Pipe Band

2/4's

• Highland Laddie

  • ​"Highland Laddie", also known as "Hielan' Laddie", is the name of a Scottish popular folk tune.

  • 1881, all British Army Highland Regiments were required to use "Highland Laddie" as their regimental march.

  • Today, Today, eight regiments in Canada have Highland Laddie as their regimental tune, including Thunder Bay's own Lake Superior Scottish Regiment.

• Mairi's Wedding

  • ​‘Mairi’s Wedding’, or ‘The Lewis Bridal Song’ as it is also known, has been popular throughout the world since it was first written in 1934.

  • The tune, written in Gaelic by Johnny Bannerman, was to honour his friend Mary McNiven a well known singer, however her wedding was not to occur until 6 years later, and not to John Bannerman.

• Wha Saw the 42nd Black Watch Regiment

  • ​The first two verses of this song are about soldiers of the 42nd Highland Regiment, the Black Watch, marching along the Broomielaw, which runs alongside the River Clyde in Glasgow. They are going to board a ship to travel abroad and fight, but the song makes fun of how they are dressed.

  • One verse describe them with:

    • "Some o them had boots an stockins
      Some o them had nane at aa
      Some o them had a wee drop whisky
      For tae keep the cauld awa"

• Teribus

  • While the origin of the tune, it's title and history are ambiguous, the tune is particular to the Scottish Borders town of Hawick (pronounced hoick), whose natives are known locally as "Teries" (pronounced teeries).​

  • Teribus is believed to have been the war cry of the men of Hawick at the Battle of Flodden, and still preserved in the traditions of the town. The chorus -  

    • "Teribus ye teri odin

    • Sons of heroes slain at Flodden

    • Imitating Border bowmen

    • Aye defend your rights and common"

  •  The tune, like many Scottish songs, while not about drinking, or women, is one of patriotic "defence and defiance" against foreign invaders and suggested that the phrase is a corruption, or phonetic rendering, of the Scottish Gaelic meaning "Land of victory and land of defence"

  • The tune is commonly played with Corriehoilles Welcome...

• Corriehoillies Welcome to the Northern Meeting​

  • In 1788, the Northern Meeting was created in Inverness by Highland gentlemen to enliven the social life in northern Scotland.

  • The first secretary, Dr John Alves, recorded "that the Object of the Meeting is Pleasure and Innocent Amusement."

  • The Northern Meeting has since evolved into a major bagpipe competition.

  • John Cameron of Corriechoille, a wealthy local landowner was apparently given a special welcome for his 43rd visit to the event.

  • The composer, William Ross, was Pipe Major of 42nd Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) until he became Piper to Queen Victoria from 1854 to 1891.

  • Coire - in the landscape sense, means a rounded bowl scooped out of the hillside by ice/glaciers. It usually gets anglicised to corrie

  • Coille means forest. So the 'corrie of the forest', with the extra 'h' added as a grammatical thing. Obviously in this instance the geographical name has been taken / linked to a particular important individual like a Clan chief (though I'm afraid I don't know who.)

  • The Northern Meeting which was one of the first efforts to restore highland culture following the Battle of Culloden in 1746 where all things Scottish were outlawed. 

  • At The Northern Meeting around 1844, for the first time since the clearances, Scottish competitive piping returned to the highlands.  The prize, the gold medal, and for previous medal winners the clasp, combined are is the most prestigious solo piping award a piper can attain and include three Canadian giants of the bagpipe scene - Jack Lee of Vancouver, Andrew Hayes of Ottawa, and Bruce Gandy of Halifax.

• ​Highroad to Gariloch

  • ​This Scottish tune is very popular for learners on the bagpipes and is thought to date from the 17th Century.

  • It is found in the manuscript of Sir William Mure and scholars believe he wrote it between 1612 and 1623.

• Greenwood Side

  • In barracks the piper still has an important role in communicating information.

  • The "Duty Tunes" vary from regiment to regiment but Greenwood Side is often played for the “Reveille” (i.e.: by the Gordon Highlanders).

  • This lively and military sounding tune is supposed to help soldiers to get up quickly and its difficult fingering to help the piper to get his fingers moving on frosty mornings. This tune is sometimes also played for the “Quarter Hour Dress” to warn the troops to be dressed and ready within 15 minutes.​

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3/4's

• Balmoral

  • T​he Balmoral is a traditional Scottish cap that can be worn with Scottish Highland Dress. It is named after Balmoral Castle, a Royal residence in Scotland.

