Pipe Tunes

Niall Watson, our piper and marshal played some especially apt tunes for the LAMM and writes:

Saturday morning

These were three tunes in 6/8 time:

• Major John MacLennan, The Gordon Highlanders composed by Pipe Major George S McLennan of The Gordon Highlanders
• The Hills of Glenorchy - composer unknown
  
• The 10th Battalion The Highland Light Infantry Crossing the Rhine composed by Pipe Major Donald Shaw Ramsey.
  

Pipe Major Donald Shaw Ramsey was made pipe major at the age on 19. On leaving the Army he joined Edinburgh police and led their pipe band to become world champions. He was shot (but not killed) on police duty.

Major John MacLennan died in the Girls' High School in Aberdeen which does not seem to be a bad place to go to me. He won the Distinguished Conduct Medal whilst RSM of the 1st Battalion The Gordon Highlanders during the Boer War. In 1902 he was appointed Quartermaster. In 1916 whilst serving in France his horse was startled by shell fire and he fell off. The girls school was a miltary hospital and he was evacuated to it but died on the 11th August 1916 - in what was the music room. The composer was his cousin.

Sunday morning

These were particularly apt tunes in 3/4 time that I learned for the LAMM. They were:

• I See Mull (Land of my Youth) composed by D MacLellan
• Torosay Castle composed by Pipe Major J Laurie of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
  

I hope everyone enjoyed them.

Niall Watson