Michael Grey is a Canadian musician, composer, and author. He is known for highland bagpipe music. He is the Pipe Major of the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band.[1][2][3]
Michael Grey | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Canada |
| Occupation | Musician |
Grey published seven volumes of pipe music and has received various awards. He is also a teacher and workshop leader.[4][5][6]
Early life and education
editGrey was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He received his early lessons at the age of thirteen from George Walker of the 48th Highlanders of Canada and was a member of the regiment's pipe band for three years.
He also studied under John Wilson and received tuition from Bill Livingstone, John Walsh, and Captain John A MacLellan MBE.[7][8]
Career
editGrey was a founding member of the 1987 World Pipe Band Champion 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band. He left that band in 1995 and became a pipe major of the Peel Regional Police (PRP) Pipe Band.[9][10]
In 1999, Grey left the PRP Pipe Band to focus on solo piping. In the same year, he won the Scottish Piping Society of London's (UK) Strachan Cup and was also the aggregate winner of the British Columbia Pipers' Association Annual Gathering.[11]
In 2003, Grey consulted with composer John Beckwith on Beckwith's commission for pipes and orchestra, A New Pibroch. Grey performed the piece's premiere in March 2003; the piece aired in June of that year on CBC Radio 2.
Grey has seven published books of music and nine solo recordings, including the December 2009 release Unqualified Favorites. His books were published in different time spans from 1989 to 2018, and his sixth solo recording, Shimla Hum, was released on May 8, 2006.[12][13][14]
In October 2007, Grey joined the premier grade Toronto Police Pipe Band as music director and Pipe Sergeant and left the band in September 2013. He was a member of the Glasgow Police Pipe Band from November 2013 to August 2018.[15]
On January 30, 2016, he performed as part of the Live in Ireland 87 project at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, an initiative he directed with the Celtic Connections music festival. The concert was recorded live by the BBC for broadcast.[16][17]
In September 2023, Grey was appointed Pipe Major of the 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band, one of five grade-one bands in North America.[1][2][4][18]
As of 2024, he is working on a project detailing the life of GS McLennan and his famous family of pipers and dancers (while gradually assembling his eighth book of music). Grey is also owns his label, Dunaber Music.
Books
editHighland Bagpipe Music[19]
Music for Pipers [20]
Old and New Tunes [21]
The Peel Regional Police Pipe Band Collection [22]
Music for Everyone [23]
Damned Suites and Other Music [24]
More Music for Everyone [25]
Grey's Notes on a Life Around Bagpipes [26]
Selected Solo Recordings
editShambolica! [8]
Nine Blasted Notes [4]
Shimla Hum [2]
Unqualified Favorites [9]
Awards
editGrey has won the North American Championship four times, the overall title at the BC Piper's Association Annual Gathering twice, the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal, and that venue's March, Strathspey & Reel and Former Winners' MSR on the same day. In 1989,[27][16] he won the aggregate championship at the Cowal Highland Gathering. He has also won the Strachan Cup for March, Strathspey & Reel, playing at the Scottish Piping Society of London (UK) competitions. Grey has won the professional Ontario Championship Supreme awards for classical (pibroch) and light music seventeen times. In 1995, he won the Toronto Piper's Society Knock-Out final. Grey again won this testing event for the third year in 2003.[1][3][9][13]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Grey tests hits in retrospective CD". pipes|drums. 1969-12-31. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ a b c Slavin, John (2022-06-13). "June 2006: Michael Grey's Shimla Hum". Bagpipe News. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ a b "A Bryan Greenwood Production music, videos, stats, and photos". Last.fm. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ a b c "FolkWorld CD Reviews". folkworld.eu. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "MusicMoz - Releases: Compilations: G: Great Highland Bagpipe, The - In Modern Times Piping Progressions". musicmoz.org. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "Release group "The Composer's Series, Vol.1" by Michael Grey - MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ https://www.discogs.com/release/16234658-Various-An-Evening-of-Champions
- ^ a b "Michael Grey | Piper | Composer | Arranger | Pipe Tunes". pipetunes.ca. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ a b c "Review: 'Live in Ireland 2016', at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall – Piping Press". pipingpress.com. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "Michael Grey". Dunaber Music. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ Slavin, John (2023-09-08). "Michael Grey appointed Pipe Major of 78th Fraser Highlanders". Bagpipe News. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "BBC Radio Scotland - Pipeline, Spotlight on Canada: in Conversation with Michael Grey". BBC. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ a b "Mike Grey and the 78th Fraser Highlanders/ 100 Pipers Pipe Band – Even More Info – Piping Press". pipingpress.com. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "Great Highland Bagpipe". development.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "067: Michael Grey – Pipers Persuasion". Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ a b "Michael Grey – Celtic Life International". Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ Development, PodBean. "The Big Rab Show Podcast. Episode 246. Michael Grey | The Big Rab Show Podcast". bigrabshow.podbean.com. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "Michael Grey's collection - Tunes for the Highland bagpipe". Ti ar Sonerien - La maison des Sonneurs (in French). Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ ""Highland Bagpipe Music" - Book 1 (1989)". Dunaber Music. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ ""Music For Pipers" - Book 2 (1991)". Dunaber Music. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ ""Old and New Tunes" - Book 3 (1995)". Dunaber Music. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ ""The Peel Regional Police Pipe Band Collection" - Book 4 (1997)". Dunaber Music. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "Michael Grey's Book 5 of Highland Bagpipe Music: Music for Everyone by Dunaber Music - Issuu". issuu.com. 2012-01-23. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ ""Damned Suites and Other Music" - Book 6 (2013)". Dunaber Music. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "More Music for Everyone - Michael Grey's 7th Book of Music". Dunaber Music. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "Grey's Notes on a Life Around Bagpipes by Michael Grey". Dunaber Music. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "Grey makes Tunes For Everyone available free for all". pipes|drums. 2012-01-31. Retrieved 2024-08-09.