Bagpipe Music - The Early Years

1877 - Edison discovers a way to record sound on a tinfoil cylinder using one needle to record and another to play back.  The first sounds recorded were of Edison reciting "Mary had a little lamb".  In 1887 Edison formed Edison Phonograph Company and the age of commercial recording was begun. On November 8, 1887 Emile Berliner patented a system to record sound.  He was the first to use flat discs, initially made of glass and zinc and later of plastic.   1898 - Flat discs are recorded in London for the first time

The following very early recordings of bagpipe music have been brought into digital format and are now available for purchase.  You may buy direct from Mr. Tony Langford at t.langford@ucl.ac.uk.

Pipe Major William Ross, Volume 1. Willie Ross was born in 1879.  At the age of 17 (1896) he joined the Scots Guards and served in the Boer War.  He was named Pipe Major in 1903 and served in France during WWI. He made many recordings between 1910 and 1936.  He died in 1956 at the age of 77. Columbia 1519, 1520, 1521 & 1522 (Regal G-6632, G-6633, G-6634 & G-6635) May 1910 1. The Atholl Highlanders March to Lock Katrine, Maggie Cameron, Reel o’Tulloch 271888

2. Leaving Glen Urquhart, Lady Loudon, Duntroon. 27189 3. The 79th’s Farewell to Gibraltar, Miss Drummond of Perth, The Sheepwife. 27190 4. The 93rd’s Farewell to Edinburgh, Lady Madelina  Sinclair,  Sandy Cameron. 27191 5. Pibroch o’ Donald Dhu, Sandy King’s “Breeks”,  The wind that shakes the barley. 27192 6. Inverness gathering, The piper's bonnet, John Mackechnie 27193 7. The flowers of the forest 27194 8. Lochaber no more. 27195 9. Balmoral Castle/Pretty Marion. (Possibly his first recording.) Parlophone E-3308, E-3309, E-3310, E-3311. (F-3118, F-3119) Feb 1927 10. Bonnie Anne, Tulloch Gorn, Sandy Duff. WE-1139 11. The Balmoral Highlanders, Balmoral Castle, The Grey Bob. WE-1441 12. John MacFadyen of Melfort, Highland Harry, Cabar Feidh. WE-1142 13. The Edinburgh Volunteers, Delvinside, The Flagon. WE-1144 14. The Stirlingshire Militia, The Duke of Roxburgh’s Farewell to the Blackmount. WE-1148 15. John MacDonald of Glencoe, Captain Jack Murray, The Reel of Tulloch. WE-1149 16. Blair Drummond, The Atholl Cumers, Sandy Cameron. WE-1150 Parlophone E-3473 (F-3121) Oct 1927 17. The Keelrow, Stumpie, Lady MacKenzie of Fairburn, Louden’s Woods & Braes. WE-1658 18. Ghillie Calum. WE-1660 Parlophone E-3651 (F-3122) May 1929 19. The Argyllshire Gathering. WE-2497-2 20. The Highland Wedding, The Braes of Castle Grant.

The Complete Collection on CD

Pipe Major William Ross MBE, Volume 1 Pipe Major William Ross MBE, Volume 2 Henry Forsyth, King's Piper, Volume 1 Henry Forsyth, King's Piper, Volume 2 Bagpipes 1898 - 1920 Bagpipes 1899 - 1932 Bagpipes 1925 - 1938