Pipe Major James Pryde was born in Inveresk on the 13th October 1929. At the age of 9, he played for the Musselburgh Boys Brigade and afterwards he joined the Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band and was in the band when they won the World Pipe Band Championships for the first time in 1948.
He went on to do his national service with the Royal Scots and after completing that developed his bagpipe making skills along side legendary Leith bagpipe maker, William Sinclair.
He then rejoined the British Army and served with the Highland Light Infantry and Seaforth Highlanders before being appointed as the Pipe Major of the Royal Scots Grey. During his time in the army he was the Senior Pipe Major of the British Army and also carried her Majesty The Queens personal Pipe Banner. It was towards the end of his time in the Royal Scots Greys that he had the Hit Record “Amazing Grace”. The LP hit number one in the charts and sold millions worldwide.
James retired from the Army, after 25 years service, in 1972 and began to teach in the local schools in and around Peebles, the funding for this was cut in 1976 and James’s teaching talents where used first by Belhaven Preparatory School then Loretto School and the Edinburgh Academy. He was an excellent, patient and generous teacher who shared his knowledge and love of piping with his pupils. Indeed, as a testimony to his expertise, Pipe Major James Pryde MBE is said to have be one of the World’s most respected tutors and exponents of the Highland Bagpipe and its music, a Senior Judge for both Solo playing and Pipe Band competitions around the World and a skilled Bagpipe maker. His teaching has produced some of today’s leading pipers including Simon McKerrell and Scott Drummond. At Loretto, he principally taught the senior boys and specialised in the Ceol Mor. The band is made up of some who where taught by James, some who knew of James and some who would loved to have known James and we all think it is a great idea to remember such an influential Pipe Major by creating something he would have loved.
To read “Memories of an Army Piper” which is Pipe Major James Pryde MBE memories of his military career please see:
Additional material about Pipe Major James Pryde MBE can be found here and here
