Stuart Liddell - Fair Maid of Barra (Duncan MacRae bagpipes)

We had the great pleasure of hearing one of the world’s finest pipers, the great Stuart Liddell, performing on a set of original Duncan MacRae pipes.
In a celebration of our heritage and our origins as a bagpipe manufactory we've collaborated with McCallum Bagpipes, and together we’re reproducing the design and resonant tone of the original Duncan MacRae pipes in a contemporary instrument.
If you’d like to find out more, please visit www.macraebagpipes.com.

[@the-highland-bagpiper]

I love this setting. I usually play the 78th Fraser's version. Learnt it by ear.

[@Mr_Goodall_CD]

When I die and go to heaven, this is what I'm doing with all my spare time.

[@marymcneil2384]

As a McNeil, I send you many thanks for this !

[@piperg6179]

Always interesting to find a great piper choosing Fair Maid. I got it from Seamus McNeil’s record when I was 14 and hardly knew any pipe tunes. I’m 80 now and still play it. But even after all those years I cant put my finger on why the Maid is so good. Certainly better than Skye Boat Slog and even surpasses the far better Loch Rannoch.
I wouldnt fret over the setting...Maid shines through any decent setting and its so slow you can try all sorts of embellishments as you go along. Somewhere on line i ran across a piper saying he had met the maid herself. So, apparently she was real and was likely fair. I forget her name. Not surprisingly it was MacSomethingorother; not Polish or German or .....
Do learn this tune soon.By next year we w ill have to call it The Fair Person of Barra.

[@B_Ruphe]

Or rather, The Otherly-complexioned Per-offspring of Sibling.

[@carlh8256]

Posting this note 3 years after yours. I think they skipped the 'person' designation as it wasn't silly enough. I think 'Fair Chest-feeder of Barra' is now the approved designation. 😳😳

[@piperg6179]

@@carlh8256 you have got me thinking again…..fair implies white and that simply won’t do. To be safe and to preserve this fine tune, let us call it the Organism of Barra. We shall have to similarly find fixes for Highland Laddie, The White Cockade, and others. The Black Bear and Pibroch Donald Dbhu may be immune.

[@piperg6179]

Dhbu

[@piperbob2]

'The Fair Maid of Barra' became very popular in the 1960p's, when I began my piping: the music score was in Seamus MacNeil's book. Many decades later, I was watching a documentary on the television, about the folk on the Outer Hebridean islands and their spinning wool and weaving tweed. One dear, elderly lady being interviewed demonstrated her work and then, to finish, said "Do you know, a piper composed a tune for me and called it "The Fair Maid of Barra': I got quite emotional to actually see and hear her. I only wish I had recorded the programme, as I often do.

[@leoburns9674]

World class piper… the thing I really like is the left forearm / wrist angle. Horizontal to the floor/finger angle is flatter. Reduced wrist contact - softer/faster hands. Love to watch this piper perform! 👍

[@B_Ruphe]

He is lucky to be blest with short arms, always an advantage to accessing the chanter comfortably, over those like me with lanky broomsticks. I had my wrists in swan's neck contortions, even with a longer-than-normal bag/cover. Even had the bag held slightly nose-up, still never felt quite comfortable. Short arms, also more power at less effort, something to do with couples/levers, a physicist would know.

[@MrBagpipes]

​@@B_RupheI have long arms. It is often an advantage in life but not with bagpipes.

[@alexthedefender7]

My music teacher made me watch this

[@connorpiper3926]

[@mrwhite1073]

If you want an example of piping at best ... this is it

[@mattoconnor666]

Anyone recognize the name of the second tune, by any chance? Thanks in advance!

[@510haza]

Pumpkins fancy

[@mattoconnor666]

Thanks, very much!

[@elgaitero1]

+Cicero _1 it's a hornpipe Pumpkin's Fancy composed by Terry Tully...it's published in his 1987 book Irish Tunes Old And New.

[@whycantwejustgo1615]

Where can I find sheet music for this ?

[@micregil]

Bagpipe player is a free download with the music for a few thousand songs.

[@tyskydive]

anybody know where to find this setting of fair maid of barra? been looking for a while but cant seem to find anything

[@lochlainnmacneill2870]

Alex C learn it by ear.

[@ianahearn3016]

Same question. The sheet music I found is different than this version.

[@Musickordstudio]

How do I find this sheet of music? Pls

[@ricbrunelli1]

What is the name of horn pipe ?

[@davidmarshallthegoat2737]

Pumpkins fancy

[@edithdodds190]

go stuart that blowpipe looks as if you smoking a joint lol willam