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Battle of the Somme, The

William Lawrie
March, 9/8
2
5
Intermediate

This 9/8 march is one of the great pipe tunes and one of my personal favourites. Its authorship was long in question — though Willie Lawrie was suspected — until it was discovered in a book of fiddle tunes published by the Lawrie family and attributed to the great piper. Willie Lawrie died very shortly after this famous WW1 battle.

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1 Comment

  • Andrew Wilson Boyd
    November 10, 2021 at 7:31 pm

    My grandfather, Pipe Major Jimmy Wilson, witnessed William Lawrie write the Battle of the Somme pipe tune on the white walls of a byre in France. He used a charcoal stick from the fire to draw the stave and write the music. He then turned to the assembled pipers and said ‘learn that…’
    Jimmy Wilson succeeded Pipe Major Lawrie as Pipe Major of the 8th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

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