Bagpipe Competition, in the Waterloo Rooms, 79 Wellington Street, 16th December 1886

A short article in The Glasgow Herald, Friday the 17th of December, page six, reads:

 

“BAGPIPE COMPETITION. – Last night a competition among bagpipe-players, Highland dancers, and violin-players was held in the Waterloo Rooms,Glasgow. There was a large audience. Colonel E. Malcolm, C.B., Edinburgh, occupied the chair. In his introductory remarks, the Chairman said they would be glad to learn that the competition was even greater than that of last year, which, he was informed, was by far the most successful meeting which had ever been held in Glasgow. It had been the fashion from time to time to try and run down Highland music and Highland Games, but he was not one of those who went in for that sort of thing. He was not in a position to speak about the refinement of Highland music, as he had been more accustomed to hear the bagpipes played on the field, and he knew what that meant. The bagpipe was the most important military instrument, and when played over the grave of a soldier there was no music that went to his heart like it. He hoped that the result of this competition would be to bring back to their straths and the various parts of the Highlands both music and dancing. The competitions were then gone on with. There were no fewer than 50 events and upwards of 100 competitors.”