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Phantom Piper of the Corrieyairack

Title

Artist

John MacLellan, Andrew Wright

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This piece, composed by John A MacLellan, was named after an incident where a body of men doing national service were led on exercise over the Corriearyk Pass between Fort Augustus and Laggan. The leader was Lt Col D J S Murray and there were three pipers in the group, Ian MacFadyen, Jimmy Smart and Ian Fraser. The weather was wet misty and windy making pipe playing impossible. When they arrived at their destination supper was ready for them. When asked how they knew to have the meal ready, the colour sergeant and the cooks said that they had had heard the sound of the pipes as the group approached. But no pipes had been played. David Murray then decided to "get the hell out of here".

David Murray tells the full story in his Piper's Persuasion interview.

There are several scores, with differences between them. The score attached is from John MacLellan's "Music for the Highland Bagpipe" 2nd edition, which is no longer in print. His son Colin writes "It is the definitive version, the only one which corresponds exactly to what he played - except that he puts in a high a doubling in the second line of the ground where there is none in the score. I'm of the opinion that he just put that in accidentally"

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Piobaireachd Society Collection of Ceol Mor composed 1930-80