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Get in the Christmas and Celtic spirit with the Pipes of Christmas, a series of concerts in the lead up to Christmas organised by the Learned Kindred of Currie. Read our blog to find out more about this wonderful event, including an interview with Robert 'Bob' Currie, the Commander of the Name and Arms of Currie.
Discover the Pipes of Christmas
What are the Pipes of Christmas?
Now in its 26th year, the Pipes of Christmas, a series of annual concerts to celebrate Christmas and the Celtic spirit, are organised by the Learned Kindred of Currie. For many people this has become an event not to miss and is part of their Christmas celebrations each and every year.
It’s also the primary annual fundraiser for the Learned Kindred of Currie who are dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Scottish Arts, Culture and Heritage. Not only do they support their musicians and creative collaborators, the concerts also raise funds for their scholarships, hosting the biggest Tartan Day in the world "Tartan Day on Ellis Island", and so much more.
In 2024 some of the award-winning performers will include Irish-American traditional singer Madelyn Monaghan, guitarist and music director Steve Gibb from Inverness, Scotland, actor James Robinson from "Braveheart" and "Outlander", the fiddler Caitlin Warbelow from Broadway's "Come From Away" and two superb pipe bands, The Commonwealth Pipes and Drums (Boston) and the St. Columcille United Pipe Band (NJ).
To celebrate and share more about Pipes of Christmas we thought it would be fun to feature Bob Currie of Learned Kindred of Currie to give us more details and background about this amazing event. Keep reading to find out more!
Interview with Bob Currie
We were delighted to interview Bob Currie, the Commander of the Name and Arms of Currie and supporter of Scottish Arts and Culture, to tell us more about Pipes of Christmas.
Pipes of Christmas is Learned Kindred of Currie’s primary annual fundraiser, how did you come up with the idea to put on concerts rather than an exhibition, for example?
We do both! The Pipes of Christmas is our annual fundraiser that supports our Learned Kindred to produce exhibitions like Tartan Day on Ellis Island and a whole host of scholarships and programs. For example, we are the Title Sponsor of the US National Scottish Harp Championship and a supporting sponsor of events like the Royal National Mod, the Loon Mountain Highland Games, and Edinburgh Fringe Festival programs.
We bestow scholarships at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye and the Gaelic College in Nova Scotia among others.
Our Christmas concert was preceded by a series of Kirkin' o' the Tartans** worship services which, as you might surmise, was known for beautiful music and readings.
You’re a big supporter of the Arts, what do the Pipes of Christmas mean to you and what role do you play in organising the concerts?
Supporting the arts is very personal to me as a performer and producer. It is also intrinsically linked to the history of the Learned Kindred of Currie. As the preeminent bardic dynasty in Scotland for over 500 years, MacMhuirich (Currie) bards kept the literary torch burning throughout the Hebrides and Western Highlands of Scotland. The Pipes of Christmas is a natural extension of that unique heritage.
This year, Pipes of Christmas will also perform at the Old South Church in Boston in memory of Brian O’Donovan. Can you please tell us what is special about the venue and more about Brian’s contribution to Boston and music?
Old South Church (founded in 1669) is a vital centre for worship for over 350 years. They enjoy a superb reputation for music ministry through their First Singers, Gospel and Children’s Choirs and the Old South Ringers. Further, they make their beautiful Sanctuary available for leading music organizations across the city.
Where do I begin to extoll the dedication and commitment of the late Brian O’Donovan to the New England Celtic community. A native of Ireland, Brian was the beloved producer of “A Celtic Christmas Sojourn” for 20 years. The concert formed part of the centrepiece for Boston’s Christmas celebration. His passing in 2023 was a huge blow.
With the support and encouragement of Brian’s widow, Lindsay, we sought to help fill some of the musical void left by Brian’s death. Nothing can compare to his love and dedication to the arts. We aim to celebrate his life and legacy in our small way.
I was deeply touched that Lindsay wrote, “This beautiful show has been a staple in New York and New Jersey, and I know Brian would be deeply touched to see others picking up the torch, ensuring that the vibrant sounds of Celtic heritage continue to fill our hearts and halls. Brian often said that the one thing he would hate most is for the room to go silent.”
Pipes of Christmas also raises funds for your all-important Scholarship programs. What have past students gone on to achieve after their Scholarship?
