Roddie Campbell

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Roddie Campbell

The jig Roddie Campbell is suitable for the intermediate to advanced piper. It appears in the John Wilsons Collection of Highland bagpipe ' Music Book 1 probably printed about the early 1950s, a good collection of tunes, especially fine jigs. It is a jig that I have always liked and used to play in my earlier days in my regiment.

John Wilson was a well known piper who competed with much success in the solo competitions in Scotland, and who immigrated to Canada in 1948 where he was a great influence on Piping in Canada.

The following brief extract from the Canadian Encyclopaedia website gives some indication:
“However, much of the credit for the improvement of standards after World War II must go to John Wilson (1906-79), one of the most distinguished players and bagpipe composer of his generation who emigrated from Scotland and settled in Canada in 1948 and who taught nearly all of the best soloists in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada.”

Roderick Campbell (1873-1937) of Edinburgh, Scotland, was a very good soloist and composer of some fine light pipe music, especially one of my favourite 2/4 marches “Edinburgh City Police Pipe band” that appears in the back numbers of my tunes of the month. He was John Wilson’s teacher, hence the title of this jig in his honour.

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Lesson Pointers

I have changed some grace note combinations (GDE combination instead of taorluath second bar first part and elsewhere) to suit certain movements that are more common practice today. Also changed slightly is the second bar of the second part (half tachum), and the fourth part written with the second time only that I find is such a good effect with the low G in the fifth bar both times in the repeat, rather than low A first time that to my mind does not sound as good.

Please remember from my previous jigs the beat rhythm of 1,2,3; 1,2,3; and so on in an almost round style with a touch of feeling on the 3 much of the way. Good clean, clear execution and flow are essential. A reasonable musical tempo of about 108-112 BPM could apply.