Bellows and mouth-blown Scottish small pipes being examined in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland in Edinburgh. The photograph was apparently taken in the mid 1930s. INSIDE: AGM, etc Campbells Border travels Union pipe origins? THE EDITOR offers his apologies journal, Common Stock, and, of small pipes (already the judges for the delay in bringing out course, our first competition. were talking about separate this second issue of Common classes for Lowland and small Stock, which should have He also paid tribute to the pipes), and there were some who appeared in the Summer. societys late honorary president blythely played Highland pipe Nevertheless, the December issue Jimmy Wilson, who died in selections (some of them will appear in December! February, and who would be much excellent) despite the onus on missed. An appreciation of Jimmy the competitor to include The editor also offers his will also appear in the December appropriate Lowland/Border mat- grateful thanks to Peter Cooke Common Stock. erial. and Peggy Morrison at the School of Scottish Studies, Edinburgh OFFICE BEARERS, 1984-85 Chairman Such, however, are the University, for their kind help - Mike Rowan inevitable vagaries of a music in setting this material. Secretary - Jeannie Campbell just at the beginnings of Minute Secretary - Jim Gilchrist revival...and a music which in N.B. Editors new address:- All Treasurer - David Hannay its heyday seems to have been information, manuscripts etc. for Musical Advisor - Gordon Mooney standardised and for which any Common Stock should be sent to Technical Advisors - Colin Ross attempt at standardisation today Jim Gilchrist, 10 Pittville Robbie Greensitt would be highly questionable. Street, Portobello, Edinburgh EH15 2BY. Tel. (031) 669 8235. All this presented an unenviable task for the judges, sponsors were being found. Mixed response Northumbrian musician and Chairmans Ettrick and Lauderdale District pipe-maker Colin Ross and Peter Council had expressed interest. to competitions Cooke of the School of Scottish Studies, who report Mike also thought that the had few yardsticks MUSIC COMPETITIONS can be a mixed to go by. Summing up at the end report, published in May, of the There is no doubt that they felt that the standard in ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Scottish Arts Councils working blessing. they encourage high standards of the open section had been high THE past year had been a good one party on Scottish traditional and, clearly, this was a time of for the Lowland and Border arts suggested that more money playing (at least so far as the judges criteria is concerned), experimentation in styles and Pipers Society, said chairman might be made available to assist techniques. Mike Rowan, giving his report to organisations such as ourselves. but at one extreme there is the Colin thought there the societys annual meeting in danger that they become the sole was evidence of rather too much motivation for practice - bellows movement in the novice the College of Piping, Glasgow, The society had also played something which, one suspects has class, but so far as the open was on June 9. an important part in saving an pp the concerned, he immaculate set of Union pipes, tended to ha en in described the competition-orientated Highland overall standard as "excellent, Summing up the events of the made by Robert Reid of North with some very Shields in 1880, from being sold piping scene where, it can be interesting societys first year as a argued, the importance of the playing in search of different formally constituted organ- abroad by Sothebys. The techniques". National Museum of Antiquities of competition circuit is one reason isation, he said that we now had why Highland piping, in a a membership of 80 with no signs Scotland had put up 3,000 and way, has until the past Peter Cooke added the rider of growth slowing up. Interest ultimately bought the p ipes for peculiar was increasing in Lowland and its collection for 4,016 , the few years stood well apart from that the competition shouldnt be the folk music revival currently taken too seriously... "and we small pipes throughout Scotland, Lowland and Border Pipers Society native instru- should be very careful as was demonstrated by Gordon having given e1,200 towards this, vivifying other about mental forms. forcing people into a mould. Mooneys recent appointment as raised by individual This is a time of experi- official Toun Piper to contributions. In the case of the LBPSs mentation." Linlithgow, and the fact that first competition in Edinburgh in pipe makers such as Robbie An article on the Reid First prize - the Hamish pipes, and on March - indeed it must have been Greensitt of Heriot and Allen and an invaluable the first competition of its kind Moore Quaich - in the open was Colin Ross were making these pipers tune book which was in Scotland for as much as two taken by Paul Roberts