Every scholarship recipient is an important member of our Celtic community. Wherever they apply themselves after their formal studies they are contributing to this greater good. That said, we do have our standout recipients that have acquitted themselves in the Trad music world from national champions to world class composers and arrangers.
We have to ask about tartan, of course. What are some of the tartans the performers wear? We’re assuming you wear the Currie tartan!
Naturally! You can plan on seeing an ample representation of our lovely Currie tartan. You will also see the Ancient MacLean of Duart, MacKenzie and County Galway. I’ve been known to sport the Ellis Island tartan as well.
But that’s just on-stage. Our audiences enjoy the opportunity to sport their favourite tartans. The hall is emblazed with kilts and skirts, sashes, and shawls. We know Tartan Day is celebrated each April, but the Pipes of Christmas offers another reason to “Bring Forrit the Tartan.”
How can people get involved in supporting Pipes of Christmas other than attending one of the concerts?
We invite support and participation for all our programs. For our concerts, we are blessed to have Host Committees that play a critical role from promoting ticket sales, recruiting sponsors to more logistical “hands on” involvement. The same goes for our Tartan Day on Ellis Island program where we annually host anywhere from 20 to 80 thousand visitors and our presence at Highland Games and Gatherings.
In Boston, we are deeply honoured and grateful to enjoy the support of Brady Brim-DeForest of Balvaird Castle, FRGS, FRSA as our Founding Patron in Boston as well as Scottish Heritage USA, the Scottish Government and the National Trust for Scotland Foundation, USA.
We also commission composers to create new music for our concerts. This process started in 2001 when Pipe Major Kevin Blandford brought forth the haunting “Lament for the Lost” in response to the 9/11 terror attacks. Since then, we have assembled a formidable book of music, much spearheaded by Alexander McCall Smith and our relationship with Edinburgh Napier University. Over a dozen new commissions have enjoyed their World Premiere at our concert since then.
This year we will premiere a new pipe march composed by Stuart Currie of Dumfries to mark Edinburgh’s 900th anniversary.
Any good stories or anecdotes you’d like to share about Pipes of Christmas or Learned Kindred of Currie?
Oh, there’s been a few! We transitioned from the Kirking of the Tartans to our Christmas program when we discovered the incredible music of Pipe Major Kevin Blandford and organist Jeff Rickard. Their arrangements were majestic. I had to replicate that sound in a live setting. We couldn’t have anticipated the result. With only 200 tickets sold for a venue that could accommodate 600, we were amazed to witness some additional 600 patrons show up at the door. If you do the math, that’s an over-capacity crowd of 800 in total! When we ran out of seating, we opened the choir loft. When that filled, we started pulling in folding chairs. It was amazing. Such a wonderful affirmation.
In 2006, we muscled up the courage to bring the concert to New York City. We had no idea how the Big Apple would embrace the program. We were not let down. We’ve been regularly selling out both venues.
In New York, it would not be unusual to discover a celebrity or two. We’ve hosted actors Bebe Neuwirth and Matthew Modine. Perhaps our greatest thrill was to host acclaimed Scots actor Brian Cox. It was a wonderful “Braveheart” reunion with our featured readers James Robinson and Andrew Weir who both appeared in the film as Young William Wallace and Young Hamish.
As we enter our second quarter-century with a new production in Boston, we look eagerly toward entering this new chapter of our Kindred’s long life. We can’t wait!
Thank you, Bob, for taking the time to answer our questions and tell us more about Pipes of Christmas!
To get your ticket, please visit the Pipes of Christmas website here. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Visit the Learned Kindred of Currie website here.
ScotlandShop is proud to be the official and authorised producer for Learned Kindred of Currie. We supply the Currie tartan and offer a range of custom made garments and items in the Currie tartan, with 10% of all Currie tartan sales donated to the Learned Kindred of Currie.
**Kirkin' o' the Tartans is a Scottish American tradition, a ceremony of worship, held by many US Scottish, Caledonian and St Andrew's Societies as well as Presbyterian Churches. It's believed it was started by Scottish born Rev. Peter Marshall in Washington DC in the 1940s. If you need fabric, flags or decorations for your Kirkin' o' the Tartans, please get in touch as we'd love to help.
Let us know if you've been to one of the Pipes of Christmas concerts or are planning to go, we'd love to hear from you!
