PROMOTING THE MUSIC, HISTORY & STUDY OF THE BAGPIPES FREEFREE FEATUREFEATURE SAMPLESAMPLE FRED MORRISON The real life of... Taking it to a new level IAIN SPEIRS Grey’s Notes by Michael Grey Balagan Pipe Band The gift that keeps giving Ready to stir things up Theory top-up Canadians savour the Glenfiddich by Tim Cummings The Glenfiddich Championship 2015 Tunes in G-Major Pipe Major James Murray A new life with WAPOL The London Competition 2015 The Scottish Piping Society of London free feature sample • from Dec 15/Jan 16 • Issue number 78 • NYPBoS newsletter No.75 prIce - uK £3.30 • europe 5 • canaDa anD usa $6.50 contents Editorial 5 Roddy MacLeod News 6 Fred Morrison 8 Taking it to a new level Balagan Pipe Band 14 FRONT COVER PICTURE: Ready to stir things up Fred Morrison in concert at Celtic Connections 2012 by John Slavin. See feature on pages 8-13. Theory Top-Up by Tim Cummings 21 Tunes in G-Major Brothers on the bagpipes 22 Sons of the Most Holy Reedemer Youngstars Newsletter No.75 23 Q&A with Calum Craib Canadians savour the Glenfiddich 28 Glenfiddich Piping Championship 2015 New life and opportunities at WAPOL 34 Pipe Major James Murray Iain Speirs 36 The real life of... The London Competition 2015 40 The Scottish Piping Society of London Competition League for Amateur Solo Pipers 43 10 questions with Sean Moloney Product Reviews 44 New CD reviews Grey’s Notes by Michael Grey 46 The gift that keeps giving www.thepipingcentre.co.uk EDITOR: Roddy MacLeod MBE, BSc • FEATURES MANAGER: John Slavin • PUBLISHER: © The National Piping Centre 2015 CORRESPONDENCE: The National Piping Centre, 30-34 McPhater Street, Glasgow, Scotland. G4 0HW. Tel. +44 (0)141 353 0220 EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: [email protected] • ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: [email protected] DESIGN & ADVERT ARTWORK: John Slavin/DesignFolk - email: [email protected] • www.designfolk.com For the best in Pipe Band Supplies kiltsandmore.co.uk Bagpipes • Bagpipe Accessories • Highland Wear • Drumming Kilts & More Scotland • kiltsandmore.co.uk SHEET MUSIC ON DEMAND Superb settings and demo recordings of 1,600 pipe tunes for all levels. Available online at: INSTRUCTION AND AdvicE FROM WORLD CLASS STAFF Providing a full range of tuition options Roddy MacLeod MBE Finlay MacDonald Principal Head of Piping Studies BA (Scottish Music - Piping) Alisdair McLaren Finlay Johnstone Clare Lynas Stuart Samson MBE David Wilton Margaret Dunn John Mulhearn Director of The National Youth Pipe Band Gold Medallist Piping Tutor Ex-director of Army Bagpipe music Piping Tutor Silver Medallist Piping Tutor BA (Scottish Music - Piping) Highland Bagpipe Tutor Book Full Time Ordinary Degree (3 Years) Step-by-step guide as taught by The National Piping Centre and 4th (Honours) Year. A collaborative Subscribe to our programme with the Royal Conservatoire bi-monthly magazine Piping Today Scotland. For particulars and RCS prospectus including information on how to apply contact Shop, Mail Order & Museum Finlay MacDonald at The National Piping Centre. Shop online at www.thepipingcentre.co.uk The National Piping Centre, 30-34 McPhater Street, Cowcaddens, Glasgow G4 0HW. tel. +44 (0)141 353 0220 • fax: +44 (0)141 353 1570 • www.thepipingcentre.co.uk NEWS Final frontier for bagpipes print your own pipes A scots smallpipe player has embraced 3D ANY pipemakers claim that their if it was feasible to play bagpipes. They’re made of printing technology to create his own range instruments are out of this world — but plastic — they’re easier to keep clean and to make of instruments. Mnow one firm has proof after a set of sure they’re not contaminated. They’re also lighter. Donald Lindsay, from Glasgow, used a mccallum bagpipes were played by an astronaut “Bagpipes are very difficult to play at high altitude Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign online to get on the International Space Station. because the air is that bit thinner. They’re quite hard support to buy two 3D printers. American Kjell Lindgren played Amazing Grace to blow so he’s done well.” The small pipes he has designed and printed as a tribute after the death of his colleague Victor The video of Kjell playing the pipes was released have a greater range than traditional instruments Hurst, a research scientist who had been involved in by US space agency NASA in November. and he has also created Highland drones and a astronaut training. It’s the first time the bagpipes have It has been viewed more than 40,000 times on penny whistle. been played in space. YouTube and also featured on the BBC, news websites Customers can pay to print off the kit sets Kjell approached the Kilmarnock firm in 2013 be- and in the press. on their own 3D printers but the bag, reeds and cause he wanted to play the pipes on his International One viewer commented: “No matter how cool chanter are not included. Space Station mission and bought a set of acetyl pipes. you think you are, you’ll never be astronaut-playing- Find out more about Donald’s innovations at Director Kenny MacLeod said: “He wondered