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The Clan Currie Society is pleased to announce that Neil MacInnis of Mabou, Nova Scotia has been chosen as the first recipient of the Alex Currie Memorial Scholarship for Bagpipe. MacInnis will study bagpipe performance this summer at the celebrated Gaelic College in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. “I feel honoured to have been picked for the Alex Currie Memorial Bursary. I heard he was an awesome Cape Breton piper that kept our Gaelic culture alive by his style of piping,” wrote MacInnis in his thank you letter to the Clan Currie Society, sponsors of the piping scholarship. “The bursary enables me to get the teaching I have been missing out on the past school year. I am particularly excited about the piping lessons I will be given at the college.”
“Like Alex Currie before him, Neil MacInnis is part of an up and coming generation of musicians and performers that will ensure the perpetuation of our Highland heritage”, said Robert Currie, president of the Society. In addition to his piping, Neil is active in many aspects of Scottish culture. He is a member of the Cape Breton Fiddler’s Association, and a frequent participant in the annual Mabou Feis arts program. MacInnis also performs on both piano and bagpipes for his school’s annual Gaelic Awareness Concert each May. In her letter of reference to the College, Neil’s piano teacher, Marianne Jewell praised the young piper for his musicianship and his citizenship. “Neil learns extremely quickly and has an inherent musical aptitude, both of which he applies to learning Scottish tunes, Cape Breton accompaniment techniques and classical music as well. For someone his age, he is remarkably advanced in his musical skills.” Jewell continued, “His love of Gaelic culture leads him to be passionate about learning and performing bagpipes, piano, Gaelic singing and participating with others for the same whenever possible. His sense of community belonging sees him active in church, including being one of the main organists for weekend masses. He is also very kind and helpful to people of all ages.” About the Gaelic College The Gaelic College, founded in 1938 by Rev. A.W.R. MacKenzie, is situated in the heart of the earliest Scottish settlement in Cape Breton. The College began as a school of Gaelic language in a small log cabin overlooking St. Ann's Bay and to this day it’s mission remains:: To Promote, Preserve and Perpetuate through studies in all related areas: The Culture, Music, Language, Arts, Crafts, Customs and Traditions of immigrants from the Highlands of Scotland. From its humble beginnings, this unique institution has expanded and gained an international reputation for its contribution to the maintenance and preservation of the language and culture. The only institution of its kind in North America, students of all ages and ability travel here from around the world to study. The college employs some of the most respected instructors, offering programs in Scottish traditional disciplines including Gaelic language and song, music, dance and crafts. Further information can be found on their website at www.gaeliccollege.edu. About Alex Currie
For some today who love the Scottish pipes, Alex Currie is an anachronism from a bygone era, but to those who know his story, he was the last of the true Scottish pipers. “As far as I’m concerned, the most important piper I ever met was Alex Currie from Cape Breton,” said the celebrated pipe maker Hamish Moore of Dunkeld, Scotland. “He was part of that MacMhuirich (Currie) tradition of the bards and the pipers. They were a very important clan in that respect. And very important culturally with respect to the arts. I think it’s just part of the clan’s heritage that’s been passed along, that very high cultural awareness that exists in certain families. That is, it’s been passed down from generation to generation.” “Not only did his style of playing reflect an undiluted Gaelic oral tradition dating back to 19th century South Uist, but his knowledge of tunes – some locally composed and others forgotten in Scotland – was unmatched by many of his contemporaries.” He was a living representation of one of the many different styles that existed in Cape Breton among the highland immigrants and their descendants – styles that have disappeared from the piping landscape of Cape Breton. Not long before his death, Curry was honored for his contributions to traditional piping during the Celtic Colours celebration at the Gaelic College in St. Anns, Nova Scotia. The Clan Currie Society is honored to dedicate their first Scottish heritage scholarship in memory of this exceptional musician and clansman.
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