Jimi the Piper
web site for famous Scottish piper Jimi McRae, known to many as Jimi the Piper.
Friday 26 April 2024
Second official release of 2024 - By popular demand it's 'Black Jack Davy.
Tuesday 19 March 2024
Murder Pool - New Song and Video from Scotland.
Murder Pool is a song written by Jimi McRae and Scottish guitarist Neil Warden.
It can be downloaded or streamed via your favourite music site by clicking this link: https://emubands.ffm.to/murderpool
Murder Pool is the first release from a new eight song project by Jimi and Neil which follows on from McRae's well received 2022 six track EP 'The Hills Where I Began'. The new releases will see McRae exploring little discussed, stark, dark and often quite horrific periods and episodes from Scottish history, in this case the barbaric practice of murder or drowning pools.
In an article entitled 'The dark history of Scotland's drowning pools' dated April 2016 'The Scotsman' newspaper writes: “The threat of execution was one of the primary tools of law enforcement in early medieval Europe, and it was no different in Scotland. One example is the use of so-called drowning pools, also known as drowning pits or murder-pools.
“Their use was self-explanatory. But what made them unique was they were traditionally reserved for women." The article continues: “Feudal Scotland had no central government that we would recognise today. Royal authority was a distant concept. Local landowners held immense power and were expected to dispense justice as they saw fit. Why women were drowned and men hanged cannot be definitively explained. One theory is that it was viewed as less violent death, and considered an act of leniency”.
However, men too were on occasion sentenced to drown. Rope was expensive after all.
Sir Walter Scott recorded in 1815 that Border reivers of earlier centuries, who raided farms and property in both Scotland and England, were traditionally sentenced to be hanged or drowned, depending on the locality. He wrote many were drowned “in a deep eddy of the Jed, near Jedburgh,” adding that “the next tree, or the deepest pool in the nearest stream, was indifferently used.”
One such known 'murder pool' featuring in this music video (42 secs, and again at 3mins 5 secs) is located in the Scottish Borders town of Hawick, where the Slitrig water runs into the River Teviot. In an article entitled 'Rough Justice for the Reivers' author David Pike writes: “Here, where nature has cut a little deeper into the natural landscape, you will find the town’s infamous drowning pool or murder pool, depending which side of the law you were on.
"In July of 1562 some 22 Border Reivers met a watery end in the ‘pool.’ The Reivers were in the habit of bringing their ill-gotten gains to Hawick market but on this occasion Walter Kerr, Warden of Scotland was one step ahead.
"Acting on the authority of the recently crowned Mary Queen of Scots he sealed off the town and captured dozens of Reivers. Those on the lower rungs of the social pecking order had their hands bound and were executed at the pool, their bodies held underwater by lances. Their leaders were afforded the courtesy of a trip to Edinburgh and a ‘gentleman’s’ death by hanging.”
Drownings like this were carried out until the late 17th century across Scotland as a punishment for a variety of crimes. The Scotsman newspaper states: "In 1611, an Edinburgh man was drowned for stealing a lamb, and in 1623, eleven gypsy women were recorded as being drowned in the city’s Nor Loch. In 1679, a woman named Janet Grant was tried for theft in the baronial court of Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonston. She was found guilty and drowned the next day in the Loch of Spynie." The Scotsman adds: "There are no records of drowning being used as a capital punishment after 1685. The practice survived in France until at least 1793."
Friday 1 March 2024
A busy start to 2024 for Jimi. New poetry and piping releases planned.
Monday 12 February 2024
New recording project with top Italian music producer and singer
Thursday 8 February 2024
Jimi back from latest concert tour of Russia.
Jimi has returned from his latest concert tour of Russia.
This trip included a visit to and performance at Russia's first Malt Whisky distillery near the city of Saransk, the capital of the Republic of Mordovia. (located one-and-a-half hour flight time SE of Moscow)
Jimi was also on duty as a piper and top table speaker at the Caledonian Society of Moscow's annual 'Burns Supper' on the anniversary of the birth of famous Scottish bard, Robbie Burns. The evening doubled as a tribute to the great Russian scholar and friend of Scotland, Dimitry Fedosov who sadly passed away after a short illness at the New Year.
Dimitry was a leading light in the Caledonian Society of Moscow for many years. He leaves behind a collection of acclaimed scholary and highly readable academic work detailing the many Scots who played important roles in shaping Tsarist Russian history, including 'soldier of fortune' Patrick Gordon from Aberdeenshire who became right hand man and military advisor to Peter the Great.
