Dunrovin Farm, North Hatley, Quebec
September 7, 2015 on 7:08 pm by Michael Grey | In News, Photographs, Stories | Comments Off on Dunrovin Farm, North Hatley, QuebecThis past Saturday I found my way back to the homeland, Quebec’s Eastern Townships, for a flying visit: there and back the same day. By far the shortest visit I’ve made to this place, about 750 kilometres from where I live today. Fleeting? Yes. But sweetly memorable. The occasion, sadly, was a funeral. Though the service, on this day in the small 19th century country church, was for a man who lived a good long life, a life lived well and one with a legacy of seriously fine people – and a lot of stories. Stories galore. Gordon Stuart was a big man who lived large. And so this day, marked a fine send-off and a quiet celebration marking goodness and a good life. Surely this is at the core of why we have funerals.
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Reay Mackay of Lake Couchiching
April 25, 2015 on 6:12 pm by Michael Grey | In News | Comments Off on Reay Mackay of Lake CouchichingJust in the door from a rare visit with Reay Mackay and his wife Joan (and daughter Sheila and hubby, Michael) in their home an hour north of Toronto. It felt like old home week in their beautiful place on the shores of placid Lake Couchiching (couchiching reminds me of a “word” you might use to amuse a baby, just sayin’). Anyways, a great catch-up.
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The Worlds: Fish Suppers all ‘Round!
March 8, 2015 on 6:20 pm by Michael Grey | In News, Pipe Bands, Stories | 2 CommentsHere’s a curiosity: a long-ago-redeemed copy of a cheque. Usually such a thing isn’t much interest except maybe for keen auditors (redundant, I know; of course, all auditors are keen), but this image is one for the few pipe band historians around: this is a copy of the cheque that paid out first prize to the 78th Fraser Highlanders at the World Pipe Band Championships in 1987.
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Three Deep Breaths (A Kiwi Tip)
November 20, 2014 on 9:21 pm by Michael Grey | In News, Stories, Tips | Comments Off on Three Deep Breaths (A Kiwi Tip)A piece of advice I remember time and again is that which came to me through the thoughtfulness of the great New Zealand piper, Gold Medallist, John Hanning. Early in my career, while I was recitalling through the north and south islands of NZ, he passed along his recipe for performance steadiness; that is, his final personal prep for ensuring he didn’t unduly contribute to the filling up of the laundry basket.
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Rare Photo and Video: G S McLennan
October 29, 2014 on 6:02 pm by Michael Grey | In Delightful Data of the Day, Music, News, Photographs, Solo Piping, Stories, Video | 1 CommentBack in June I wrote a little about the recently posted Pathé film footage of the great Highland dancer, Mary Aitken. Among many other good things, she was the namesake for a fine bagpipe tune, the jig “Mary Aitken”.
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Mary Aitken
June 16, 2014 on 6:21 pm by Michael Grey | In News, Random Thoughts, Video | Comments Off on Mary AitkenOne of my favourite two-parted jigs is that named, “Mary Aitken”. It’s a tricky little finger challenge first published in 1936 in John Wilson’s outstanding first book of music. Written by Malcolm R MacPherson (son of “Mrs MacPherson of Inveran” and Angus), a piper more famous for his playing than his composing, the tune is named for a champion Highland dancer of the day: Mary Aitken of Aberdeen.
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John Wilson (Edinburgh/Toronto)
November 6, 2013 on 9:45 pm by Michael Grey | In News, Photographs, Solo Piping, Stories | Comments Off on John Wilson (Edinburgh/Toronto)A glance at the “this day in history” section of pipes|drums just now reminded me that John Wilson (Edinburgh/Toronto) died on this day in 1979. He was a great hero of mine. Confident, bold, full of epic stories and opinionated in the extreme (oh, and a superb piper, even in the last years of his life). John Wilson both fascinated and intimidated me. Before I attended private lessons at his Willowdale (Toronto) home I’d be in his small classes at Moss Park Armouries (downtown Toronto), in the 48th Highlanders band room; we’d almost always travel home together riding street car and subway – John Wilson never owned a car. I loved his sureness. I loved his stories.
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Bagpipes in a Canoe: Aspiration Number 27 … Check
September 29, 2013 on 6:30 pm by Michael Grey | In News, Photographs, Pipe Bands, Solo Piping, Stories, Tips | 2 CommentsBack in January I wrote about Sir George Simpson, the Dingwall-born Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company. As part of his 18th century trading adventures in the Canadian wilderness he’d travel with an entourage of honking big canoes and always – apparently – with a piper. Sir George’s piper always played in the big canoe – white water rapids notwithstanding – and for years, knowing this small fact, the piping-in-a-canoe thing has intrigued me.
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Overheard: France
April 3, 2013 on 5:50 pm by Michael Grey | In Humour, News, Overheard | 2 CommentsI’m not an eavesdropper – seriously – but it’s amazing how often I happen (yes, “happen”) to overhear remarkable words; that is, words worthy of remark. I know you’re the same.
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Suck In and Buckle Up
February 23, 2013 on 6:48 pm by Michael Grey | In News, Pipe Bands, Tips, Whinges | Comments Off on Suck In and Buckle UpI was talking to a friend the other day about flying. He’s one of those people who flies a lot. Not because he has scads of spare cash to holiday, rather, it’s all about visiting family – far flung family. Circumstances in his life sees most of his clan at the other side of the world. For him, like so many, flying isn’t a luxury, it’s a utility.
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