OK, so it would be nice to play a tune that commemorates a great victory of your clan over the degenerates who live in the next valley over. Sadly, for the Macfies this is not the case.

The Macfies (or MacPhee, MacPhie, etc.), despite a long and interesting history there, were finally kicked off their ancestral island of Colonsay in 1620, just as another group of people, an ocean away, were arriving to settle the Americas. The Macfies had resisted as long as they could, but their relatively small number, coupled with some double-crossing, finally ushered in the end of their occupancy. The clan moved onto the mainland where they dispersed. Many ultimately moved to North America.

There is a tune that commemorates this dispersal. It is called The Rout of the MacPhees. For better or worse, it is the one tune in the ancient repertoire that names my family, so I feel a certain attachment to it. It is not often played, and I have not been able to find a recording of it, other than Donald MacLeod on practice chanter, on his set of instructional tapes. Lewis Turrell, of New Zealand, became the first overseas player to win the Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting in 1958, playing The Rout of the MacPhees. He learned the tune from Donald MacLeod, and is himself still playing ceol mor, although in his 70s. I called Lewis at his store in Auckland, to see if he had recording of himself playing the tune. Sadly, he did not, but I am sure he will be glad to see that it features among the Piobaireachd Society’s set tunes for 2008 in the Silver Medal list. This means it is likely to be played during the 2008 season, and I may yet find a recording.

For now, I will try to learn the tune, and there is a new point on this story arc. About 15 years ago the Clan Macfie organized a gathering on the Isle of Colonsay. The clan piper, Bob McFie, wrote and played a new piobaireachd for the event. Next step is to contact him and see if I can start learning that tune.

Every year the Piobaireachd Society publishes 3 lists of about 8 tunes it “recommends” for performance in solo piping competitions in the coming year. The lists are for Senior, Gold and Silver Medal competition level. The Society’s recommendations are basically the de facto tune list for solo piping in piobaireachd.

Some have complained these lists exemplify the Piobaireachd Society’s rigid control of what tunes (and which versions of those tunes) get played by the top players; others say the lists ensure a good rotation, so that the more obscure tunes get a periodic airing on the boards. Either way, you can expect to hear selections from these lists played over the next competition year, because, after 100 years in this position, the Society is unlikely to lose its influence any time soon.

The list of tunes for 2008 is out and it makes very interesting reading. No big surprises in the Silver and Gold Medal tunes; they represent the usual trip through the repertoire, with some nice highlights I’ll mention later. The big shake up is in the Senior list. This is the list of tunes we can expect to hear played by the top players at the prestigious competitions. The list is composed entirely of 20th century tunes, including a tune by a French composer, Patrick Molard, who is actually still alive! It seems that perceptions of the Piobaireachd Society, as a cartel of old guys determined to freeze the music in late 1800s time, are increasingly invalid.

That said, the old tunes in the silver medal list are pretty darn cool as far as I am concerned. Included for 2008 are The Rout of the MacPhees and I Am Proud To Play a Pipe. Obviously, I Am Proud To Play a Pipe needs no explanation - it’s my theme tune! The Rout of the MacPhees is a tune I have written about before. As a descendant of the Clan Macfie, I have been on a quest to find a good recording of this tune. More on this in a later post!

What connections are there between Finland and Scotland? Well, here are a few: they each have hard-to-learn languages (Finnish and Scots Gaelic are right up there with Navajo), they are both cold quite a bit of the time, and, of course, both countries have great music.

Since I am one quarter Finnish (on my Father’s side), I always pay attention to things Suomi. For example, the other day I found myself behind a car in downtown Salt Lake City with a bumper sticker instructing me to “Honk If You’re Finnish”. I honked; the occupant paused, then waved.

A few days ago I received a private message from a member of the Piping Forums of which I am a member. Mikko, from Oulo, had written to me asking if I were Finnish. He is the only Great Highland Bagpiper in his town, which is “200km south of the Arctic Circle”. Turns out, if he were to move south, to Helsinki, he would have company. Yesterday I found my way to the website of the Helsinki Pipes and Drums. They are the “oldest, finest and only Pipe Band in Finland”, and they compete in Denmark and amongst the Scandinavian countries. They’ve even been to the US.

I think it’s a good sign when a notoriously shy people will play the loudest acoustic instrument there is.

Last night was the monthly meeting of the Utah Piobaireachd Society. We started out by discussing the “pulse” of a tune, and how it’s not the same as a beat in light music. Then we illustrated this for ourselves by group-learning MacCrimmon Will Never Return. It’s a cool tune and quite repetitive, but it shows clearly how the timing of ceol mor is different. I really like the fluidity of it, although it’s sometimes hard to make the mental switch from the regular western idiom we grew up with.

After the group session, some of us played our tunes for the others. We heard The Company’s Lament and Struan Robertson’s Salute in their entirety, and I played the ground and first variation of The Lament for Captain MacDougall.

After the meeting was over, I spent some time with Gordon Nichol looking at different tunes, and he suggested I try learning MacCrimmon Will Never Return, in addition to my other tune. I drove home listening to all the versions I have (thank you, ipod), so now I’m raring to go!

The Salt Lake Scots (Salt Lake Valley’s pipe band) have a new website up. At least I think it’s fairly new. I used to check periodically, but their site always said it was under construction. Well, there’s a website there now, and it looks pretty good.

The band has chosen its custom tartan as the background, and while there are a few pages that are incomplete, most are up. I like that there are individual pictures of the band. This will save me from embarrassment in the summer when I meet members of the Scots, and have to remember their names!

On the subject of local band websites, my own band has a new picture on its front page. The picture chosen for our upcoming concert is of an ornate castle by a loch in Scotland. The White Peaks Centennial Pipe Band, out of Payson, also has a new rather spiffy image on its front page, and I think the Galloway Highlanders, from Clearfield, have updated their website also.

Spring has sprung, and websites are blooming all over. Good luck for the coming season of competition everbody.