Kerr Chanter?
Luramao
teaching beginners of a quality pipe band, so I figured it was "ok". (I
was looking for something for a rank beginner) It was sold to me with an
"unknown" poly chanter, a nice chanter, whose make I didnt know until
tonite. My instructor told me it was made by James Kerr, who is from
the Boston area. Does anybody know if he still makes these chanters?
Does anybody know Anything about Mr Kerr or his chanters?
My instructor recalled that the Worcester band used to play Kerr
chanters in top level competition. Have any other bands played them?
We fixed it up with a Shepherd reed. Anybody know what other reed
brands match well with Kerrs?
Oh, and by the way, after some expert attention, these Paki based pipes
sound pretty darn nice! I WISH I had a computer so I could make a
recording and put it up for you to hear. Its not bad sounding at all!
Lura
Andrew McIntosh
making chanters for years. Tulach Ard has played Kerr chanters, both
poly and blackwood. Tulach Ard's B Band is currently playing them, with
great success. They are nice chanters - very rich and full sound. But
possibly a little flatter than most top bands are playing, at least in
upper grades.
If you are interested, contact me and I will send you his address or
phone number. However, I am not positive whether he is still making
chanters.
Andrew McIntosh
Jim McGillivray
"Andrew McIntosh" <andrew_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3C06ED4B...@hotmail.com...
> James Kerr was a piper with Worcester Kiltie Pipe Band, and has been
> making chanters for years.
Just a historical correction here. Jim Kerr was no average piper. He was
pipe major of the Worcester band in the 1960s when they won 5 North American
Championships. All year long Ontario bands like City of Toronto, the 48th
Highlanders and Clan MacFarlane would fight tooth and nail for first, then
Jim's band would show up to Maxville and whup everyone's butt. One of the
great bands of this continent, and our American friends should never forget
it!
Cheers,
Jim McGillivray
MCGILLIVRAY PIPING PARTNERSHIPS
~ Select Bagpipes & Accessories ~
www.piping.on.ca
pip...@aci.on.ca
905-726-4003
Chris Hamilton
<pip...@aci.on.ca> wrote:
>Just a historical correction here. Jim Kerr was no average piper. He was
>pipe major of the Worcester band in the 1960s when they won 5 North American
>Championships. All year long Ontario bands like City of Toronto, the 48th
>Highlanders and Clan MacFarlane would fight tooth and nail for first, then
>Jim's band would show up to Maxville and whup everyone's butt. One of the
>great bands of this continent, and our American friends should never forget
>it!
An interesting sidelight. I was sitting in the Station Hotel in Shotts
in 1999 when an old Scotsman said to us, "Ach, you must be Yanks. What
are you doing over here?" We told him we were pipers over for the
world pipe band championship, and he said "Aye, my cousins were pipers
and drummers, they went to America a long time ago." I asked what
their names were, he replied, "Oh, you wouldn't know them, it was a
long time ago." I persisted, and he said, "Jimmy Kerr, Blair Kerr,
John Kerr" ... imagine scene of me prostrating myself on the floor
chanting "I'm not worthy!!"
That was pretty cool!
Chris
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christopher Hamilton -- ToneCzar Inc.
ch...@toneczar.com -- www.toneczar.com
Andrew McIntosh
Jim McGillivray wrote in message <9u6s8v$l6p$1...@news1.mountaincable.net>...
Calum
Royce Lerwick
<pip...@aci.on.ca> wrote:
>
>"Andrew McIntosh" <andrew_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:3C06ED4B...@hotmail.com...
>> James Kerr was a piper with Worcester Kiltie Pipe Band, and has been
>> making chanters for years.
>
>Just a historical correction here. Jim Kerr was no average piper. He was
>pipe major of the Worcester band in the 1960s when they won 5 North American
>Championships. All year long Ontario bands like City of Toronto, the 48th
>Highlanders and Clan MacFarlane would fight tooth and nail for first, then
>Jim's band would show up to Maxville and whup everyone's butt. One of the
>great bands of this continent, and our American friends should never forget
>it!
>
>Cheers,
>Jim McGillivray
Yes, believe it or not they were the legendary "good" band from "out
East" and well known both in the midwest and the western US, though we
never actually ever saw them. Almost mythical in reputation, they were
the "great white hope" of US pipe bands.
Royce
http://royceworld.dyndns.org:9000/
Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band
Zetland Pipes, other stuff to see and hear.
