FOOTBALLERS, rugby players, tennis champions and athletes who lost their lives in the First World War have been commemorated at numerous events, and now it is the turn of shinty players and bagpipers to have their sacrifice jointly remembered.
Stirling Castle is the venue for the special tribute. On October 29, The Somme and Shinty’s Heroes will use music, storytelling and song to relate the little-known story of the impact shinty players had on the war – with a particular focus on the story of Pipe Major Willie Lawrie.
Supported by shinty’s governing body the Camanachd Association and Gaelic arts organisation Fèisean nan Gàidheal, The Somme and Shinty’s Heroes will uncover some of the stories of those players who fought and died in the war, through images, stories, songs and music.
Centrepiece of the event is a tribute to Pipe Major Willie Lawrie of Ballachulish, composer of the well-known tune The Battle of the Somme, who died in November 1916. His pipes are displayed in the Regimental Museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at Stirling Castle, and will be on show at the event.
Moving stories will also be told of Dr Johnnie Cattanach, commonly regarded as shinty’s greatest ever player, who died at Gallipoli, Dòmhnall Ruadh Choruna and the Great Gaelic song An Eala Bhàn, the Paterson of Beauly pipes from Festubert and an account of the 1913 and 1914 Camanachd Cup Finals. Many of the players who appeared in these matches never returned from the war.
Attendees will also hear the tale of the three Ballachulish Musketeers who did return from the Second World War in an extraordinary adventure.
The performance will be presented by broadcaster, author and sporting academic Hugh Dan MacLennan, and the musical director is former Scottish shinty captain, accordionist and Mànran star Gary Innes, who has now taken over the BBC Radio Scotland’s Take the Floor dance music programme.
MacLennan said: “The impact shinty players had in the Great War and vice versa is a fascinating tale that deserves to be told. Not a lot of this is known beyond the families concerned.
“At Stirling Castle, we’ll be building on the success of previous First World War commemoration shows, which have been performed from Skye to Glasgow and everywhere in between.
“It’s shinty’s way of paying tribute to those who died in the wars, and telling their stories in a slightly different way – through the eyes, stories and tunes of shinty-playing communities.”
The main performance will feature singer Linda MacLeod, and musicians Megan Henderson, Ewan Robertson, Duncan Lyall, James Mackintosh and Gary Innes.
Top piper Duncan MacGillivray of Calrossie, will play the Paterson pipes of Beauly which were returned from the Battle of Festubert. The BBC’s Iain Anderson will also read specially chosen historical extracts, along with Prof Ewen Cameron of Edinburgh University and Brigadier John MacFarlane of Taynuilt. Also appearing will be a group young local musicians from the Fèis Fhoirth Ceilidh Trailers.
Liz Grant, executive manager at Stirling Castle said: “We’re pleased to be hosting this event at the castle, which is a unique blend of history, music and storytelling.
“It promises to be a touching and fascinating tribute.”
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