  • Its original form was a sort of brimless cap with a high-walled rim and a colored toorie (pompom) set in the middle of the soft crown.

  • It was worn by Scottish troops from the late 18th to the mid-19th century, but was replaced in service by the Glengarry.

  • Balmoral is a stoic 3/4 march written by Sir Robert Bruce of the Gordon Highlanders.  As a Scottish solider fighting in World War 2, Robert Bruce was captured during the Battle of Bataan in the Philippines along with many a fellow soldier.  The Battle ended on April 9, 1942, when U.S. to the Japanese where 75,000 soldiers became Prisoners of War. What followed was one the Bataan Death March. Robert Bruce survived this march, laying the road to Balmoral — honoring his comrades who died along the way with his tune.

• The Green Hills of Tyrol

  • The Green Hills of Tyrol is one of the best known, and oldest, tunes played by pipe bands today. It was originally from the opera "William Tell" by Rossini, but was transcribed to the pipes in 1854 by Pipe Major John MacLeod.

  • While early lyrics for the tune were composed, it remained best known as an instrumental until Andy Stewart added a new set, which became his 1960 hit, "A Scottish Soldier."

  • The Green Hills of Tyrol is one of the best known, and oldest, tunes played by pipe bands today. It was originally from the opera "William Tell" by Rossini, but was transcribed to the pipes in 1854 by Pipe Major John MacLeod after he heard it played by a Sardinian military band when serving in the Crimean War with Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. 

  • When the Crimean campaign finally ended they  were immediately dispatched to fight in the Indian Mutiny. In this campaign Pipe Major MacLeod distinguished himself at the siege of Lucknow 

  • no sooner was he within the building then he began to encourage the men by vigorously playing his pipes. The more hot and deadly the battle became the more high strung became the piper’s feelings, and the more loudly did the bagpipes peal and scream — John standing the while in positions perfectly exposed to the fire of the enemy, to whom doubtless he appeared as some unearthly visitant

• When the Battle is O'er

  • ​"When the Battle is Over” is a suitable title for this retreat march as these were played for soldiers when returning to their barracks or camp at the end of the day.

  • It is a late 19th century composition by Pipe Major William Robb, of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

  • The tune entered piping repertoire between the Boer and First World Wars.

  • "When the Battle is Over” is a suitable title for a retreat march as these were played for soldiers when returning to their barracks or camp at the end of the day. It is a late 19th century composition by Pipe Major William Robb, of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the tune entered piping repertoire between the Boer and First World Wars. 
    This march bears a strong resemblance to the melody "The Last Rose of Summer" of Thomas Moore (1779 – 1852) an Irish poet, singer, songwriter, and entertainer, now also remembered for the lyrics of The Minstrel Boy. He is considered Ireland’s National Bard and is to Ireland what Robert Burns is to Scotland.

• On the Road to Passchendale

  • ​One of Scotland's top Piper Majors, Gavin Stoddart was specially commissioned by the organizers of the new WW1 Memorial to fallen Scots, at Passchendaele, Flanders, Belgium to compose this special pipe tune.

  • The Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, was fought during the First World War from 31 July to 10 November 1917. During that battle Canadians alone suffered nearly 16,000 casualties, including 4,000 killed.

  • This tune tells the lamentful story of Passchendaele and the battle outside of Ypres in mid October of 1917. On this 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge, we have selected a first war piece to recall Canada’s efforts, and recount the legacy of the Great War, Canada’s coming of age and the horrible cost incurred.

• Argylles Crossing the River Po​

  • The Po is the longest river in Italy; it also represented a major obstacle for the advancing British Eights Army troops in 1945.​

• Arm in Arm, We Carry On

  • This tune was written by John Toohey and his bother Tim, for their father Peter Toohey, one of our founding members, after Peter was diagnosed with cancer.  Peter passed away in  May 2018 and we play the tune in his memory.  

• March du Petre​

  • ​Brittany is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France.

  • While most tunes come to us from Scottish origins, this tune comes from Brittany and its tempo, timing and expression are tremendously reminiscent of the French Brittany region.

  • This tune is a Breton March, Written by Jackie Pincet a French piper, and this tune arranged by PM Ken Eller and was recorded by Clan McFarlane in 1976.

