Our special guest evenings are perhaps the years highlights and this was to be no exception. We were delighted to welcome young Andrew Ferguson from Dollar into the fold. At 17 Andrew is still at school and is under the wings of master 4 times clasp winner Callum Beaumont, who incidentally won his 4th clasp at the Northern Meetings, playing a masterful, The Daughters Lament. Many congratulations.
On an old set of Lawries Andrew got the first half under way with some 6/8 marches. He then went into a couple of hornpipes, Ian Green of Greentrax and Chasing Shadows. He continued to warm the fingers up with the hornpipe P/M G. S. Allan and the jig, St. Ninian’s Parish Centre Church, composed by Bob Worrall.
young hands at work
Of note the George Allan referred to in the Donald MacLeod composition was Pipe Major of the 1st Royal Scots from 1907-1919 and the 2nd Royal Scots from 1921-1930. Willie MacCallum is on record as saying, ‘when my grandfather bought my silver Henderson pipes from Willie Thomson, that they had won both the Gold Medals played by George S Allan at Oban (1905) and Inverness (1906). Allan used to borrow the pipes to compete.John Wilson (Campbeltown, of Strathclyde Police fame) confirmed to me a couple of years back that his father Willie used to refer to these pipes I inherited as ‘the Allan pipes’.
Andrew then went into the meat of his first half performance with three competition 2/4 marches, followed by a set of three strathspeys and reels. What a great way to take us into the pie break.
The second half was all about getting the pipe settled for the great Earl of Ross’s March. Andrew played a selection of light music tunes before satisfying himself the pipe was ready for this big tune.
The tune is attributed to Donald Mor MacCrimmon c. 1600.
Ross seems to have been made a separate Earldom (from Moray) in the mid 12thcentury. Donald, Lord of the Isles, having been deprived of the Earldom through various kinds of feudal skulduggery, marched upon Aberdeen, and was defeated on 24thJuly 1411 at a place called Harlaw in the uplands of Garioch by a force of North East gentry and the citizens of Aberdeen. John, Lord of the Isles, is said to have surrendered the Earldom of Ross to the Scottish crown in 1476.
Andrews’s performance of the tune was mature for his years and technically very sound. The pipe held well and this is clearly a tune that will stand him in good stead for many years to come.
What a great evenings entertainment and many thanks Andrew for taking the time to come along and entertain us.
A package arrived in the post from our chums the St Andrews Caledonia Pipe band from Tasmania. Much appreciated folks.
The secretary will be sending out information about the bus trip to the Glenfiddich and remember the members competition to be held on Tuesday 1stOctober.
The P/M will be missing in action in 2 weeks time as he is taking a sabbatical but the band will continue to focus on The Conundrum and King George V’s Army.
Euan Anderson
Hon P/M
Pipers are to play a Slow Air and Jig of their own choice.
Another Piping Live done and dusted, the traditional pipeband concert, courtesy of Scottish power and Inveraray and District crownd world champions for the second year running. Hats off.
the band ran through a fair bit of its repertoire. A warm night and thirsty work, so a halftime beer was most welcome and there was a queue for the pies.
handing the pipe over to young Robert Cruickshank who played a lovely air, The Fallen, composed by R.S. MacDonald, for his friend Willie Armstrong of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers when he was a serving fireman in Glasgow. The tune was written in tribute to his fire-fighter friend, Ally Boyle, who was diagnosed with blood cancer and had to retire at a young age. The Red Hot
As is tradition the Eagle Pipers’ Society will be adding an extra meeting to their annual program, throwing open its doors to the International community over for the Festival and Piping Live etc. Our regular guests, The Sons of Scotland pipe band, will be joining us for an evening of fun and frolics. Our president, Douglas Gardiner, will be on the post pie piobaireachd.
One of the nice things about the Eagles is that you never know what is going to happen or who is going to pitch up for a tune, so we were very lucky to get a double whammy with Lachie Dick on piobaireachd duties and Mark MacKenzie (now a fully paid up member) turning up for a tune.
After a well earned pint and a beer Mark took to the floor and started off with some brisk 6/8 marches that included Duncan McGillvray Chief Steward, written by Jim McGillivray, who will soon be visiting these shore to, amongst other things, judge the Silver Chanter (10th August). Jim wrote this tune for his father, who was long-time Chief Steward for the Pipers’ and Pipe Band Society of Ontario.
She was a well known and loved figure around the Highland Games circuit and took many photographs of the great players of the day and the beautiful settings in which they competed. She attended the Northern Meetings and Argyllshire Gathering every year since the Second World War missing them only once in her later years when she was too ill to attend. She died in Campbeltown, Argyll in 1994 and was immortalised in the Jig written by Allan MacDonald.
