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INTRODUCTION
Robert Burns performs
traditional Scottish and Irish tunes on the Great Highland Bagpipe for hire,
busking, and for pleasure individually, in sessions, and as a member of the Cameron
Highlanders Pipe Band. His primary piping interests are auld-style Scotch
and Irish stepdance tunes (the ceol beag),
haunting Celtic song airs (the ceol meadhonach), and the auld-style
great music (the ceol mor, below) of the pipes.
Robert Burns won the Grade 1 Piobaireachd Competition at the United Scottish Society Highland Gathering
on 5/23/2009 at the Orange County Fairgrounds in
Robert Burns’ notable formative
influences include extensive tutoring by Celtic scholar and performer Seamus
Taylor now of Ireland, Irish warpiper, uilleann piper, flutist, whistler, and
fiddler Tommy Standeven (no longer with us) who performed with Sligo fiddler
John Vesey, Cape Breton piper, recording artist, and scholar Barry Shears, various instructors
such as Angus MacLellan, Dugald
MacNeill, and Gavin Stoddart at the College of Piping, world-class
piper Ian Whitelaw, and the
world’s leading authority on ceol mor.
Andrew Wright.
PICTURE , VIDEO, &
WRITING
For a picture of Robert Burns
piping, click here.
For a
video of Robert Burns piping click here.
For a
published article on bagpiping by Robert Burns in Vol. 61 No. 11 of the
Piping Times click here.
TYPES OF PERFORMANCES
·
Weddings
·
Funerals
·
Parties
·
Church
services
·
Parades
·
Recordings
Robert Burns' membership is
current in the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and
Canada, Local 325,
Robert Burns was the sole piper
for the 3/24/2000 funeral service for the late billionaire and cable-TV pioneer
Bill Daniels, with an audience of approximately 400 persons including former
president Gerald Ford.
Robert Burns was the opening act
at The Barn in Margaree,
Robert Burns was the piper for
the funeral service for Sam Knott a saintly man whose beautiful daughter was
abducted and murdered by a member of the C.H.P.
Robert Burns was the piper for 91-X FM Radio's pre-St. Paddy's Day
2001 wake-up call and U-2 ticket give away bash and for the 91-X's
pre-St. Paddy's Day 2002 wake-up call and barging into a local televised
weather show.
Robert Burns was the piper for
the large funeral service for Mike Cagalj at Trellises Garden Grille Restaurant at the Town and Country Hotel in
Robert Burns was the piper for
the large funeral service for Brent Woodall, high-profile victim of the
9/11/2001 terrorist strikes on the World
Trade Towers, at All Hallows Catholic Church in La Jolla,
California.
Robert Burns piped as the
opening act on 2/24/2005 for Tower After Hours at the
Robert Burns was the sole piper
for the 11/10/2005 convention of the Commercial Finance Association with
a large audience and keynote speaker Colin Powell.
Robert Burns piped in the huge,
magical 150th Mardi Gras parade put on by Krewe Rex in the first Mardis Gras since the onslaught of Hurricane
Katrina, and piped throughout The French Quarter in
Robert Burns piped for the
traditional and innovative highland dance troupe Highland Fusion at the 2007, 2008, and 2009, Robert
Burns Suppers in
Robert Burns piped the large
funeral service and reception on 2/16/2007 for high-profile businessman and
civic leader Rug Cunningham.
Rober Burns piped for the ShamRock St. Patrick’s Day Block Party
throughout the Gaslamp District in downtown
Robert Burns piped as part of
the House of Scotland Pipe Band
opening for rock-legend Rod Stewart on 3/24/2007 at Cox Arena in
Robert Burns piped the opening
of an elaborate private party for rock-legend Jackson Browne on 4/14/2007 in
Olivenhaim,
TESTIMONIALS
"Thanks again for the
outstanding performance at our wedding!! You made quite an impression with
everyone (especially with some guests that didn't think they liked [b]agpipe
music)! I can't begin to describe the feeling of hearing the pipes fill the
garden with sound as we walked down the aisle after the ceremony! Both my wife
and I sincerely appreciate your punc[t]uality, professional[]ism, and musical
proficiency that contributed to making our wedding a truly spectacular event!!"
-- John and
"You were generous with
your time and your beautiful music. Our family appreciates it more than words
can say. So many people came up to su and said, 'Where did you find the great
Irish music and the bagpipes? They were the perfect touch. It's exactly what
Pop would have wanted.'" -- The Murphy Family
"Thank you for your
sterling and stirring performance. Your playing was a significant part of a
most memorable experience." -- Dean C. Kaul
"Robert Burns is volunteer
member of the New Traditions band at University Christian Church. Between his
expertise on pipes and his versatility with guitar and pennywhistle, he adds a
beautiful and unique dimension to the music at our church, unheard anyplace
else in southern
"Thank you so much for your
help in making a special day even more memorable. Everyone enjoyed the
different twist and your performance was first class. Should you ever require a
reference please keep us in mind." -- Linda H.
"Your performance for my
mothers' . . . memorial last May made an unhappy event a warm memory...thanks
again!" -- Kathleen Edwards>
"Thank you so much for your
wonderful music at our holiday party! You received many, many compliments from
our guests, and we all enjoyed it! I hope we'll have another event for which we
can have you back." --
"Thank you[and your wife on
tenor drum] so much for your beautiful music. YOU made the 1st Mercy Parade.
God Bless." -- Joan Martin
"I just wanted to tell you
that your music at our son's wedding was magnificent. It was absolute
perfection when the new husband and wife started to move towards the doors to
exit and you stood there playing your beautiful music." -- Margie Clark
“I would like to thank you again
for your appearance at our daughter's wedding on October 22nd at the La Jolla
Cove Bridge Club. Your wonderful music added so much ambience to the ceremony
as well as the beginning of the cocktail hour. It was what we had hoped for
plus so much more. We received many compliments from our guests so I would like
to pass them on to you. Needless to say both the Father of the groom (an
O'Brien) and the Grandfather of the bride (an O'Neill) were tickled pink by
your beautiful music. Thank you so much!!” -- Moira Podgurski
“Mr. Burns was delightful and
very professional. His performance added a profoundly beautiful touch to the
funeral and meshed wonderfully with the Marine Corps honor guard present for
the ceremony. My Father-in-law was a decorated Korean war veteran, and the
pipes added so much to the military flavor of the ceremony. Thanks to Mr. Burns
for his very moving rendition of ‘Highland Cathedral’. There was not a dry eye
left when he was through. Thanks,” -- Jeff Morgan
BAGPIPING-RELATED SITES
Barry
Shears' Web Site on Traditional Gaelic Bagpiping in Nova Scotia
Hamish
Moore's Excellent Articulation of the Allure of Stepdance Piping
Barnaby Brown's Web Site on Piobaireachd
Western United States Pipe Band Association
The Cameron Highlanders Pipe Band
The House of Scotland at Balboa Park
The House of Ireland of Balboa Park
Scottish Treasurers Celtic Corner of
Coronado serving San Diego County
The Robert Burns World Federation
The Robert
Burns Club of San Diego
Robert
Burns, Attorney & Counselor at Law
PIPING NEWS:
The 11th Annual Angus
MacDonald Western Regional Championship, being judged by Lorne Cousin, is to be held on
November 21, 2009. Robert Burns expects
to be a competitor there. For more
information on this wonderful event, click here.
CREDITS:
The background picture is of
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact
Robert Burns at (619) 223-0441,
