P/M Thomas McAllister, or The Links of Forth

1 Comment

• Chris

  June 16, 2023 at 12:04 pm

  I read an interview with brothers John Kerr and Tom McAllister, Jr., in a 1992 issue of Pipes & Drums magazine (precursor to today’s Pipes|Drums) in which J.K. McAllister was asked, “How did ‘The Links of Forth’ come to be called ‘Pipe-Major Tom McAllister’?” He replied, “After the war [WW2] we were going through some sheet music and came across a four-parted march with no name on it. It was given to our father by the son of an old fiddler.” He said that the melody haunted him, and on a train ride he (J.K.) composed parts 5, 6, 7, and 8. They asked, “What should we call it? — Let’s call it after Dad.” Later they found out the tune already had a name (“The Links of Forth”).