By J DECKER FORREST and JOSHUA DICKSON Last of 3 parts

Piping in and

A RESEARCH JOURNAL, 21-27 NOVEMBER 2006

SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2006 “more piping being done in autumn and winter FROM 21 to 27 November, 2006, J Decker than in spring and summer”. He emphasised at Forrest and Joshua Dickson — both mem- ARLY on Saturday morning, we this point that nothing was wasted in Uist; due bers of staff active in Scottish music and accompanied Angus MacKenzie of to the relative poverty and scarcity of materials, research at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama — toured South Uist EGearraidh Bhailteas to Cill Donain everything was put to some use or another. and Benbecula in pursuit of sources both machair to help feed the cattle. He also recalled a practice chanter made new and familiar. It was a chance to catch Once back, we telephoned several inform- from the wood of a chair leg played by a child up with long-time colleagues in the chroni- ants to arrange meetings later in the day or the in his youth at a local chanter class. Like the cling of change and tradition in the area next day. We called George MacKinnon in Loch relic in the possession of the ‘King of Jigs’, the (whether to revisit past lines of enquiry or to follow new ones) and to search for Baghasdail to enquire about an interview, and late Aonghus beag Dhòmhnaill ‘ic Fheargais, the sources of seanchas — oral history, personal a time was set for Sunday. We phoned Angus chanter had no top chamber or mouthpiece reminiscence, the inside scoop — hereto- Johnstone to ask after the whereabouts of his and was simply blown with lips over reed. This fore overlooked. father, Neil, a former pupil of Bob Nicol’s accorded with many reminiscences on local This was not the first trip to Uist for either local classes who has long been active in the chanter-making; apparently the top chamber Josh or Decker: Josh spent much time there South End Piping Club. We were told that was in the main considered superfluous. researching his doctorate in Scottish ethnology, culminating in the book When Piping Was Strong Neil would probably be out renovating his Decker demonstrated the two styles of (2006); Decker began researching piping in Uist new house in Dalabrog. We would catch him jig-playing applied to the tune Paddy’s Leather several years ago and has close family connec- there if he was not back in his current home Britches which we had used in past interviews: tions to the area. on Caismir Place. the accented, strathspey-like style as performed They arrived in Uist with a number of re- We drove to the south end of Uist to call by Angus MacAulay in his c.1950 commercial search objectives for the week. Decker was, in recording, and the even or rounded style often the main, interested in the material culture asso- upon Neil Johnstone and Gilbert Walker in ciated with piping in Uist and Benbecula, such as Dalabrog, and Calum MacAulay in Loch heard in competition today. Neil considered the the indigenous manufacture of practice chanters Baghasdail. accented style more reflective of early competi- and reeds for both chanter and drone. Josh was We first stopped by the post office in Da- tion performance, and the rounded style more mainly focused on biographical and performance labrog run by Gilbert and Margaret Walker. for dancing. He commented that the “King of information relating to Lachlan Bàn MacCormick Gilbert was out, but Margaret suggested we Jigs” used to play both styles: “a piper who could (1859-1952), whose life spanned a great deal of change in the Hebridean tradition. Both were come to the house later that evening. play in both tastes”. also interested in light music performance style We next called on Neil Johnstone on Caismir Neil also commented that jigs were in earlier and surviving Gaelic nomenclature for tunes, Place. He and his wife had just arrived home years often associated with fairies and fairy technical words and instrument materials. In from working on their new house and Neil’s knolls. The corollary was that jigs were often addition, Decker was keen to investigate the hand was slightly injured from an incident on considered “playful” or “happy” music, and he use of the truimpe, or jew’s harp, in Uist and made a direct link between jigs and the danc- Benbecula. the roof. He paid it no mind, however, and im- What follows is a day-by-day account of their mediately sat us down for a yarn and a dram. ing of fairies. He went on to comment on fairy work and travels during the week in question. Neil spoke of the use of cuilc in the making lore associated with Pìobairean Smerclait, or the The notes on which it is based were composed of reeds for drones and (less certainly) pipe Smearclait Pipers. at the end of each day as a way of allowing chanters. This involved soaking the raw cane Neil, a multi-instrumentalist, spoke at some them to reflect on the day’s work, consider in a solution, the nature of which he could length about playing the accordion during his the significance or otherwise of this or that, and generally improve recall of interviews that may not recall, prior to cutting and shaping. He career in the Merchant Navy. He described his or may not have been voice-recorded. This is could not recall the reason for this treatment. experience with “mixed crews” versus “island considered an essential plank of ethnographic He said, however, that the treatment was used crews” (e.g. Barra crews or Lewis crews) and or journalistic research of any sort. The authors irrespective of the type of reed being made: how one had to be careful not to offend other hope that this account will therefore serve drone or chanter. nationalities or creeds among the mixed crews. as an example to other pipers, or scholars of He described practice chanter reeds being He contended that accordion music was more piping, who wish to investigate further the as yet unexhausted contribution of Gaelic oral made of eòrna (barley straw) that was harvested to the tastes of other nationalities among mixed history to our understanding of piping’s place in early autumn. Cuilc was harvested locally crews than was the music of the pipes. in Scottish music. around November for the thatching of local He obtained a piano accordion while he dwellings. In effect, piping was seasonal, with was with his ship in Italy. He had had some

