George Greig and Harry Gray present of their latest publication

About 100 years ago, James Scott Skinner was one of the most noted of a long line of famous fiddlers in the North East of Scotland. He was referred to as 'The Strathspey King' and G.S.McLellan wrote the tune of that name for him. Most pipers will know 'Hector the Hero' and 'The Cameron Highlanders' and, perhaps, a few other tunes by Scott Skinner. However, he published over 600 tunes, many of which sit nicely on the pipes, particularly smallpipes.
Working from the original collections which are to be found in Aberdeen City Central Library, we have produced this collection of some 150 of his tunes arranged for smallpipes. While it is true that some of these arrangements do harmonise with the originals, the intention never was to produce something to play along with fiddlers playing the original versions. These arrangements should be seen, and heard, as stand-alone tunes which retain the Scott Skinner sound and cadences, yet can be played on the nine notes available on smallpipes. The following is just one example of a tune which encompassed over two octaves yet is immediately recognisable as the Scott Skinner tune, even when constrained to the smallpipes’ smaller range.

Balmoral Castle

It is hoped that this collection will appeal to those pipers with a particular interest in traditional North East fiddle tunes. The authors have donated this book to the LBPS and all proceeds from its sale will go to the Society.
Harry Gray
George Greig