Pipers and Pipe Music of the Great War

The piper playing his comrades into action is an iconic image of war. Pipers were there to entertain the troops and offer comfort on long marches, with soldiers singing their own words to familiar tunes. New tunes were composed to commemorate battles and lost companions.

The Scottish Pipers’ Association received £7,500 for a project to examine the stories and music of pipers in the First World War.

Research by volunteers helped young pipers and audiences to better understand the stories behind the songs. An exhibition was created to accompany a series of concerts commemorating the lives of the pipers and their fallen colleagues, and a poignant service was held with war veterans at the local Erskine veterans’ home.

Jeannie Campbell, of the Scottish Pipers’ Association, noted: “We have been amazed at the number of tunes we have unearthed from regimental museums, private collections and the families of pipers through this important project. After researching the lives of the composers and the people and events commemorated in the music we were able to present the stories of these tunes in our concerts - attracting a capacity audience, and through live internet streaming, hundreds more viewers worldwide."