Solstice at Stonehenge

The Swedish bagpipe is called a säkpipa. Medieval paintings show the instrument was widely known all over Sweden. The tradition gradually died out, except in one area of Dalarna. The instrument was revived and reconstructed based on old instruments found in museums. Today, there are at least two folk groups who make use of the unique, soft sound of the Swedish bagpipes.

Swedish bagpipes | citizencorps-escambia.info

Other highlighted public events include a Saturday seminar at the Cantor Arts Center called “Understanding Buddhist Art,” which includes a lecture, discussion and gallery tour. “The Other Bagpipes: Exotic and Lesser-Known Piping Traditions of the World” introduces listeners to the bagpipes of many cultures, along with a bit of bagpipe folklore.

Registration is now open. Courses start the week of Sept. 22 and meet on campus from 7 to 8:50 p.m. Monday through Thursday. University employees who work half time or more may use their Staff Training Assistance Program STAP funds to pay tuition and registration fees.

For more information and course registration, visit the web at http://continuingstudies.stanford.edu.

Continuing Studies fall registration open.

Highlights, reflecting this year’s special ‘Crossing Borders’ theme, include Friday evening’s gala concert with music from the Scottish and Welsh borders including Ceri Rhys Matthews, player of the intriguing Welsh bagpipe, and local Border ballads from Mike Tickell; Saturday’s pageant with Ellington Band, miners’ banners created by local schoolchildren, morris and rapper dance teams and the return of the Dodgy Clutch Theatre giant figure of much-travelled roguish Northumbrian piper Jamie Allan; a special film show on Bohemian bagpiping by American producer Jefe Brown who will be calling in en route between Prague and the United States; the afternoon battle based on a English Civil War skirmish from the Welsh border area (staged on both Saturday and Sunday); Saturday’s Barn Dance with the Castle Band and guests; and Sunday’s range of events to launch Morpeth’s year of activities commemorating the 500th birthday of William Turner, Father of English Botany culminating in a grand concert of Tudor music by costumed supergroup of the early music scene, The York Waits.

Read the entire article at Morpeth Herald

About the Morpeth’s Bagpipe Museum

Housed in Morpeth’s medieval Chantry buildings since 1987, the Bagpipe Museum his home to a unique collection , the foundation of which is the bagpipe collection of William Alfred Cocks (1892 - 1971), a clockmaker from Ryton, near Newcastle.
The pipes collection belongs to the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, and the Museum is supported by Castle Morpeth Borough Council.

For more information on Morpeth’s Bagpipe Museum

219 New Glasgow Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps Pipes And Drums
By Scott Williams
For more information about these and other books, or to purchase your own copies, please visit www.bagpipepublishing.com.

Any one ever hear of this quote ???   Real historical quote or urban legend ?  Any one finding a reference for this quote will win a prize.  Email WebMaster @ Bagpiper.Com

John MacDougall Gillies dies, 409 Great Western Road, Glasgow, December 17, 1925.

November 6th, 1979 - On this day in history John Wilson dies, Willowdale, Ontario

Scottish, born in Edinburgh. Taught by Roderick Campbell. Lost part of left thumb and left finger to an explosion while 12-years-old. In 1925, won the Gold Medal at Inverness. In 1927, the Gold Medal at Oban. Won the Clasp in 1936. Around 1936 was considered by some as the finest player in the world. Served with the Cameron Highlanders during WWII. Moved to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1949, at the prompting of George R. Duncan. Taught many students, including Bill Livingstone, Bob Worrall, Gail Brown, Michael Grey. Highly instrumental in the development of Canadian piping in the 20th Century.

Musical Instruments Gallery Monday, Nov 6, 2006 11 am — 12 pm

Local piper Neal MacMillian talks about the history and recent revival of the Northumbrian bagpipe. Using a modern instrument from his own collection, MacMillian demonstrates the captivating sound of this small type of bagpipe. The MFA’s rare set of nineteenth-century pipes attributed to James Reid are on view for examination.

Free with Museum admission.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Avenue of the Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115-5523
617-267-9300

On this day in history: Archie MacNeill dies, age 83, Glasgow, October 23, 1962.

On this day in history: James McIntosh wins 1st ever Grant’s Piping Championship, Blair Atholl, October 17th, 1974.

• 1925 Born in Dundee, Scotland
• 1939-49 served as Piper with the Cameron Highlanders, British Military forces
• 1950’s & 60’s – Taught piping in the Scottish public schools; : Introduced grading on ability rather than age, and instituted a class to prepare young pipers for an annual competition.
• 1961-70 – Studied exclusively with the Royal pipers at Balmoral, R.U. Brown and R.B. Nicol; Established a full-time bagpipe reed-making business.
• During this time he also developed the Naill chanter, which continues to be one of the favorite chanters of top Scottish competitiors.
• 1968-78- won most of the top level Scottish piping competitions. Served on the BBC Music Committee.
• 1978 – came to the USA for the first time at my invitation and co-founded the Balmoral School of Piping, based in Pittsburgh.
• 1984 Emigrated to the USA and settled in Pittsburgh
• 1980’s and 90’s: Through the Balmoral Schools Jim taught the only Americans to win the top solo competitions in Scotland: Mike Cusack and Mike Rogers, and taught many of the successful Scottish, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand players as well.
• 1985 appointed Director Piping at Carnegie-Mellon University.
• 1989 instituted at CMU the first Bachelor of Performing Arts degree program for bagpipe music in the entire world;
• 1990-94 Elected for two terms as President of the EUSPBA
• 1994 Awarded the Member of the British Empire medal by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace for his contributions and services to traditional piping.
• 1998 retired from CMU
• 2002 was awarded the prestigious Balvenie Medal of Scotland for his services to piping.
• In 2003 founded the Balmoral Highlanders Pipe Band.

On this day in history on October 13 1933 the Scottish Pipe Band Association officially starts.

On this day in history: Royal Scots Dragoon Guards’ “Amazing Grace” reaches #1 in UK charts, September 29 1971.

On this day in history: Capt John MacLellan wins MSR at Inverness, completing “Grand Slam,” September 25, 1958.

On this day in history: 16 year-old John D. Burgess completes “The Double” by winning Inverness Gold Medal playing “Castle Menzies, September 21, 1950.

On this day in history: Donald MacPherson wins record 9th Clasp, Inverness, September 19, 1975.

On this day in history: Bill Livingstone plays plastic Warnock drones at
Northern Meeting, September 18, 1975.

On this day in history: Donald MacPherson wins 7th Clasp at Inverness with “Battle of Waterloo,” September 17, 1971.