• My Land​

  • My Land is listed as composed by Norman McLean. A lovely piece of “light” music.​

• Castle Dangerous

  • Castle Dangerous refers to Douglas Castle. It was a stronghold of the Douglas family from medieval times in 1288 to the 20th century.​

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3/2

• Quick Waltz​

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4/4's

• Scotland the Brave

  • While the tune appears to date from about 1890's, it's modern lyrics only came about in 1951.

  • Many consider Scotland the Brave to be Scotland's unofficial national anthem, it really only placed second to Flower of Scotland in a 2006 online poll by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

  • ...is a Scottish patriotic song. It was one of several songs considered an unofficial national anthem of Scotland. Probably first played probably about the beginning of the 20th century with current  lyrics written about 1950 by the Scottish journalist Cliff Hanley. Used by pipe bands the world over, it is the official march past of several Scottish regiments and played by all manner of sporting teams as a tune to raise the quickness of the blood…

• Wings

  • Despite its title, this tune is the regimental march of the Corps of Royal Engineers of the British Army.

  • It was originally composed for military brass bands and was transposed to the pipes probably in the late Victorian era likely from 1870.

  • Wings was also chosen as regimental march when the Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE) were formed in 1904 and later passed on to the Canadian Military Engineers when the RCE ceased to exist in 1998.

  • Despite its title, this tune is the regimental march of the Corps of Royal Engineers of the British Army, as well as some affiliated Commonwealth units. It was originally composed for military brass bands and was transposed to the pipes probably in the late Victorian era and certainly prior to WWI. It dates from 1870.

• Rowan Tree

  • The Rowan tree, or Mountain Ash tree as we know it is known for its white flowers and deep red-orange berries/

  • According to Celtic tradition the Rowan tree provides protection against evil spirits. To have one at home would bring good luck and to cut it would bring unhappiness.

  • In addition, Rowan wood was carried on ships to avoid storms, kept in houses to guard against lightning, tied to farm animals tails to keep them safe and milking stools to guard the milk from enchantment.

  • Rowan trees were planted in church yards to ward off evil and keep the dead in their graves, and with all these powers, it is no surprise to have a tune written about it.

  • Lady Carolina Oliphant Nairn wrote it, as well as some other famous Scottish songs such as Charlie Is My Darling, The Laird o' Cockpen and Will Ye No Come Back Again. She wrote many sentimental "Jacobite" songs, but the rebellion had been over by 50 years by the time she did, and the fashion amongst the rich for all things highland had begun. It was a lucrative money spinner. 
    In the British Isles the rowan, who’s wood is used for walking sticks and other hardy items, has a long and still popular history in folklore as a tree which protects against witchcraft and enchantment. Either way, it is still considered very bad luck when a Rowan Tree falls onto your car.

• Murdo's Wedding

  • This great little 4/4 march has been in pipe band repertoires for so long it’s often forgotten that it’s a fairly recent composition by Gavin Stoddart, former head of the Army School of Piping and Drumming.

  • Gavin was 16 when he penned this tune and initially did not have a title for it until his father's friend, ​Murdo Murray, asked Gavin's father to play at his wedding and if he would compose a tune. 

  • Murdo Murray was a tenor drummer with the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band and "beat" policeman on the Royal Mile.

  • This is another staple of pipe bands around the world.  Written by Major Gavin Stodardt in the mid 1964, Gavin is quoted:  “In 1964 I was playing the practice chanter in the back of my father’s shop in the Lawnmarket, Edinburgh. I was really just messing around and killing time before it was time for my lesson with Captain John MacLellan.  When my father heard what I was playing he said the tune had something going for it and helped out with the first bar for the second part and the remainder of the tune flowed from there. Written for Murdo Murray  who was a tenor drummer with the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band asked Gavin’s father my father to play at his wedding and if he would compose a tune. The groom was a  beat cop on the Royal Mile and married Catherine Anne Maciver on the 17th March 1965 at the Free Church in Stornoway.

• Wally Waly (The Water is Wide)​

  • The original modern published version of "The Water is Wide" can be found in Folk Songs From Somerset published in London by Simpkin & Co. in 1906 The River is Wide, but the theme dates back to back to 1720s titled Oh Waly, Waly, Gin Love Be Bonny". And was also found in William Thomson's Orpheus Caledonius, or a Collection of the best Scotch Songs. Here it was called "Wale' Wale' up yon Bank" ​

• Cockney Jocks

  • Cockney Jocks, of course, refers to the London Scottish regiment. It was written by a Cockney Jock, John Haynes. John is very much a stalwart of the piping scene around the London area, and has played in numerous bands including the famous British Airways PB.​

• From Scotland With Love

  • As the lass said, Men speak conveniently of love when it serves their purpose, and when it doesn’t it is a burden to them.  I disagree.  The fist tune has been recorded dozens of times and speaks of a wonderful love story.

