Piping in South Uist and Benbecula

By J DECKER FORREST and JOSHUA DICKSON UIST Piping in South Uist and Benbecula A RESEARCH JOURNAL, 21-27 NOVEMBER 2006 FROM 21 to 27 November, 2006, J Decker Forrest and Joshua Dickson both members of staff active in Scottish music and research at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama toured South Uist and Benbecula in pursuit of sources both new and familiar. It was a chance to catch up with long-time colleagues in the chronicling of change and tradition in the area (whether to revisit past lines of enquiry or to follow new ones) and to search for sources of seanchas oral history, personal reminiscence, the inside scoop heretofore overlooked. This was not the first trip to Uist for either Josh or Decker: Josh spent much time there researching his doctorate in Scottish ethnology, culminating in the book When Piping Was Strong (2006); Decker began researching piping in Uist several years ago and has close family connections to the area. They arrived in Uist with a number of research objectives for the week. Decker was, in the main, interested in the material culture associated with piping in Uist and Benbecula, such as the indigenous manufacture of practice chanters and reeds for both chanter and drone. Josh was mainly focused on biographical and performance information relating to Lachlan Bàn MacCormick (1859-1952), whose life spanned a great deal of change in the Hebridean tradition. Both were also interested in light music performance style and surviving Gaelic nomenclature for tunes, technical words and instrument materials. In addition, Decker was keen to investigate the use of the truimpe, or jew s harp, in Uist and Benbecula. What follows is a day-by-day account of their work and travels during the week in question. The notes on which it is based were composed at the end of each day as a way of allowing them to reflect on the day s work, consider the significance or otherwise of this or that, and generally improve recall of interviews that may or may not have been voice-recorded. This is considered an essential plank of ethnographic or journalistic research of any sort. The authors hope that this account will therefore serve as an example to other pipers, or scholars of piping, who wish to investigate further the as yet unexhausted contribution of Gaelic oral history to our understanding of piping s place in Scottish music. PART 1 OF 3 PARTS TUESDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2006 AT 8.20 a.m., we left Queen Street Station, Glasgow, for Oban. Later that afternoon, we caught the ferry to Loch Baghasdail, via Castlebay, arriving at about 22.35 p.m. We were relieved to have departed Oban s ferry terminal, as bad weather had prevented crossings for two days. After picking up our hire car, we drove to Gearraidh Bhailteas and settled into base camp our self-catering accommodation. WEDNESDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2006 AFTER breakfast, we headed north for Benbecula to speak to the Higher National Certificate Photo: Decker Forrest CATRIONA Garbutt playing the Roidein pipes in her home in Uachdar, Benbecula. and Higher National Diploma students at Lews Castle College (Lionaclait campus). We met the director, Will Lamb, who showed us around the building, and began our talk with students at 10 a.m. Staff members Iain MacDonald (Glenuig) and Anna-Wendy Stevenson were kind enough to attend. We spoke about the development of the Traditional Music Graded Exams and the BA (Scottish Music) Honours degree at the RSAMD before discussing our own research interests in the piping traditions of Uist, which included reed-making with local materials, the Piobaireachd Society s impact on piping in Uist and the transition from ear-learned dance-play- PIPING TODAY 25

ing to literate competition-based repertoire and performance in Uist and Benbecula since the early twentieth century. We had brought along some CD samples to illustrate the talk; we played an early recording of Willie Ross as well as a recording of Alec Currie from Cape Breton. These elicited interesting comments from the students regarding the changes in tempos, rhythms and general aesthetics in piping that had occurred. Two students, Archie MacLean, a Royal National Mod gold medallist, and James MacKenzie, a piper from Lewis, asked about a pibroch song they had been arranging for pipes and voice. This turned out to be Cha Till Mac Crimmon and we discussed different versions of it that had been recorded or published over the years. Before leaving, we spoke with Iain MacDonald, who had ideas for potential