Page 2 - What's In A Name - The Barry Pipes Canon

WHAT’S IN A NAME? The Barry Pipes Canon • 2005 - 2018 Barry Pipes: Resident Contributor by Marie Anne Millar
As a boy in Britain, Barry Pipes was keenly interested in history and geography. He currently uses these interests when writing “WHAT’S IN A NAME?” for Set & Link.
His intent is simple — write a light, whimsical column explaining the names, places, and backgrounds of some Scottish country dances we know and love. “I start with a particular dance, often from the
Marie Anne Millar programme for a forthcoming SCD event, such as the monthly dance.” He generates the articles using his own resources on history and
geography, assisted by Google. He has other sources, too. His friend, the late Roddy Nicoll, was one he could always rely on for interesting background knowledge.
From Set&Link, newsletter of RSCDS Toronto
Barry’s first article was about the Mountain of Schiehallion, based on the Schiehallion reels that appear in several dances and that are named alter the prominent mountain in Perth and Kinross. He writes an article each month for Set & Link; his Inverneill House began with a “For Sale” notice on the house, found during his research.
INDEX OF DANCE TALES
1. The Dundee Wheeler
2. Schiehallion
3. The Bees of Maggieknockater
4. Bon Accord
5. The Royal Deeside Railway
6. Neidpath Castle
7. Seann Triubhas Willichan
8. Bratach Bàna
9. Bedrule
10. Rest And Be Thankful
11. EH3 7AF
12. Balquhidder Strathspey
13. The Montgomeries’ Rant
14. The Balgeddie Reel
15. The Haddington Assembly
16. The Duke of Atholl’s Reel
17. The Minister on the Loch
18. The Bridge of Nairn
19. The Duke of Perth
20. Cutty Sark
21. Inverneill House
22. The Rothesay Rant
23. The Cuillins of Skye
24. The Ferry Louper
25. Reel of The Royal Scots
[ Click titles to jump to that page ]
26. The White Cockade
27. The New Rigged Ship
28. Wisp of Thistle
29. Flowers of Edinburgh
30. The Wild Geese
31. The Dalkeith Strathspey 32. Inch of Perth
33. The Royal Wedding
34. Sauchie Haugh
35. The Saint John River
36. A Trip to Bavaria
37. The Corian Strathspey 38. Airie Bennan
39. Tribute to The Borders 40. Argyll Strathspey
41. The Birks of Invermay
42. Sands of Morar
43. Maxwell’s Rant
44. The Royal Yacht Britannia 45. Portnacraig
46. The Lochalsh Reel
47. Polharrow Burn
48. Lamb Skinnet
49. The Immigrant Lass
50. Lord Elgin’s Reel
other people’s pleasure.” ◼︎
51. Monymusk
52. The Old Spedling Castle’s Ghost’s Dance
53. Cauld Kail
54. The Granny Knot
55. Linnea’s Strathspey
56. Waverley (Fergus McIver)
57. Saltire Society Reel
58. The Diamond Jubilee
59. The Gardeners’ Fantasia
60. The Castle of Mey
61. The Roselath Cross
62. Keppoch’s Rant
63. Miss Johnstone of Ardrossan 64. Ailsa Craig
65. Clutha
66. The River Cree
67. Circassian Circle
68. The Queen City Salute
69. Niel Gow’s Farewell to Whisky 70. Earl of Mansfield
71. Glastonbury Tor
72. Autumn In Appin
73. The Fife Hunt
74. The Scots Bonnet
75. The City of Stirling Reel
[published in the December 2008 issue of Set & Link]
76. Dunkeld House
• Barry Pipes Reflects on a Diamond Collection 77. Dumbarton Drums
78. Best Set In The Hall
79. The Saltire Society Reel
80. The Countess of Dunmore’s Reel 81. Over The Hill
82. Killkenny Castle
83. Currie Mountain
84. Lady Susan Stewart’s Reel
85. The Duke & Duchess of Edinburgh 86. The Flower of Glasgow
87. Berwick Johnnie
88. Ezekiel’s Wheel
89. The Reel Of The Gordon Highlanders 90. The Dream Catcher
91. The Jordanhill Strathspey
92. Le Papillon
93. Granville Market
94. Wells House
95. The Craigellachie Reel
96. The Mason’s Apron
97. Lady Peak’s Strathspey
98. Cape Town Wedding
99. The Haggis Treee
100. Sir Barry Pipes
He says, “One piece I enjoyed writing was about Cutty Sark,
and I even learned something new and a bit risqué from my
research”. He knew the Cutty Sark was a famous clipper ship. He
knew it was a Scotch. But he didn’t know it was an undergarment mentioned in the Robert Burns poem, Tam O’ Shanter.
I asked Barry why he writes the column. He replied, “ I do it for my own enjoyment and
Barry Pipes