• Bonnie Lass of Fyvie

  • The next tune, Bonnie lass of Fyvie, tells the tale of a soldier enticing an enchanting lass from a small town near Aberdeen to become a camp follower.  Clearly when men at arms are not singing songs about drinking, they are drinking and singing songs about women.​

• We're No Awa Tae Bide Awa

  • Our last tune in this set and for the evening, is We’re not away to stay away, basically,  We're leaving, but will return. Or, loosely translated, thanks for the sheep. Please get some more and we'll come back to steal them, too.

• Farewell to Camraw

  • Don’t try to locate Camraw on a map.  It doesn’t exist! The name of the tune, composed in the 1990’s by PM Robert Matheson is a bit of fun politically and financially motivated stemming from his decision to change bagpipe chanters from the “entry level” Warmac (Camraw is the reverse of Warmac) to Shepherd chanters – This tune was played as part of their 1993 and 94 medleys that coincided with their rise to back to the top as world champions.  Matheson, is incidentally a major investor and owner in Shepherd bagpipes. 

• Wooden Heart

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5/4

• Cullen Bay

  • Cullen is a small town in the north east of Scotland.​

  • Not unlike Thunder Bay, it is made up of two towns, but Cullen has a long history dating back to 1189.

  • However Cullen's main claim to fame is Cullen Skink, which is a form of smoked haddock, potato, and onion soup named after the town.

  • Cullen Bay is tune written in a very unique time signature, - five four.  Written by Ian P. Duncan from in Motherwell, Scotland, born in 1934, he wrote some beautiful melodies.

  • A piper in both military and civilian bands, he was a pipe sergeant Black Watch before joining the Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band, and, as a piper there, they won three Grade 1 World Championships as well as many other national championships including the Intercontinental Competition held in Toronto in 1978.

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6/8 (Slow March)

• Going Home

  • ​This tune, while frequently thought of as a folk song, was actually borrowed from Dvořák 9th symphony "From the New World," soon after arriving in America in 1893.

  • William Arms Fisher, a pupil of Dvořák’s, who wrote the lyrics in 1922, long after the composition of the symphony in 1893.

  • The composer Antonin Dvorak went to North America one day. He wrote his New World Symphony in four movements. One of them, Largo, is slow and lamentful. It is said to have been based on a piobaireachd that he had heard piped by a piper somewhere in North America, believed to be MacKintosh’s Lament. Somewhere along the way, Largo became the "folk" tune Going Home. So, Largo/Going Home is played on the pipes today, thus returning to what is supposed to be the inspiration for the tune. Art imitating art which again imitated art. 

• My Home

  • This well known air has had a varied history, in the course of which it has become separated into at least two distinct tunes, played on the pipes as a slow march and a jig.

  • The tune first appeared in Patrick MacDonald’s collection of Highland Vocal Airs in 1784, in the section headed ‘Western Isle Airs’, and with the title “The wedding of John Ban’s sister”, but in Gaelic of course.

  • The tune was played as a lament at the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965 and for the Queen Mother's funeral in 2002.

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6/8's

• Bonnie Dundee

  • Bonnie Dundee, better known as John Graham, Viscount Dundee, died fighting for the Jacobite cause at the Battle of Killiecrankie is immortalized in this song.

  • ​The Battle of Killiecrankie was fought on July 27, 1689 chiefly between highland Scottish clans supporting James II and VII and government troops supporting William of Orange.

  • About one-third of the highlander force was killed.

• The Steamboat

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• Over the Water to Charlie

  • Associated with the Jacobite era, this tune published collections with the "Over the Water" title, a title that first appeared in John Walsh's Complete Country Dancing Master, volume the Third (London, 1749). 

• Farewell to the Creeks

  • Farewell to the Creeks has a story worth telling – it was written by James Robertson of Banff Scotland, born 1886, began learning pipes at age 15.  He enlisted in the Gordon Highlanders in 1906 at age 30 where He befriended GS McLennan.  He and went to war more than 100 years ago and was taken prisoner of war. In April 1918, he was exchanged.  He stated that during his captivity he wrote Farewell to the Creeks while in solitary confinement as a POW in 1915 while thinking of the creeks of Portknockie near his uncles farm where he would holiday. At the time of his death, he still possessed the piece of yellow blotting paper that he wrote the tune on.  He retired from the military and became a policeman in Banfshire and retired as a school janitor.