informants and kindly phoned around to follow these up for us. At lunch, at Stepping Stone restaurant in Balivanich, we ran into Neil MacMillan, one of the informants we had planned to speak with later in the week. In the course of our brief conversation, Neil mentioned that the photo of the anonymous piper in Josh s book (plate 1) was actually Neil s uncle, Willie Walker. We arranged to meet with Neil on Friday morning at his home in Gearraidh Bhailteas. At 14:30, we met our first informant, Catriona Garbutt in Uachdar, Benbecula. She had been practicing her wee strathspeys and reels : tunes she had noted down in a small tartan cloth-covered address book from her father s playing in the early 1970s. She had devised her own notational method using alphabetical letters for notes, and phrases like birl, to jot down the tunes in a highly succinct and abbreviated form. She keeps three sets of pipes going religiously: the red pipes, the green pipes (referring to the colour of the bag covers) and the Rodein pipes, which she had just been playing. The Rodein pipes were an old set of ivory mounted Peter Hendersons that had belonged to Donald (Dòmhnall Roiden) MacDonald, father of John and Roderick (Seonaidh and Ruairidh Roidein) MacDonald from Dalabrog. Catriona had received these pipes from her father, Calum Iain, who had bought them from Angus Campbell of Frobost, who had received them from Dòmhnall Roidein himself. We both took the opportunity to play the Roidein pipes while Photo: Lews Castle College, Benbecula DECKER Forrest and Josh Dickson visit staff and students of the Gaelic Language and Music Course at Lews Castle College s Lionaclait campus in Benbecula. JOSH Dickson plays the Roidein pipes belonging to Catriona Garbutt in Uachdar, Benbecula. Photo: Decker Forrest AN unidentified Uist piper in the uniform of the Lovat Scouts, date unknown. REMAINS of the home of piper and fiddler Lachlan Bàn MacCormick (1859-1952) stand near Haclait, Benbecula, adjoined by the more recent addition. Photo: courtesy of Joan Martin Photo: Josh Dickson PIPING TODAY 26

Photo: Josh Dickson DECKER Forrest picks cuilc (marsh reeds) from the lochside in Cil Donain, South Uist, for use in reed-making. visiting Catriona, and were impressed with the big, projecting quality of the drones. Catriona Garbutt spoke about piping in Benbecula, the rivalry between pipers in Benbecula and South Uist and about growing up in a family full of pipers. She said she went to sleep and woke up to the sound of the pipes nearly every day of her childhood. She spoke of learning to play the pipes in a very structured manner using the Logan s Tutor and noted that her first tune was The 72nd s Farewell to Aberdeen. We played recordings of Angus (Aonghus Sheòrais) MacAulay from Benbecula playing strathspeys and jigs around the year 1950 and asked for her comments on his style. We also asked Catriona about Lachlan Bàn Mac- Cormick. She spoke briefly about Gaelic piping nomenclature, including terminology for certain ornaments and parts of the bagpipe. Towards the end of the interview, Catriona also played several of the strathspeys and reels from her notebook on her electronic practice chanter. We recognised only one of the tunes, A. A. Cameron s strathspey. Catriona did not know names or associated puirt a beul for any of the tunes. We then drove back to Gearraidh Bhailteas and had dinner and a ceilidh with our hosts, Angus and Isabel MacKenzie (Decker Forrest s parents-in-law). The MacKenzies suggested several more informants, including Gilbert Walker, a nephew of Willie Walker living in the Post Office house in Dalabrog. THURSDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2006 AFTER telephoning several informants to arrange interviews, we left Gearraidh Bhailteas for Benbecula via the Co-op to get supplies. Our first visit was at noon, with Anne MacDonald (neè MacKechnie), a great granddaughter of Lachlan Bàn MacCormick, and her husband Iain MacDonald (Glenuig) at their home in Griminis. Anne explained she was related to Lachlan Bàn as in Figure 1. Figure 1 Anne MacDonald showed us two portraits of her grandfather, Calum, along with two smoking pipes believed to have belonged to Lachlan. She confirmed that Lachlan had been an albino, that he was blind later in life and that he, like his sons, was a fiddler as well as a piper. Iain also showed us some photos of himself along with his father and brothers, Allan and Angus, growing up in Glenuig. Anne and Iain suggested we visit Mary MacLellan in Caolas Floddaidh that afternoon. Anne arranged the meeting with Mary over PIPING TODAY 27