bagpipes-in-space cool.” lindstruments.com. News in brief Organisers are promising there will be “thought In Grade 2, Colin McClelland, the PM of the provoking ideas, instrument stalls and curious sounds Pipes and Drums of The Police Service of Northern THE International Bagpipe Conference will from all around the world”. Tickets are available by Ireland, has stepped down to be replaced by Robert bring together bagpipe musicians, academics searching for International Bagpipe Conference on Cupples. and enthusiasts from all around the world at www.eventbrite.com. l ENTRIES are now being accepted for The the national piping centre next year. national piping centre’s annual Junior piping The biennial event, which takes place from On the move Championship, which will be held in Glasgow February 26 to 28, is being organised in collabora- on saturday, februrary 20. tion with the National Piping Centre, the Royal FOLLOWING the end of the pipe band com- The Junior Championship is open to all pipers aged Conservatoire of Scotland and Glasgow University petition season, some leading outfits have 15-17, with three events — Piobaireachd; March, with the support of the Bagpipe Society. announced key changes to their personnel. Strathspey & Reel and Jig. The Novice Championship The RCS will host an opening concert featuring At Grade 1 World Champions Shotts and Dyke- is open to all pipers aged under 15, with four events the Scott Wood Trio on the Friday night. head Caledonia, Jim Kilpatrick is no longer leading — Piobaireachd; Piobaireachd (ground only); March; The conference itself runs on the Saturday and drummer. Andrew Lawson will take over the role. Strathspey & Reel. There is also a chanter contest. Sunday, when bagpipe specialists from all over Also in Grade 1, piper and reedmaker Rory To enter or for more infomation about the event, Europe will exchange knowledge about their instru- Grossart has left Scottish Power to be joint pipe visit www.thepipingcentre.co.uk/about/junior-piping- ments, music and culture. sergeant with Duncan Nicholson at Greater competition/. A social evening with a ceilidh and an organised Glasgow Police Scotland Pipe Band, under pipe major The closing date for entries is Friday, February open mic will be held on the Saturday evening. Iain MacPherson. 5, 2016. PAGE 6 PIPING TODAY • FREE FEATURE SAMPLE • ISSUE 78 • 2015/16 Subscribe online at www.thepipingcentre.co.uk SUBSCRIBE PIPING TODAY magazine is published NEWS every two months. Subscribing is the best way to make sure that you get a regular copy of this magazine with the advantage Celtic Connections is a of getting it “hot off the press”. cause for piping celebration UK 1 Year - £20 THE programme for Celtic Connections in January in Glasgow packs in plenty to whet even Europe - £23 the most discerning piping fan’s appetite. One of the most ambitious concerts in the 18-day Rest of the World - £26 festival is the celebration of the famous Live in Ireland 87 performance by Canada’s 78th Fraser Highlanders Name: __________________________ Pipe Band, just a few days before they became the first non-Scottish band to win the Grade 1 title at the World Pipe Band Championship. surname: ________________________ Fast-forward almost 30 years and a dozen members of the legendary line-up are joined by Address: ________________________ other household names of the piping world, includ- ing Ryan Canning, Ian Duncan, Stuart Liddell, Steven _________________________________ McWhirter, Duncan Nicholson, Richard Parkes, Terry Tully and Ross Walker. The piping extravaganza at Glasgow Royal Concert _________________________________ Hall on January 30 is co-hosted by John Wilson and Bob Worrall. _________________________________ Another cause for celebration is the 50th an- niversary of Armagh Pipers Club and the group’s John Mulhearn (right) and Calum MacCrimmon achievement in ensuring uilleann piping and other of The Big Music Society Post Code: _______________________ traditional instruments continue to thrive is marked with a concert on January 20 at the Old Fruitmarket. into different musical dimensions. Catch them at the Tel No: __________________________ Founders Brian and Eithne Vallely host a lavish line- O2 ABC Glasgow on January 23. up of illustrious alumni and associated acts, including The Big Music Society present something different Email: ___________________________ their sons Cillian, Niall and Caoimhin’s bands, Lúnasa at the Drygate Brewery on January 22. and Buille, together with Flook, and award-winning The project is masterminded by pipers John pipers Jarlath Henderson and Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn. Mulhearn and Calum MacCrimmon and this gig show- Is this a: New Subscription q The legacy of Gordon Duncan’s music is honoured cases Fraser Fifield, acclaimed for his experimentation Re-Subscription q Gift Subscription q with a concert titled Just for Gordon – Celebrating a across Celtic, east European, jazz and electronic To give a subscription to a friend as a gift, music, and New Yorker Matthew Welch and his National Treasure.