• John D Burgess

  • John D Burgess written by George Cockburn.  Burgess, a tall poppy in piping circles, learned to play at the age of 4, and in 1950 he became the youngest ever winner of the Gold Medals for piobaireachd at both the Argyllshire Gathering in Oban and the Northern Meeting in Inverness, at the age of 16 while studying piping under the famous Pipe Major Willie Ross. Served in the British Army, Edinburgh City Pipe Pipe Band as its pipe major, then Pipe Major of the 4th and 5th Cameron Highlanders and then became a teacher and adjudicator until his death in in 2005. Known as the King of Highland Pipers.

• Mucking of Geordies Byre

  • The mucking of geordies byre – is a bothie tune - Bothies were out-houses built of stone where unmarried farm labourers lived. The men would gather in towns waiting for a farmer to come along and hire them. The wages were poor and the diet was monotonous oatmeal. But the bothie was home for the time they worked on the farm. The building consisted of two rooms, one a dormitory for sleeping and the other the room where they ate and spent their evenings. On cold nights when there was nothing to do but go to bed, the men would have sing-songs to pass the time. Many of the bothy ballads were created during this time, some shared from the past, some re-made and new ones improvised.Burns wrote a few of these himself. The mucking of geordies Byre – literally translated means the cleaning of Georges Cow Shed.

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9/8's

• The Battle of the Somme

  • ​This pipe tune, a retreat composed by William Laurie commemorates one of the greatest and most terrible battles of the first World War. 58,000 lives were lost by the British troops (one third of those on the first day of the battle).

  • The tune is often selected to play for one of Scotland's national dances, the Scottish Lilt because the tune is played in the idiosyncratic 9/8 retreat march time and which suits the steps of the Scottish Lilt to perfection.

  • The heights of Dargai - commemorates the actions of the Gordon Highlanders in India during the British campaign at the heights - a three hundred yard high rocky outcrop vital in both military importance and to communications.

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• The Heights of Dargai

  • The Heights of Dargai commemorates an important Battle Honor of the Gordon Highlanders, now part of The Highlanders (Gordons, Seaforths & Camerons).​

  • Dargai is in northwest Pakistan. During the summer of 1897, various tribes had fielded a force of nearly 50,000 men to harass and destroy British forts and villages. When they captured the Khyber Pass in August, the British Government decided they must be removed.

  • The campaign climaxed on October 20th when a Brigade won the heavily manned cliffs leading up to the Dargai Plateau.

  • During the battle, Piper Private Jock Findlater, wounded in both feet, continued to play marches to encourage the troops during the fray. For this he received great acclaim at the time and a Victoria Cross from the Queen.

  • The Battle of the Somme calls to mind one of the bloodiest battles of world war one and this tune was written in memory the fallen there.

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Medley

• Rainbow Country

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• ​Captain Horne

  • While not confirmed, the title of this tune may be in reference to Sir George Horne, captain of the HMS Defiance.

  • Defiance was a 74-gun ship in the Royal Navy, built in 1783.

  • Unusually and unfortunately for Captain Horne, his crew mutinied three times in October of 1795.

  • Fortunately for Captain Horne, Captain William Bligh was sent with 200 troops to quell the uprising. The threat of Captain Bligh's crew boarding was enough to put down the insurection.​

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• High Road to Linton

  • ​The tune is sometimes said to be about the old drove road (also called the Thieves’ Road).

  • At one time that was the main route through the Borders for cattle drovers. They bought cattle in the Scottish Highlands and walked them all the way south.

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Slow Aires

• The Rose

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• Highland Cathedral

  • Highland Cathedral was written as a pipe tune by in 1982 by the German musicians Ulrich Roever and Michael Korb, reportedly for a Highland games in Germany.

  • Its popularity in the decades since has seen it picked by Madonna as a wedding march when she married at Skibo castle.

• Amazing Grace

  • ​The origin of the melody is unknown however many hymnals attribute it to an early American folk melody. Some even speculate that it may have originated as the tune that the slaves sang.

  • What is know is that John Newton a seaman and captain of a slave ship wrote the lyrics that could have been inspired in 1748, when on a homeward voyage, a terrible storm battered his vessel so severely that he became frightened enough to call out to God for mercy, a moment that marked the beginning of his spiritual conversion.

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