the phone and we left to meet her at around 2 p.m. Mary MacLellan was living in a partly converted schoolhouse where she had lived with her late brother, Duncan, a much-respected music tutor and recipient of the Balvenie Medal. Mary explained that Duncan had started off as a piper and was taught by Archie MacPhee in Nunton. Archie MacPhee is still living in Stornoway and a brother, Alec, lives in Benbecula. Duncan later taught himself the accordion and became a popular teacher of the pipes. He taught several local players, including Anne MacDonald (neè MacKechnie) and Donald Bàn MacDonald, now the main piping tutor in the schools in Uist. Although not a piper herself, Mary MacLellan told us she used to listen in on Duncan s lessons in the house and how keen his pupils were to learn Paddy s Leather Britches. Duncan was adamant, Mary explained, that his pupils learn all the ornaments and other more basic tunes properly that is to say, by the book before moving on to this tune. She spoke of Duncan s trip to the Glenfiddich Piping Championship with Iain MacDonald, and how surprised he was when the announcer began speaking about him before presenting him with the Balvennie Medal for services to piping. Mary showed us the medal, which was displayed on the mantelpiece. We both played some tunes on the pipes, including Paddy s Leather Britches for Mary before returning to Anne and Iain s house. We followed Anne and Iain by car to the ruins of Lachlan Bàn MacCormick s house near the causeway in Benbecula and took photos. We then bade them farewell and headed south for Loch Baghasdail and an interview with Donald Steele. On the way, we stopped by Cill Donain loch to collect reeds (cuilc). Decker had found reeds of a suitable diameter for making drone reeds here in the past, and we found good specimens. We met Donald Steele at his home at about 2 p.m. We established that Donald was a son of John (Seonaidh) Steele, a noted piper and athlete. Donald had been a drummer in the Cameron Highlanders T.A. band, and later became the drummer in a local ceilidh band, Na Deasaich. He had begun to play the chanter as a child but his father heard him playing, not knowing it was Donald, and made some comment to the effect of, whoever that was, should just give up. So, unfortunately, he did. Donald s PIPING TODAY 28 Photo: courtesy of Donald Steele PIPE Major John Steele (1889-1961) of Loch Baghasdail, South Uist: a Great War veteran, athlete and extremely musical piper, Steele was the John MacColl of the Hebrides. brother, Donald Iain, became a well-regarded piper in the Cameron Highlanders T.A. band. Another brother, Fearchar, had started to play as well, but severed some tendons on his hand when he and his brothers were playing with a regimental dirk. The injury was badly treated by the doctor and Fearchar was unable to play again. Donald showed us some photos, including several of the Cameron Highlanders T.A. pipe band: one of Donald Iain in uniform with pipes and one of his father aged around 30. Donald also identified two pipers in a photo of the 4th/5th Battalion Cameron Highlanders in Josh s book When Piping was Strong (plate 18) as Neil MacDonald and Piper Manson, from Caithness. Neil MacMillan confirmed this when we met with him the next day. We left Donald s house and headed back to Gearraidh Bhailteas for dinner. We then left for Joan (Seonag) Martin s house in Dalabrog for about 8 p.m. Joan Martin is the niece of noted South Uist piper, Findlay Martin. Her brother, Donald Martin, was also a noted piper. She did not learn to play the pipes, but has maintained keen interest in piping all of her life and was a masterful raconteur. She spoke about piping and the various pipers in Uist in her life, and in particular those related to her, like Findlay and Donald. The Photo: courtesy of Joan Martin FINDLAY Martin of Dalabrog competes in tweed suit and bonnet at the Askernish Games, South Uist, on 22 August 1930. Roideins, John (Seonaidh) and Roderick (Ruairidh) MacDonald, had been raised up the road from the Martins and Joan recalled that John could tune the pipes beautifully and noted that his pipes were not hard, not sharp and that there was crispness in his fingers. She remembered other pipers including Lachlan Bàn MacCormick (Benbecula), Michael MacPhee (Gerinish), George and Donald MacMillan, Calum Walker and Willie Walker. She recalled how her brother, Donald and neighbour, Angus Peter Walker went to Bob Nicol s classes in the 1950s. Nicol felt that Donald was a good player with a lot of potential for ceòl mòr and wrote to Roderick MacDonald, asking him to take him under his wing. Roderick then wrote to Donald asking him to visit for two weeks in Glasgow where he would teach him all the ceòl mòr he needed. However, Donald did not go, as he was not keen on competing so did not see the point. Joan spoke about more technical aspects of piping and recalled that her uncle Findlay would make his practice chanter reeds from barley straw (eòrna) by biting off a piece of the right length and chewing the end. She also recalled him seasoning his bag with treacle and egg white and how his wife once memorably got annoyed because he had seasoned his bag just prior to Michaelmas, when these ingredients were needed for a special cake that was

