Bill Millin, the Scottish bagpiper who played Highland tunes as his fellow commandos landed on Normandy beach on D-Day, died on Wednesday, August 18 in Devon, England.
When the Pipe Major Kevin Ray Blandford Memorial Pipe Band marches on to commence the Second Act of the 2010 edition of The Pipes of Christmas, they will play ?Highland Laddie? and ?The Road to the Isles? in memory of this outstanding soldier and piper.
Said "Pipes" executive producer Robert Currie, "Scotland has lost one of her last great heroes of the Second World War. Bill Millin represented all that was expected of a Scots soldier and piper; brave, determined and larger than life.
Immortalized in the 1962 film, "The Longest Day," Millin was a 21-year-old private in Britain's First Special Service Brigade on June 6, 1944 when his unit landed on a strip of beach which was code-named Sword Beach.
Millin had been summoned by the brigade?s commanding officer, Brigadier Simon Fraser - the 15th Lord Lovat and Hereditary Chief of the Clan Fraser.
Against orders dating back to World War I that prohibited the playing of bagpipes in battle conditions due to the high risk of attracting enemy fire, Lovat directed Millin to play on the beachhead. When Private Millin declined due to the standing War Office regulation, Lovat replied "Ah, but that's the English War Office. You and I are both Scottish and that rule doesn't apply."
Following orders, Millin marched up and down Sword Beach playing the tunes requested of him from Lovat, including "Highland Laddie" and "The Road to the Isles." Millin recalls his worst moments were when he was among the wounded. They wanted medical help and were shocked to see this figure strolling up and down playing the bagpipes.
To feel so helpless, Millin said afterwards, was horrifying. For many other soldiers, however, the piper provided a unique boost to their morale. Many years later, one of those soldiers, Tom Duncan said, "I shall never forget hearing the skirl of Bill Millin's pipes. It is hard to describe the impact it had. It gave us a great lift and increased our determination. As well as the pride we felt, it reminded us of home and why we were there fighting for our lives and those of our loved ones."
Millin was born in Glasgow in 1922 and lived with his family in Canada before returning to Scotland. After the war he found work on Lord Lovat's estate near Inverness and later returned to piping as a member of a traveling theater company. In 1995, Millin played the pipes at Lord Lovat's funeral.
He was described by his family as "an iconic part of all those who gave so much to free Europe from tyranny."
Auld acquaintance will not be forgot.
About The Pipes of Christmas
The Pipes of Christmas is a beloved celebration of the music and poetry of Christmas in the Celtic lands. Produced by the Clan Currie Society, it is a wonderful platform from which to spotlight some of the finest musical talent in the Celtic world. It is also a vital source of scholarship funds to support the next generation of Scottish and Irish musicians.
First presented 12 years ago in Summit, NJ, the production has grown from strength to strength, selling out every year. Since its debut, nearly 15 thousand audience members have seen the live production while an astonishing 300 thousand additional cable subscribers have had access to our award-winning concert highlights through the Comcast and Verizon cable television platforms.
The concert has also received great critical acclaim. In his review for Classical New Jersey Magazine, Paul Somers wrote, ?The whole evening was constructed to introduce gem after gem and still have a finale which raised the roof. In short, it was like a well constructed fireworks show on the Glorious Fourth. The Westfield (NJ) Leader described the concert as ?a unique sound of power and glory nowhere else to be found.?
The concert moved to Manhattan in 1996 to the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church. 2010 marks the fifth anniversary of the Manhattan production. For a city that is not short of holiday programming from high-stepping holiday extravaganzas, magnificent oratorios by Haydn and classical ballets starring nutcrackers and sugar plumb fairies, New Yorkers didn't wait until the end of that first concert to cast their vote of approval, treating the entire company to a standing ovation at the end of the First Act!
The 2010 concerts are made possible by a generous gift from Oban single malt scotch whisky. In addition to the Blandford band, the company includes Scottish country dance trio, Local Hero, harpist Jennifer Port from Golspie, Scotland, organist and composer, Jeff Rickard, the Solid Brass ensemble and many more. For complete details visit http://www.pipesofchristmas.com.
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