I finally got around to adding a new recording of bagpipe music to my YouTube channel. It will be the first of several new ones I hope to complete in the next week or so:

Barry plays a selection of jigs on the Highland Bagpipe from some his published works

Next up is a set of 2/4 marches taken from my Archives. It was recorded in 1999, in Dartmouth, NS as part of the CD project “A Cape Breton Piper”. Tunes in this cut are : The Strathlorne March and the Glencoe March. Although originally violin compositions by the late Dan R. MacDonald, with some clever arranging they go great on the limited scale of the Highland bagpipe or Scottish smallpipes. The arrangements played here are published in my second book ‘The Cape Breton Collection of Bagpipe Music. see https://capebretonpiper.com:

The Strathlorne March and The Glencoe March

Here is a snippet of my talk with Alex Currie (1910-1997). He learned his piping from his mother and Grandmother through the medium of Gaelic song in the form of Port-a-beul (or mouth music) and their own form of canntaireachd (vocal singing). The tune being discussed is “Siud mar chaidh an Càl a Dholaidh” (That’s How the Cabbage was spoiled). It opens with my version of the old strathspey “Behind the Change House”.

Thanks to Alex for his memories and his generosity with sharing his music with me. Barry

A Visit with Alex Currie, 1997

From the Archives A Visit With: Archie “Alex” MacKenzie, formerly of Rear Christmas Island. In this recordings Archie discusses the music of local piper Stephen B. MacNeil [Stephain Mhìcheil Mhurchaidh Dhòmhnaill Òig, (1851-1940)] and the 1937 visit of John Lorne Campbell from Scotland to Cape Breton researching music for his “Songs Remembered in Exile”. Archie also mentions the Margaree piper/ fiddler, “Little” Allan MacFarlane [Allachan Aonghais Dhuibh]. Settings for Duntroon’s Reel and Over the Isles to America can be found in “Play it Like You Sing it: The Shears Collection”Although it is now out of print there are still a few copies out there waiting to be had

A visit with Archie MacKenzie

Here are a few reels played on the highland bagpipes with some photographs from Cape Breton taken in 2014

I hope everyone enjoys the tunes and pics

Barry Shears

Reels played on the Highland Bagpipe