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),
the auld-style great music (the ceol mor, below) of the pipes,
composing, performing with non-piper musicians and singers, and busking which
he does frequently with a djembe & conga player.
Robert Burns proudly competes with a set of Strathmore pipes and
silver-soled chanter made by Murray Henderson and has a set of Naill pipes adapted to play with a replica
of a 1785 black Kintail chanter made by Hamish Moore
keyed to A@440MH for playing with other musicians and with greater tonal
quality.
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 in 2008 and 2009
won the annual W.U.S.P.B.A.
championship in Grade 1 piping and in 2009 the Capt. Olaf Paulsen OBE Memorial Grade 1 Piping Piobaireachd and the
(not pictured) C. Naismith Pibroch Award:
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Robert Burns in 2010 won the
annual P/M Angus MacDonald Western
Regional Championship in Grade 1 Piobaireachd and Grade 1 Piping Champion:
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,
Robert Burns piped at the Fiesta Patronale Irlandesa de San Patricio (St.
Patrick’s Day celebration) at the upscale Pub
de la Chupa Tijuana the only Irish pub in
Robert Burns piped for the
funeral ceremony at the grandstands at the Orange County Fairgrounds for famed
international professional speedway rider Kelly Moran on
4/10/2010.
Robert Burns piped for the
funeral ceremony and reception for beloved San Diego icon James Mulvaney, Sr. on 10/23/2010.
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
“Your piping was the perfect
emotional grace note to our family's celebration and our son's paddle-out and
we were happy to have you there. – Susan McCarthy
BAGPIPING-RELATED SITES
Barry
Shears' Web Site on Traditional Gaelic Bagpiping in Nova Scotia - Bagpipes
Museum
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:
Robert Burns is awaiting a new
set of silver-enhanced Strathmore bagpipes.
CREDITS:
The background picture is of
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Robert
Burns can be found on FaceBook as OBPiper.
Contact
Robert Burns at (619) 223-0441,
