‘Land of Bens and Glens and Heroes’ by Capt. Stuart Samson MBE
M
OST of the tunes are by Captain Samson. I have sight read, silently, through
all the tunes and enjoyed them though
some
lacked an obvious melody, sometimes because there were ‘too many notes’ especially in the early part of the tunes. Of course composing new appealing melodies is very difficult and those like Stuart who do compose are to be applauded. I found the 2/4 Cairn o’ Mount to be attractive.HM Kongens Garde – 150 Years had a strong rhythm in line with marching Norwegian soldiers. The Spirit of the Tattoo, however, owes too much to The Barnyards of Delgaty or the Garb of Old Gaul. In compound time I liked the tune Between the Don and the Dee. Some of the hornpipes and jigs are attractive but time will judge whether they become known and played. The piobaireachd Land of Bens and Glens and Heroes does not suit my taste but may please some of the less old- fashioned pipers. The book is attractively printed and well presented with a striking front cover. Dugald B. MacNeill
I
‘Bagpipemakers’ – Second Edition by Jeannie Campbell
remember the day I opened the PT and read about Jeannie’s first book about pipemakers. It must
40
have been about 2001. Being an avid collector of pipes and memorabilia and a traditional pipemaker myself I thought: that’s for me! I had often thought of writing a similar book but put it into the ‘too hard’ basket. So much research required, I got dizzy at the thought. Not that I am a stranger to publishing books – number three in my tune collection is on the way. Anyway, anyone attempting the mammoth task of producing such a book as Jeannie’s deserves a medal. I ordered the book and was impressed at the research for starters. I found a few minor errors when certain facts were compared to notes I had taken but certainly nothing to write home about. In history, one man’s recollection can differ from another’s over time so Jeannie is probably not to blame. I keep the first edition at the workshop for reference and it is well used not only by myself but by customers too.When I read in the PT that Jeannie was to release a second larger and revised edition I was ‘over the moon’. I ordered the book immediately, and was (and am still) completely blown away with the newly listed ‘old’ pipemakers, fresh updates and rare photographs. For anyone interested in the fascinating history of bagpipemaking it is a dream. Many piping folk, including
myself, have stored archival photographs, printed matter, etc just awaiting an opportunity for it to be published. I only wish that Jeannie had let the wider piping world know that a second edition was on the drawing board and I am sure she would have had even more valuable