Who are the current Masters of Piobaireachd?

[Alasdair McAndrew]

I was listening to one of the Masters of Piobaireachd CDs recently, and I was wondering: who are their current equivalents? Are they the big name competitors and recording artists like Alasdair Gillies, William MacCallum and Jack Lee (to name but three), or are there other players and teachers, less well known, who are doing sterling work in "furthering the art"?

Maybe what the world needs is a "Master of Piobaireachd" qualification, like the "Master of Wine"!

cheers,
Alasdair

[Iain Sherwood]

It would help if you could qualify this; the Nicol/Brown CDs are meant to be teaching aids. They were not the only students of John MacDonald by any means. Donald MacLeod was a MacDonald student; his posthumous collection now has four double CDs out.

As the term 'Masters of Piobaireachd' mainly refers to the teaching of the music, it would have to include James MacColl, Dugald MacNeill, Dr. Jack Taylor, Ed Neigh, James Campbell, Andrew Wright, and many others who labour to preserve the music and encourage its playing.

[Alasdair McAndrew]

Thanks -- you are right, my question was sloppily expressed, but your second paragraph has answered it: those people, who by their teaching and example, encourage, preserve and further excellence in piobaireachd playing and interpretation.

cheers,
Alasdair