Home of "Tekno Train" and "Groove Hills"
Hear "MacWho II--Wallace Rides Again."
Chris Hamilton
Lerwick) wrote:
>Yes, believe it or not they were the legendary "good" band from "out
>East" and well known both in the midwest and the western US, though we
>never actually ever saw them. Almost mythical in reputation, they were
>the "great white hope" of US pipe bands.
Except that in the glory days they had just a very few American
players - most I believe were Scottish immigrants.
PJ Riley
RCAF Rockcliffe PB.)
Pat Riley Ottawa ON
Chris Hamilton <tone...@bellatlantic.net> wrote in message
news:b49g0ucd2ab8eop0p...@4ax.com...
MrRobotTow
>players - most I believe were Scottish immigrants.
Seeing as how they are a local band to us, I will say that most of them were
locals at least as far as I can remember. They had very close ties with The
Holyoke Caledonians for many years, and I believe they were taught by Holyokes
PM Wilson Matheson's brother.
I have more info on my daughters band page about it, but I can't find the link
at the moment. I'll post it tomorrow.
Bill
I am so cool, that sheep count ME before they go to sleep.
http://hometown.aol.com/mrrobottow/
Jim McGillivray
"PJ Riley" <2p...@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:YOVN7.193321$5h5.86...@news3.rdc2.on.home.com...
> Weren't several of them from Shotts? (Including John Kerr in the
> RCAF Rockcliffe PB.)
>
> Pat Riley Ottawa ON
Yes, they were not a home-grown band in any way, I'm afraid. John and Jim
Kerr are brothers. Blair was another brother killed tragically in a car
accident.
Jim
MCGILLIVRAY PIPING PARTNERSHIPS
~ Select Bagpipes & Accessories ~
www.piping.on.ca
pip...@aci.on.ca
905-726-4003
>
>
>
Jim Davidson
few corrections to this thread.
The band was indeed comprised mostly of Scots, however, there were many
Americans who played in the band over the years as well.
It is quite interesting to note the quality of players in Worcester both
American and Scottish. Some of the best players I have ever heard were
pipers in the Worcester Kilty Band. Neil Gow and Louis Martin are names not
well known on the solo circuit, but, either of theses Scots could have won
contests regularly had they chosen to play solos. Some American pipers
included Chuck Murdoch, Joe Brady (who did win the North American
Championship one year), Donald Ritchie, Greg Morrow, Blair Kerr. Any one of
these guys could have won prizes consistently had they elected to compete in
solos. For some reason, band playing was what motivated and moved many of
the rank and file Worcester players. Solo guys didn't stick around for long
and solo piping was not what most youngsters aspired to in Worcester. For
the most part, the solists moved on while the band continued to flourish.
The drum corps was unbelievable with World Champion drummers all-around the
corps including Dave Armit, Alex Colville, Matt Hamilton and Tom McGurk and
others.
The band did not play James' chanters as someone in the newsgroup asserted.
As far as I know, the band played wooden Sinclairs until the bitter end when
James retired (I left before James' last couple years as P/M). James
thought we got a sweeter and more uniform tone out of the wooden Sinclairs
and MacAllister reeds.
The band was the first "world class" grade one band in the USA and the first
band from North America to win a Grade One contest in Scotland (not the
worlds).
Contrary to another assertion in the Newsgroup, the band was not associated
with the Holyoke Caledonians or any other band in any way other than someone
from Holyoke helped to form the original Worcester Kilty Band in the 1920's.
This is far removed from the Worcester Kilty Pipe Band of the 1960, 1970,
1980's era. There was a "Junior Band" formed under Blair Kerr in the early
80's and mostly comprised of local beginning players. They might have
played James's plastic chanter...can't say for sure.
James Kerr remains everyone's ideal of the quintessential grade one
competition pipe band Pipe Major. Anyone who knows him has a James Kerr
story to tell. For me, it was a privilege and honor to have been a small
part of the Worcester tradition and playing in that band was one of the
major highlights of my piping career. We owe it to James and to the band to
keep the facts straight.
--
Yours Aye,
Jim
Jim Davidson
57 Ridgewood Acres
Thomaston, Connecticut 06787
Telephone: 860-283-0866
Work: 203=771-0002
E-Mail: jdavi...@snet.net
Work E-Mail: jd1...@ctmail.snet.com
"Andrew McIntosh" <andrew_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:9u80hp$p95$1...@bob.news.rcn.net...
Chris Hamilton
The history of bands is woefully undocumented.