traditionally made for the occasion. She also let loose a torrent of Gaelic piping nomenclature, confirming that the following terms were used in Uist: Gleus reed (pipe chanter) Ribheid reed (practice chanter) Sionnsar pipe chanter Feadan practice chanter Dos mòr bass drone Dos beag tenor drone Duis drones Gotha drone reed Gothaiche drone reed Gothaichean drone reeds Joan was a fount of knowledge concerning local piping customs in years past, including funeral processions. She recalled a formation traditionally used, which was later described in further detail by Calum Beaton as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2. The last time this formation was used in Dalabrog was in 1964, when Calum Beaton and John (Seonaidh Roidein) MacDonald piped the remains of Dolina MacFadyen (neè Martin wife of Hector MacFadyen) from St. Peter s Church to Cladh Chalain. Calum took over from John half way through, playing Flowers of the Forest. According to Calum, a man would yell seasaibh a mach! ( stand out! ) every 40 meters or so, at which point six men from the front would fall back and relieve the pall bearers, who would then go to the back of the queue. Joan remembered seeing an earlier funeral cortege of this type in 1948 at funeral of Canon Patrick MacDonald. Four pipers took part: two from Dalabrog (Willie Walker and George MacMillan) and two from Iochdar (Peter MacLeod and one other). She noted that it was considered bad luck to play Flowers of the Forest or Lochaber no More ( puirt na Marbh tune of the Dead, as she put it) indoors, but could be practiced outside or in a barn. Joan spoke about the accordion gradually replacing the pipes as the main instrument for dancing after the Second World War and noted several pipers who learned the accordion at this time, including Bobby MacLeod and Duncan MacLellan of Caolas Floddaidh. Popular dances in her youth included the Eightsome Reel, the Schottische, The Haymaker s Jig, Lancer s and Quadrilles. She also mentioned that there were a number of waltzes and that the melody to Pop goes the weasel was played for one dance. Joan also spoke about the misappropriation of certain tunes. She said that Dr MacKay s Farewell to Creagorry was the original name of the tune now known as The Dark Island. Apparently, the new title was adopted when the tune was used for a television show. We came across this anecdote many times. The tune known as The Sands of Loch Bee was actually a tune composed by John (Seonaidh Roidein) MacDonald entitled, The March Past of the Glasgow Police. According to Joan, a piper named MacKillop learned the tune from Rona and Neil MacDonald s uncle, a postie in Dalabrog. MacKillop joined the Camerons and, while stationed in Inverness, played the tune to his Pipe Major who asked for the name of the tune, but MacKillop had forgotten it by this time. The Pipe Major urged MacKillop to give it a name, and so he called it The Sands of Loch Bee. In The Caber Feidh Collection (1984), the tune is listed as Glasgow Police March Past (or, Sands of Lock Bee) and includes the following note: This tune, which was popularly known in the 1st Camerons as Sands of Loch Bee was composed by Pipe Major John MacDonald, South Uist, who was a piper in the 5th and 7th Bns The Queens Own Cameron Highlanders in World War I, and subsequently Inspector in the City of Glasgow Police. (p. 83) We returned to Gearraidh Bhailteas and compiled our notes from the day. l Part 2 of 3: next issue. The John MacFadyen Trust and William Grant & Sons Ltd present The 41st annual MacCrimmon Memorial Silver Chanter Recital Wednesday 1st August 2007 (one week before the Skye Games), Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye, 7:30 pm Featuring the piping of: Roddy MacLeod Jack Lee Angus MacColl Richard Hawke Simon McKerrell Euan MacCrimmon Judge: Andrew Wright Fear an Tighe: Neil Fraser Tickets available from the College of Piping, priced 15 - Tel. 0141 334 3587 PIPING TODAY 29