OT: 6 March 1926 – Allan Thomson [“Toarluath and Crunluath in Piobaireachd”]

The Oban Times, 6 March, 1926

[Toarluath and Crunluath in Piobaireachd]

65 Elder Street, Govan, 26 February, 1926

Sir,–I have been closely following the discussion in your valuable paper about Toarluath and Crunluath in Pibroch, also Crunluath a Mach movements, and I admire the spirit and courage of Mr. Grant in backing up the piobaireachd book of Angus Mackay.

As one who has read the book from end-to-end, I think Mr. Grant is correct. Another great authority on Pibroch, Mr. Angus Macpherson, Invershin, Sutherlandshire, also says that Angus Mackay was correct; so that is good enough for me.

In my opinion, Pipe-Majors Gray and McLennan are trying to invent a new way of fingering, and Mr. G. S. McLennan backs it up because his father (as he says) was the inventor of this new movement. Like Mr. Grant, I was also taught Angus Mackay’s book, and I think it is correct. My father taught me, and he was taught by the late Michael McNeill, Arisaig, who knew pibroch by canntaireachd as well as the present notation.

Like Mr. Grant, I am also open to play Pibroch the way I was taught, and will do so at any time in front of Pipe-Major McLennan, Mr. Gray or any other pipe-major in Britain for that matter.–I am, etc.,

Allan Thomson