from Leeds, pipes in response to growing purchased with it, will appear in on Lowland pipes, playing the air demand. the December issue of Common centuries - the atmosphere, happily, was one of amiable if Tweedside and an impressive set Stock. sometimes bemused fraternity, of variations on the jig Holey Gordon Mooneys tutor was in Hapenny. His style, said Colin preparation, again in response to rather than desperate rivalry. The past year, continued The standard of proficiency was suggested elements of both Irish considerable demand, although it Mike, had also seen the first the piping and the cabrette of the had been held up slightly while issue of the societys own extremely mixed, as was diversity of Lowland and Scottish Auvergne, and perhaps these, in 2 3 the future, could be consolidated an embarrassing business, within what might be identified considering that it was the LBPS Alexander Campbell(on right, as a "Border style". who persuaded the organisers to playing bagpipes) figures in include the competition in what this drawing by the famous Ed- Second in the open was Iain would seem a natural venue for inburgh caricaturist, John Kay. Maclnnes from Lewis with a fine one. Having lobbied them to hold A Medley of Musicians was set on Scottish small pipes. it, none of the societys better Kays retaliation against a Unfortunately, the fact that they pipers turned up, and the a caricature Campbell drew of were very much Highland pipe organisers threatened to scrap him, itself a repone to Kays tunes lost him marks. Third was the competition if no-one drawing of Campbells brother David Hannay, playing an old set entered. Eventually, more out of of Robertson half-longs. concern for the competitions future than through any faith in Andy Hunter, playing their piping ability, Jim Scottish Gilchrist and Robbie Greensitt mpellsCa small pipes, took first place in the novice class, entered the novice class, Jim winning the Heriot and Allan Gilchrist winning. Quaich; second and third places Border were taken, respectively, by In the open, the judge Jeannie Campbell (small pipes) (Colin Ross) declined to award a sketches and Mike Rowan (Lowland pipes). prize, the only competitor being a very sporting Highland piper The pipes duet class was won who picked up a set of small by Paul Roberts and Gordon pipes - virtually for the first Mooney, both on Lowland pipes, time - and valiantly elbowed out Alexander Campbell, His Travels, and the Border Piping Tradition while the winners of the duet a fairly catastrophic set. The (pipes and other instrument) fact that he and the novices By IAIN MacINNES class were Andy Hunter and Mike entered, however, guaranteed the Ward on an intriguing but very future of the competition. Lets HIGHLAND pipers are familiar with Alexander Campbell (1764-1824), mellow-sounding combination of hope that next years event gets editor of Albyns Anthology, through his admiring description of small pipes and Indian bellows- a response which makes it a Donald Ruadh MacCrimmon: blown harmonium! showcase, rather than a musical disaster. "After a few glasses of his own good tody, MacCrummin siezed the pipe - put on his hat ( his usual custom) - breathed into NEWCASTLETON The first Border LAST MEETING OF 1984 pipes competition to be held at the bag - tuned the drones to the chanter - gave a prelude in a Newcastleton Folk Festival, at the end of June turned out to be December 8...College of Piping stile of brilliancy that flashed like lightning - and commenced Otago Street, Glasgow. Failte Phrionnsa in tones that spoke to the ear and affected the heart."(1) Campbell, fortunately, was of a literary bent and frequently put pen to paper to record his expeditions to the Highlands and the Borders. In his early days as a music teacher and organist in Edinburgh he published a number of his own songs and poems, followed in 1798 by An Introduction to the History of Poetry in Scotland which contained a dissertation on Scottish music, favourably received by foreign musicians. Further literary endeavours, however, met little acclaim, and it was rather his talents as a collector and publisher of Highland music for which he is now remembered. As Walter Scott said of him, he was "a good musician, accurate in taking down music from singing, and indefatigable in collecting it - an enthusiastic, good, humble Highlander besides ... " (2) For the piper two of his manuscript volumes are of particular interest. The first is his Slight Sketch of a Journey Through Parts of the Highlands and Hebrides; undertaken to collect materials for Albyns Anthology; in Autumn 1815. This work is in effect a Report to the Royal Highland Society of Scotland, which sponsored his journey (to the tune of thirty pounds), and includes a description 5 1.-Walter Forsyth, piper to Mr Kerr of Littledean, of his historic meeting with Donald Ruadh MacCrimmon; a description Roxburghshire: he was an excellent performer.