No previous knowledge, ability to read music, or singing skill required. Schoolteachers, community music leaders, anyone who wants to share the MacCrimmon gospel welcome!

In this entertaining introduction to Hebridean canntaireachd, Barnaby Brown makes the real McCoy easy to handle. Expect a big screen, colourful syllables, memorable gestures, and powerful harmonies. In 90 minutes, we will learn to chant a pibroch classic, known in polite society as “Lament for the Union” (1707).

Iain Dubh MacCrimmon called this “Mallachd nam Pìobairean” – The Curse of the Pipers. The music combines three medieval styles, respectively believed to elicit superhuman powers, curse enemies, and assuage grief. Like doctors and priests, professional pipers helped people cope with misfortune and difficulties, handling whatever life threw at them.

Join us enriching life in dark places where piobaireachd does not reach… through wholesome community singing! Scotland’s Big Music is a force for wellbeing, connecting us across generations and mindsets, engaging with history that everyone loves and an awesome cultural inheritance.

We will be using a score developed by graphic designer Kate Carpenter, whose book The Gesto Canntaireachd is available from the National Piping Centre shop here

The Venue

The centre serves as a national and international centre of excellence for the great Highland Bagpipe and its music.

The Festival Site with the Centre Stage and Bothy Tent, as well as our food and drink tents will be on outside here on McPhater Street.

PLEASE BE AWARE

• You will need a Festival Site Day ticket (or Festival Week Pass) to access the events from the 11th -15th of August 
  If you arrive at the Festival Site without a valid day/week entry ticket you will be required to buy one at the door.

• Your Festival Site Day Ticket provides entrance to the festival site where we will have two stages of world class artists running alongside other attractions.
• Once you have completed the purchase of your Festival Day Site Ticket and paid for it, you can access tickets for additional events. 
• These additional events include the RG Hardie & Co Solo Piping Masters Competition; the Gordon Duncan Memorial Piping Competition; the Pipe Idol Grand Final; the Lunchtime Recitals and Learn@Live.
• You cannot attend these events if you have not purchased a Festival Day Site Ticket
• It's the same if you have bought a Festival Week Pass. If you wish to attend any of the additional events, you can buy tickets using the link on the purchase confirmation email for the Festival Week Pass. 

• The confirmation page and email for your Festival Day Site Ticket purchase contains a link to the page for tickets for the additional events. 
• You don’t have to buy all your tickets at once - you can buy your tickets for these additional events later on using the link in the confirmation email you received when you bought your Festival Day Site Ticket . 

• For evening ticketed events at the National Piping Centre, Strathclyde Suite at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and at St Luke’s you will not need to buy a Festival Day Site Ticket. 
• You do not need a festival site pass for events on the 8th, 9th and 10th of August (eg. MacGregors Gathering events)

Accessibility

The National Piping Centre and Pipers' Tryst restaurant has step access at both doors.
There is a lift available from the side of the building to all floors.
During Piping Live! access is through the ramped entracne to the Street Cafe, cross the marquee and then out the other door to the lift area. There is also an accessible toilet here.
You can book a welcome through the WelcoME platform here
You can see full access information at Euan's Guide here