Piping Heritage

''I was lucky to be taught my trade from a line of prestigious and influential pipers''.

Brian Anderson is a professional, solo piper, based in Northumberland, UK. His music can be heard around the country as well as overseas.

Born in the Kingdom of Fife, Brian has a fine piping pedigree and has studied the pipes since the age of nine. His approach to music owes much to his heritage and family tradition.

Brian was first taught by his grandfather, a pipemajor in a pipeband of the Royal Navy, who had learnt in turn from the world famous soloist John MacDonald of Inverness.

John MacDonald of Inverness (standing right) was tutor to Brian's grandfather Pipe Major John Kay
	Brian's grandfather Pipe Major John Kay of the Royal Navy Pipe Band

Later, he was taught by another family member Tam Imrie, who was a pipe major of the Black Watch in his army days. Tam had himself learnt his skills from the legendary Pipe Major William Ross, instructor of the world-renowned Army School of Piping at Edinburgh Castle and an influential advisor and teacher of the Pibroch Society.

Pipe Major Willie Ross - instructor at the Army School of Piping at Edinburgh Castle.
	Pipe Major Tam Imrie at the World Pipe Band Championships, Paisley 1957

“My brother Ian and I faithfully visited Tam every week,” says Brian. “I have strong memories of humping a heavy pipe box onto buses as a small lad and trudging through snow and rain to get there. Piping was my life.”

It was Tam who introduced Brian to the original Scottish pipe music known as piobaireach (pronounced pibroch). Pibroch is a wild and unique form of music, comprising laments, salutes and tunes played in the days of old for the gathering of the Clans.

Under the tutelage of Tam, himself a world-famous soloist and pibroch player, the 11-year-old Brian joined his first pipe band winning his first solo competition at 12 and his first pibroch competition a year later.

Brian's heritage as a piper is both a proud and prestigious one.