Tunes We Play

Amazing Grace

The original hymn was written in 1772 by former slave trader John Newton, but the modern tune was only paired with his lyrics in 1835. The song became unexpectedly popular worldwide when the instrumental bagpipe version by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards topped the global pop charts in 1972. Today, the song's spiritual message make it a powerful and iconic standard, especially at solemn occasions like military and civic funerals.

Anchors Aweigh

The march song of the U.S. Navy, composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmermann (bandmaster) and Alfred Hart Miles (midshipman). The song was originally written for the Army-Navy football game of 1906 and was an instant hit for the U.S. Naval Academy. The nautical term "aweigh" means to raise or hoist, and the phrase reports that all anchors are clear of the sea bottom, meaning the ship is officially underway.

Atholl Highlanders

A traditional Scottish tune, typically played as a 6/8 march or a jig. It is dedicated to the Atholl Highlanders, the private ceremonial army of the Duke of Atholl. It is officially recognized as the only private army in Europe, still serving as a ceremonial bodyguard at Blair Castle.

Battle of Waterloo

The classical pipe tune (piobaireachd) is attributed to John MacKay (1819). The march version commemorates the 1815 battle. Highland regiments and the bagpipes were historically present at the battle. In the early morning of June 16, 1815, the assembly of the Anglo-Dutch army under Wellington woke the city of Brussels to the "shriek of bagpipes" to confront Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Belgium. The traditional pipe tune's melody was adapted by folk singer Jim Malcolm to create a poignant song in 1998, telling the story of a soldier slain at the battle.

Brown Haired Maiden

"Brown Haired Maiden" (or "Nut Brown Maiden") is a popular 2/4 march derived from an older Gaelic slow air, possibly based on canntaireachd from Captain Neil MacLeod of Gesto. The tune's name is a translation of its original Gaelic title, Ho Ro, Mo Nighean Dhonn Bhoidheach. Sir Walter Scott wrote lyrics for it in 1816, and by the late 19th century, the air was adapted into a quickstep march for military pipers.

Caissons Go Rolling Along

The official song of the U.S. Army. The melody is derived from the "U.S. Field Artillery March", composed by Lieutenant Edmund L. Gruber in 1908. The most widely known version of the melody was developed by the famous band leader John Philip Sousa in 1917, and the original title referred to the two-wheeled carts used to carry artillery ammunition.

Castle Dangerous

A well-known 3/4 retreat march composed by James "Jimmy" Haugh of the Scots Guards.The tune is named after the historical Douglas Castle in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The castle gained fame (and its "Castle Dangerous" nickname) from the novel Castle Dangerous published in 1831 by Sir Walter Scott. The march became an "absolute classic" for after the Scottish Power Pipe Band used it as their winning medley opener with a unique harmony line.

Dawning Of The Day

A beautiful and very old Irish air, traditionally attributed to the 17th-century harper Thomas O'Connellan. It is famously used as the melody for the poem "On Raglan Road". The air is almost universally recognized in Irish culture as the melody for the famous poem "On Raglan Road" by Patrick Kavanagh, which was set to the tune and popularized by singer Luke Kelly.

Dream Valley of Glendaruel

A 3/4 retreat march composed in the early 20th century by John McLellan of Dunoon, the pipe major of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. He wrote this popular tune about the scenic Glendaruel region of Argyllshire, Scotland. The tune is often played at the local Cowal Highland Gathering. In 2025, the Inveraray and District Pipe Band (IDPB) used "Dream Valley of Glendaruel" as the centerpiece of their winning medley performance at the World Pipe Band Championships.

Farewell to Camraw

A modern slow air composed in the 1990s by Pipe Major Robert Mathieson of the Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band. The name is a playful backward spelling of "Warmac," a brand of chanter/reed the band was retiring. The tune marked a new competitive era for the band.

Garden of Skye

A modern tune composed by the celebrated Scottish/Shetland fiddler and composer Addie Harper, who was one of the founders of the Wick Scottish Dance Band. Named after the Sleat peninsula on the Isle of Skye. He wrote the tune after being impressed by the Sleat peninsula on the Isle of Skye, which is known for its fertile ground and is often called the "garden of Skye".

Green Hills of Tyrol

The melody comes from an 1825 opera by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini. It was adapted for the pipes in 1854 by Pipe Major John MacLeod of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders. The melody was originally part of the Italian opera Viaggio a Reims (Journey to Reims) by Gioachino Rossini and was introduced to the piping repertoire after the Pipe Major heard a Sardinian military band play it in the Crimea.

High Road to Gairloch

A very old traditional Scottish 2/4 march, with versions dating back to the 17th century. It appears in the manuscript of Sir William Mure of Rowallan, which was compiled between 1612 and 1623. Named after the road to the village of Gairloch. This march is a fixture in the piping world and is one of the tunes included in the College of Piping's old green tutor book, a foundational instructional text for countless pipers worldwide.

Marine Corps Hymn

The official hymn of the U.S. Marine Corps. The melody is widely adapted from a tune in Jacques Offenbach's 1859 comic opera, Geneviève de Brabant. The famous opening line, "From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli," refers to two battles that occurred a decade or more before the melody was composed, making the lyrics older than the music.

Minstrel Boy

A popular Irish air with lyrics by poet Thomas Moore (1813), set to an ancient Irish air called "The Moreen". It is believed to have been written in remembrance of friends who died in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The song is featured prominently in Star Trek, most notably as a recurring "happy thought" for Chief Miles O'Brien.

Rowan Tree

A traditional Scottish folk song with lyrics written by Lady Carolina Nairne around 1843. It is a standard 4/4 march in the piping repertoire. This tune is a favorite for massed band performances, often played with simple, complementary harmonies (thirds below or above the melody). In old Highland folklore, the Rowan tree was believed to have protective qualities and was planted in churchyards or carried on ships to ward off evil spirits and witches.

Scotland the Brave

A traditional Scottish tune, regarded as the unofficial national anthem of Scotland and a massed band staple. Despite its ancient sound, the current rousing melody was likely first heard in the 1890s, and the widely sung lyrics were written by journalist Cliff Hanley in the 1950s. The tune has also been known by titles such as "My Bonnie Lass" and "Brave Scotland".

Semper Paratus

The title is Latin for "Always Ready", and it is the official march and motto of the United States Coast Guard. The original lyrics were written in 1922 in Savannah, Georgia, while the music was composed in 1927 in Unalaska, Alaska, by Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck. The music was famously composed on a "beat-up old piano" which was likely the only piano in the entire Aleutian Islands at the time.

Twenty Men from Dublin

A march associated with the Irish rebel song tradition, often relating to the Irish War of Independence. This tune is part of the repertoire played by the Irish Army's pipe bands for ceremonial duties, including for troops serving in UN peacekeeping missions abroad. A ballad with this title was notably written by Arthur Griffith, the founder of the Irish political party Sinn Féin.

When the Battle's O'er

A 3/4 march typically played as a slow continuation of the "Green Hills of Tyrol" set. It is attributed to Pipe Major William Robb, composed around 1919. The pipe tune's melody is strikingly similar to the famous Irish song "The Last Rose of Summer" by Thomas Moore, suggesting it was the likely inspiration. Scottish entertainer Andy Stewart later put popular lyrics to the tune.