Liverpool Scottish Museum Archive

Pipes Tunes

Pipe Duty Tunes And Bugle Calls Of The Liverpool Scottish

To play the tunes on this page click on the links.

Click here to visit an illustrated article on pipe banners.

During the daily routine of a Scottish regiment, key events of the day are marked by the playing of different pipe duty tunes. We have made some of the pipe duty tunes used by the Liverpool Scottish regiment available for download here.

The tunes are converted from older MIDI format to MP3. They are, therefore of a far lower sound quality than an actual recording and do not pretend to be any thing more than a quick replica to give the idea of a tune. The reason that we cannot bring you actual recordings of the pipe duty tunes played by real pipers is of course problems with copyright.

Some Of The Tunes

Regimental March: The Glendaruel Highlanders

Regimental Slow March: Loch Rannoch

General Salute: Point of War

Reveille: - Johnnie Cope

up in the Mornin's No More for Me (2nd Battalion WW2) [No recording]

Defaulters: A Man's a Man for A'That (2nd Battalion WW2)

Dinner Call: Brose and Butter

Officers Mess Dinner Call: Blue Bonnets o'er the Border

Lights Out: - Lord Lovat's Lament  (2nd battalion during WW2)

Lament: - Flowers Of The Forest

Other Tunes Associated with The Liverpool Scottish as Members of the Corps of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders

The Pibroch of Donald Dhu

March of the Cameron Men  (This is NOT a piping version - it was placed here temporarily - don't shoot the pianist)

79th Farewell to Gibraltar

51st Highland Division

Capt Noel Chavasse VC

Written for the unveiling of the Liverpool Scottish memorial plaque in honour of Capatain Chavasse in 1979 by Pipe Sgt Glyn Pritchard of V (The Liverpool Scottish) Company, 1st Bn 51st Highland Volunteer

Evacuation of Cyprus 1974

From the Pipe Tunes of 1st Bn. The Royal Scots, present in Cyprus at the time); a 4 part jig composed by Pipe Major RS Burns which is to be found at page 39 of the Royal Scots Standard Settings (Paterson) - information by courtesy of Major Richard Powell FSA Scot

Cabar Feidh

42nd's Farewell to Major GB Murray

Lt Colonel Graham Murray QOHldrs was Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Highland Volunteers (of which the Liverpool Scottish formed part) at the end of the 1970s. He had previously been 2ic of the 1st Battalion, the Black Watch (RHR). He was an extraordinary enthusiast for piping and all things Pipes and Drums as well as being himself a talented piper. It is probable that the Queen's Own Highlanders pipe banner on this page is his. No dawn attack across the North German Plain or the wastes of Otterburn by the Highland Volunteers on exercise was complete without the company piper giving a stirring rendition of a regimental march or charge. He gave the author of this page enormous encouragement when he was a company commander.

Pipe Major Evan Macrae

The source for all of the MIDI files found here is Bagpipes at Best. We wish to thank the owners of this site now vanished from the web for providing us with an invaluable resource which is for personal enjoyment and not for commercial gain. Their range of MIDI files was huge.Bugle Calls

CD is available 'A Call to Arms' (5th/8th Battalion The King's Regiment)

We have been unable to locate British Army bugle calls in an easy download format. The webmaster would be glad to hear of any sources which can be used.

An excellent 40 minute CD of bugle calls, 'A Call to Arms', has been made by the Corps of Drums of the 5th/8th Battalion The King's Regiment (now disbanded and succeeded by the 4th Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. The Liverpool Scottish have formed part of both these units since early in the 1990's. A complete range of 'barrack' and 'field' calls is heard and there is an informed commentary on disc and in the notes by Major Richard Powell FSA Scot. It is obvious from these recordings and the commentary that a commander was able to hold a 'conversation' with sub-units through a combination of regimental calls and specific calls which announced his intentions, orders or observations of the enemy.

It is very reasonably priced and was available through the PSAO (Admin Officer) of A (Ladysmith) Company of the 4th Battalion Duke of Lancaster's Regiment at the TA Centre, Townsend Avenue, Liverpool or through a link (look for 'Bugles' at the foot of the page) on Major Powell's 'British Military Music' website. The recording includes a complete sequence for a two minutes silence with the 'Last Post' and 'Rouse' on either side.

The Pipe Major's Toast

The Pipe Major (or senior piper) after playing in the Mess may be called in to receive a 'dram' from the senior officer present

PROCEDURE FOR THE PIPER'S TOAST

The Piper, on completion of the piobaireachd (pibroch), re-enters the dining room without his pipes, preceded by the Mess Sergeant who carries a salver on which is a quaich containing a dram of whisky (previously diluted as required by the Piper !). They halt behind the Commanding Officer and senior guest, and the piper salutes. The Commanding Officer stands up, takes the quaich, and hands it to the Piper. (The senior guest may be invited to do this if appropriate). The Piper holds the quaich with both hands, at about chin level , and gives the Toast.

Gaelic

Slainte mor, Slainte Banrighinn
Slainte agus buaidh gu brath
le Gillean Forbasach.

Phonetic version

Slanjervaw, slanjer banreen
Slanjer aggus booey goo bra
la gillian forbusach

Translation for Sassenachs

Good health, health to the Queen
Health and success for ever
to the Forbes lads

The Piper then drinks the dram.  All present reply 'Slainte' (Slanjer) and also drink the toast. The Piper then kisses the underneath of the quaich (symbolising the hidden portrait of  'the King over the Water'). He replaces the quaich on the salver, salutes, and leaves the room followed by the Mess Sergeant. Click here to play Lt Colonel AA Fairrie's March (courtesy of the Midipiper)

Acknowledgments - The Museum is grateful for the on-going help of members, past and present, of the Liverpool Scottish Pipes and Drums and Lt Colonel A.A. Fairrie  (Curator of the Museum of the Queen's Own Highlanders at Fort George). Information on the 2nd Battalion The Liverpool Scottish was provided by Fred Craig in New Zealand.

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