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WILLIE WALKER in Lovat Scouts uniform at the Games, c.1930-31. Photo: courtesy of the late Dr Margaret Fay Shaw Campbell of Canna

PIPING TODAY • 27 UIST UIST

experience with the button accordion, or Figure 1. melodeon, in Uist some time beforehand and John Roderick Donald Mary Sheila Angus was able to take up the piano accordion more or less on his own aboard ships. He did not Iain (piper), Sheila Margaret read music specifically for the accordion and recalled simply playing tunes borrowed from the pipe repertoire. Mary Donald George Calum Peter MacLean (piper) We stayed some time longer to play a few tunes on the pipes for Neil and his wife. Decker CALUM identified two piping relatives of in the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders or showed his replica Donald MacDonald chanter Angus: Peter MacLean in New Zealand, and Lovat Scouts. He lived in a shack near the Da- to Neil, who voiced appreciation for its work- Iain MacAulay, now living in Spain. Peter now labrog poor house, which is where the council manship and tone. owns and plays Angus’s pipes. Iain was a well- houses currently stand. We then visited the ruins of the home of the regarded piper who had learned much directly Apparently, there had been no pipers among late John (Seonaidh Roidein) MacDonald in Da- from Angus and would be able to comment on the Walkers before Willie; Gilbert said that labrog. We cautiously explored the house inside Angus’ performance style first hand. Willie had “got his piping” through his moth- and out, including an older dwelling adjacent to After visiting Calum in Loch Baghasdail, er’s people (not that his maternal relatives had the main house that we took to be the home of we drove back to Gearraidh Bhailteas. We had taught him to play; rather that his talent, his John’s father, Dòmhnall Bàn Roidein. some late lunch, did a bit of piping and visited aptitude, for piping had been inherited from his John’s house had caught fire in the mid- the MacKenzies across the road to give an ac- mother’s side of the family). Gilbert’s testimony 1980s, after which John stayed at Daliburgh count of the day’s activities. illustrates the surviving Gaelic attitude to the House until his death in 1988. Neil Johnstone At this stage, we telephoned Peter (Peadar inheritance of musical ability. recalled that John had been asleep at the time Ghighat) Campbell in Iochdar. Peter’s father Willie’s mother was Catriona Campbell. This the fire started, and that John’s pipes had per- was Angus Campbell, the ‘Gighat’ mentioned may have been a sister of Neil (Niall Chatrìona) ished in it. Only the silver ferrules and mounts earlier. Campbell, the well-known Frobost piper, al- had survived, albeit burnt and twisted from We made arrangements to visit Peter for an though this is not for certain. According to Joan the heat. interview the following day. Martin, Willie Walker and Findlay Martin once We had a tangible sense that the ruins of the We arrived in Dalabrog to pay a visit to played for a wedding dance at Garrynamonie legendary piper’s home represented hallowed Gilbert Walker at his home adjacent to the School wearing Lovat Scouts uniforms. ground. The house looked as ancient as an old post office. Gilbert showed us a photograph of the Lovat black house, and yet — looking at the state of Gilbert did not recall seeing or hearing of Scouts’ band c.1942-3 taken in Vancouver, the burnt roof beams, fireplace and remaining chanters being made in Uist. However, he and Canada: the regiment was in Canada for ski furniture — the fire could to all appearances other pipers made practice chanter reeds from training in the Rocky Mountains at the time. have taken place just last week. After taking eòrna. He confirmed the usual practice of cut- The photo was framed and mounted, but Gilbert some photographs of the interior and exterior, ting a suitable sized piece, chewing the end and graciously removed the frame to allow us to scan we moved on. inserting the unchewed end into the chanter. it. Gilbert claimed the band was noted as the best He claimed that these reeds would typically last pipe band in the British Army at the time. WE then drove to Loch Baghasdail Hotel to at least two weeks. Gilbert then produced a jew’s harp, or tru- call upon its proprietor, Calum MacAulay. Gilbert’s first cousin, Morag Cummings (nee impe, during the interview, commenting that Calum is a nephew of the late Angus MacAulay MacIntyre) is a daughter of the late Donald this instrument was present “in every house at of Benbecula. Ruadh MacIntyre, the Paisley Bard. She had one time”, much like a practice chanter or a We showed Calum photographs we had spoken recently on the radio, recalling that set of pipes. The specimen he showed us was scanned earlier in our fieldwork, including a her father had mentioned making drone reeds of modern Austrian manufacture with angled photo of an unidentified, moustachioed piper from cuilc. flukes. Gilbert claimed that earlier jew’s harps in Lovat Scouts’ uniform whom we suspected As noted by other informants, most piping were shaped in a more rounded fashion. was Angus. Calum could not positively iden- took place in winter, since reed-making was a Gilbert played several tunes on the jew’s tify the piper, but he believed that it was not by-product of the harvest season. harp. His articulation was extremely clear and Angus. Gilbert spoke of his piping experience with lively. He played by striking the lamella in a We played the commercial recordings of the Lovat Scouts for a period of 18 months, hand-backward motion, using the tip of the Angus playing a set of jigs for Calum, including after which he did not continue to play. He middle finger of the right hand. He tapped his Paddy’s Leather Britches and a jig he had made explained how he had been taught, originally by right heel heavily when playing. himself, David Ross. Calum could not offer any his uncle, William Walker, who also had piped He played three tunes, the first two of which useful commentary on the performance style, for the Lovat Scouts. He recalled using Logan’s have Irish associations. The first wasSaddle the but was interested and intrigued to hear such Tutor at this time. Pony, an old traditional Irish quickstep, in a good quality recordings of his uncle. Willie Walker was taught originally by Niall slight dot-cut rhythm. He played two parts at Calum explained his family tree thus: Eirig MacKay (Neil son of Effie), a Pipe Major around 105 beats per minute. The second tune

