OT: 15 March, 1924 – [unsigned] “The Late Dr. Bannatyne” [obituary]

The Oban Times, 15 March, 1924

The Late Dr. Bannatyne

The death of Dr. Charles Bannatyne, Salsburgh, on Wednesday last week in a nursing home in Glasgow removed from our midst a gifted Highlander who was as distinguished for his musical talent as he was pre-eminent in medical practice. The elder son of the late Mr. J. Bannatyne, exPovost of Old Cumnock, Ayrshire, and a brother of Mr. J. S. Bannatyne, writer, Glasgow, he received his early education at Ayr Academy and graduated in Medical Science at Glasgow University. The Bannatynes belonged to an old Bute family who migrated in the 17th century to the neighbouring island of Arran, after which they took up residence in Ayrshire.

Intensely interested in everything Highland, Dr. Bannatyne associated himself with every good Highland cause. He was a composer of merit, devoting special attention to bagpipe music, and his marches, strathspeys and reels are everywhere popular.

He was an early member of the Piobaireachd Society and took a share in editing some of the publications of that Society. He had an intimate knowledge of pipe music and was frequently called upon to act as a judge of bagpipe music at Highland gatherings. He was perhaps the first in recent times to revive interest in the ancient cainntaireachd [sic] method of writing piobaireachd music. He possessed a valuable collection of piobaireachd manuscripts, some of them written in cainntaireachd. He was very successful as a composer of bagpipe tunes. He won the first prize for a reel in a competition arranged by the Cowal Highland Gathering in the composition of marches, strathspeys and reels in which most of the leading pipers were competitors, and in a subsequent competition in 1920 he was awarded the first prize for a strathspey.

He was possessed of a fine tenor voice, and on many occasions he figured as a vocalist a charity concerts. Among articles from his pen we note those on “The Voice and Voice Production,” which are regarded as authoritative. At the time of his death, Dr. Bannatyne, who was unmarried, was in his 56th year. Our readers will have happy recollections of several brilliant contributions which from time to time he was able to give to the columns of the “Oban Times.”