Jimi took the floor to entertain guests with a selection of stirring Scottish tunes on his bagpipes. He performed the traditional 'address to the haggis', (translated into Russian for the audience by Vitaly Mironov) and also joined well known Moscow band Grenada on stage for a rendition of 'Auld Lang Syne', 'Whisky in the Jar' and 'Flower O' Scotland'. Video footage of Jimi and Grenada performing the latter can be viewed here:
Jimi then headed to the city of Omsk in Siberia where he teamed up with popular Italian classical singer, 'the Voice of Venice' himself - Luca Minnelli, Chinese Soprano Ding Yao and Chinese pop star Wang Hao for a week long series of concerts to mark the finale of the 'Workers and Musicians Solidarity Against the Cancellation of Russian Culture' festival. The festival had been running since the start of November with sold out concerts in Ryazan Oblast, Pskov, Moscow, Samara, Pskov Oblast and Kaliningrad.
Jimi said the concerts in Omsk and surrounding area were huge successes with local folk musicians, classical singers and the Omsk Philharmonic Orchestra participating and contributing to the success. "I'd also like to thank the organisers who worked so hard to ensure everything ran smoothly" added Jimi.
Here's a video of Luca performing two well known and much loved Italian songs with a traditional Siberian folk ensemble during a particularly memorable performance.
Jimi joined Luca on stage for a stunning rendition of the classic song 'Moscow Nights'. Luca is currently recording a new album and he hopes to have Jimi piping on several songs. "He's a great guy. We get on very well" added Jimi.
Check out the pics below from just some of the Omsk performances. Salute!
Saturday 27 January 2024
International condemnation to Adolf Hitler Waffen SS memorial standing in Scotland - but still the UK media remain silent.
The memorial stone at Hallmuir, near Lockerbie,bearing the insignia of Hitler's notorious Waffen SS 'Galizien' division. |
Jimi's blog last month revealing that a memorial stone commemorating WW2 Nazis accused of being 'women and children killers' is standing near the town of Lockerbie, Scotland has sparked international outrage.
The fact that the Scottish Government, via a quango organisation called the South of Scotland Enterprise Board, decided to invest over £50,000 of taxpayers money to upgrade and help promote the site, where the SS regimental insignia is clearly on display, has predictably added to the furor.
The Waffen SS were the notorious military arm of the German Nazi party during WW2. They were hailed by Nazi leaders as the living embodiment of Hitler's genocidal, racist and evil ideology.
Despite the widespread condemnation - over 15000 blog views in less than a month, comments posted by concerned citizens from around the world and personal messages to Jimi - the revelations contained in the blog have, so far, received no media attention.
The blog can be viewed by clicking here: http://www.jimithepiper.co.uk/2023/12/waffen-ss-ww2-memorial-standing-proud.html?m=1
Jimi said he was unsurprised by the reaction to his blog because it contained "shocking information which any decent person would find appalling." However, he added he was surprised and disappointed by the apparent refusal of "official media representatives" to pick up on the revelations and run with the story.
"My LinkedIn profile tells me about everybody who has been looking at my posts" said Jimi. "I shared this particular blog on LinkedIn and in due course I was informed that people at the BBC had viewed it three times, someone at the 'Glasgow Herald' newspaper offices and also a representative of 'The Times'
"Despite this nobody picked up the story. I'm not seeking acclaim. I just ask for journalists to do their job. I waited 18 months for someone to write this story after reading an uncritical newspaper article about the Scottish Government's decision to grant funding. Finally I gave up and wrote it myself".
Jimi has been in the 'news' himself over the past few months for his decision to perform at festivals and concerts in Russia with his bagpipes. Articles attacking him have appeared in the 'Sunday Times' and 'Scottish Daily Express'.
"Basically it appears that a guy from Scotland going to Russia with his bagpipes in an effort to promote peace, understanding and friendship between ordinary people is more newsworthy, at least to our media, than the Scottish Government providing a considerable sum of public money to promote a monument celebrating Nazi volunteers who stand accused by both Ukrainian and Polish investigative committees of committing mass murder and genocide, mainly of women and children."
Jimi added:" I dislike talking politics but if you want my views on the ongoing Ukraine tragedy please listen to the words of current American Presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr in the link below. He is a highly educated, skilled lawyer and says things more eloquently than I ever could. He also comes from a distinguished line of good, decent and brave men - decorated warriors among them - who did their best to secure peace and a better future for all our children and grandchildren. God knows we need more like him in our politics and media today. Peace! "
https://youtu.be/zmreQ-K3Oek?si=wjFM-DlyWIYw3Woq
Monday 15 January 2024
Musical Road trip, NW Russia - Jimi and 'LiberArte', Nicaragua perform Moscow to Pskov.
New music video, from the "Strength in Unity", Workers' Solidarity with Russian Cultur tour.
Jimi and friends - the multi talented 'LiberArte' from Nicaragua - make a musical journey from Moscow to Pskov, with a performance in the former home of celebrated Russian poet Alexander Pushkin along the way.
The tour included over 20 shows and also included visits to the Samara and Kaliningrad Oblasts as well as Moscow.
Performing artists from Russia and Italy joined 'LiberArte' and Jimi for the concerts in Kaliningrad and Samara.