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he played was Piper’s Cave, another quickstep. He played only one part, again around 105 bpm. Finally, he played the traditional High- land reel High Road to Linton in two parts. Gilbert tossed the truimpe onto the coffee table upon completion of each tune. He claimed to play mainly marches and reels, but very rarely for dancing. He recalled playing the truimpe at the Ceòlas festival one year, and a Cape Breton girl step-danced to his tunes. That was the only occasion he can recall. He never heard of anyone dancing to it traditionally. We spoke briefly of jigs, and of old and cur- rent performance styles. Angus ‘King of Jigs’ MacDonald’s name was once again invoked with nostalgic reverence. Gilbert recalled his mother once saying she would go the Askernish games just to hear Angus play jigs. SUNDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2006 ON Sunday morning, we attended mass with the MacKenzies at Church. Father Photo: Josh Dickson DECKER FORREST helps George MacKinnon tune his drones at George’s home in Loch Baghasdail, South Uist. Michael announced celebrations planned on the occasion of the community buy-out of students in Donald John’s class were made to of musical instruments and historical texts. South Uist. The events would include piping by obtain practice chanters from Henderson’s He was taught originally by William Melvin John Angus Smith, James MacPhee, Iain and Dr in Glasgow, and that reeds came with them. while living in England. Angus MacDonald of Glenuig, the South Uist Black Joe’s first tune was a march called Donald spoke broadly about his ideas on Pipe Band and the White Rose Ceilidh Band. Kiloran Bay, indicating in all probability piping development and performance style. Some noted with regret that few Uist-born the use of Pipe Major Willie Ross’s Book 3 Joan (b. 1937) had vivid memories of pipers were invited to take part. at the time. piping in Loch Eynort and elsewhere in Uist After breakfast, we started off for Loch After this brief experience, he left for when she was about 15-16 years of age. She Eynort. There we met John Alec MacDonald, secondary school in Dalabrog and did not recalled pipers making their own practice known locally as “Black Joe”, at his home. continue with the chanter. chanter reeds. She was not encouraged to Black Joe is not a piper, but he took up the We enquired about the jew’s harp. Black learn piping, but learned to play the chanter chanter briefly as a child and is said to be Joe thought he may have seen one once; noth- on her own using her brother’s chanter, right extremely knowledgeable of local history. ing more than that. Coupled with a scarcity hand top. She similarly taught herself to His father died in a fishing boat accident in of the jew’s harp in Gearraidh Bhailteas, this read music at that time. However, she felt Loch Eynort when Black Joe was about nine suggests that the instrument was popular in that by learning to play right hand top, she months old. His mother remarried. some localities and not in others. Though had learned incorrectly and decided not to Black Joe recalled that his step-father, Neil its use generally throughout the Hebrides in continue further. MacIntosh, once made a practice chanter the past cannot be denied, it is interesting She recalled seeing a piper play at a dance with no top chamber or mouthpiece. He did to note the discrepancy between localities in Staoineabrog or Cill Donain school with not recall how MacIntosh made it, but said in our travels of Uist so far. It may simply his back turned to the dancers. She described he might have made it from bamboo, with be a question of access: in Dalabrog, where it it as being quite normal. Angus MacKenzie a red hot wire thrust through. This method was a popular pastime, the jew’s harp could be later confirmed the customary nature of this of boring, and the construction without a bought from the local shop; at Loch Eynort and behaviour insofar as piping in the Cill Donain mouthpiece, was consistent with previous other smaller townships, one had to make do and Gearraidh Bhailteas area was concerned. descriptions we encountered in Uist. He also with a mobile grocery van or, in earlier times, We took our leave of the Andersons and confirmed the making of practice chanter small village shops run out of local houses that drove to Loch Baghasdail, where we had reeds with eòrna or corca mór. stocked only bare essentials. arranged to meet George (Seòras Mór) MacKin- Black Joe recalled taking chanter lessons After our talk with Black Joe, we crossed non and his wife Mary at their home. at Loch Eynort school from Donald John the garden to call on his sister, Joan Anderson, George first learned to play from local (Dòmhnall Iain) Morrison, Louis Morrison’s and her husband Donald. They live in the old Loch Baghasdail piper Adam Scott, and then father. Black Joe would have been 10 or 11 Loch Eynort schoolhouse adjacent to Black from Willie Walker. His father played, but years old at the time. He said that all of the Joe’s house. Donald is a piper and a collector did not compete or teach, and was generally

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speaking ear-learned and musically non-liter- ‘King of Jigs’. George recalled a local anecdote heard often today. Of the two, the accented ate. George recalled, however, that he played concerning Angus: a piper asked him on the style reminded him more clearly of Angus in a “conventional” style, i.e. with correct day of the games at Askernish machair if his MacDonald’s playing. modern fingering. pipes were in good order. Angus told the man Decker, Josh and George then spent some George learned by notation; primarly from that they certainly were, as he had submerged time playing tunes on the pipes and perusing Logan’s Tutor. His first tune wasThe 79th’s them in a burn the night before! We took this his music collections. He played several clas- Farewell to Gibraltar. He first competed at to be a gratifying example of the survival of sic competition tunes, such as Knightswood the Askernish games 55 years ago (c.1951) tall tales in the Uist piping tradition. Ceilidh, Arthur Bignold of Lochrosque, Mag- in the junior practice chanter event. The Keen to learn more of local pipers’ thoughts gie Cameron and the jig Over to Uist. His event was an MSR and he recalled compet- on performance style, we demonstrated the rendering of Arthur Bignold was particularly ing barefoot. two styles of jig-playing for George: the first, musical, including a treatment of the sixth On the subject of jigs, George spoke of accented style taken from Angus MacAulay’s and seventh bars of each part that Josh had Angus MacDonald of Gearraidh Bhailteas, c. 1950 commercial recording, and the sec- only seen written in manuscript paper among Aonghus Beag Dhòmhnaill ‘ic Fheargais — the ond an example of the rounded, even style the notes (c 1952) of the late George Moss.

Figure 2. Arthur Bignold of Lochrosque March John MacColl

(Ross 1943:26) Figure 3. Arthur Bignold of Lochrosque As played by George MacKinnon (Loch Baghasdail)

WE then drove to Iochdar to interview Peter ‘Ghighat’ Campbell. Peter did not know the origin of the name ‘Gighat’. His father Angus, ‘the Gighat’, was a well-respected piper for dances in the north of the island. PETER CAMPBELL of The Gighat was entirely ear-learned and Iochdar, South Uist, shows Josh Dickson the could not read music. He had taught himself, 100 year-old Henderson and had always played sitting down. Peter practice chanter that belonged to Peter’s late recalled that this was out of choice rather than uncle. due to a medical condition. He would often sit on the broad windowsills of the local school- houses when playing and keep time with both heels in unison. So far as Peter knew, the Gighat never owned a set of pipes, but rather played on sets belong- ing to other pipers at the ceilidh or dance, or who would come to the house. Decker demonstrated the accented style

Photo: Decker Forrest of jig playing reflective of Angus MacAulay’s

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c. 1950 recording, and contrasted this with the and tie with a teacup balanced on his knee. with gangway extended and its fl oodlights bath- more modern “even” treatment. Peter identifi ed The second was taken at Ardkenneth Church in ing us in a welcome glow. So far so good. the accented style with his father’s performance the early 1950s, apparently on the occasion of We rid ourselves of the rental and marched of jigs. the Queen’s Coronation tour. Piping the royal aboard. As Decker settled in, Josh stood by Peter recalled the use of eòrna for making party grandly outside the church are the Roidein the main portal, watching the smaller vessels practice chanter reeds. He did not recall the brothers – John and Roderick. moored to the pier being battered by the waves. use of homemade chanters. We then retired for the evening to the Mac- A grizzled crewman and a tall, smartly dressed He referred us to Màiri Gotton, aged 93, Kenzies for dinner and a ceilidh. man whom Josh took to be the captain stood and John MacLean, both in Iochdar, as good After a few tunes and a modest dram, we said nearby, speaking – worryingly – along the fol- potential informants of Uist tradition past and our heartfelt goodbyes to the MacKenzies and lowing lines: present. John is one of the well known MacLean made our way back to “base camp”, where we Captain: Nope. Naw. No way. We’re no pipers from the area. He is a brother of James, made some fi nal notes on the evening and on getting out of here. Not gonnae happen. Not in Glasgow, and Ronald in Inverness. the week at large. worth my life. Peter showed us his uncle Duncan’s black- Crewman: Och I’ve seen worse than this. wood practice chanter, thought to be 100 years MONDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2006 Captain: Aye, but I’m a young man yet. I’ve old, made by Peter Henderson in Glasgow. WE rose early on Monday morning to catch the got my whole life ahead o’ me. Peter’s uncle had died in Canada during the ferry back to Oban. A storm was in full throt- After the above exchange, it was with some Second World War, and the chanter had been tle. Although disconcerted by the lashing wind relief that Josh discovered that the “captain” kept in the family ever since. and rain that greeted us outside, we remained was in fact a junior member of the galley staff. Luckily, we were able to scan two photos hopeful that the ferry would sail. We soon left Loch Baghasdail — sadly not by belonging to Peter’s family. The fi rst is a very As we approached the Loch Baghasdail pier steamer at midnight — behind, and lived to blurred picture of the Gighat sitting in shirt in our rental car, we were relieved to see the ferry tell the tale. ●

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