Colin Ross (pipemaker) facts for kids

Colin Ross (born January 13, 1934 – died May 27, 2019) was an English folk musician. He was famous for playing the fiddle and the Northumbrian smallpipes. He also built many types of pipes, including Northumbrian, border pipes, and Scottish smallpipes. Colin Ross helped invent the modern Scottish smallpipes.

He played both the Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle in a popular English folk music band called the High Level Ranters. This band started in 1964. They focused on the traditional music of Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. The High Level Ranters played a big part in bringing Northumbrian music back to life from the 1960s onwards.

In 1977, Colin Ross made an album called Cut and Dry Dolly. This album featured old Northumbrian music. It included simple dance tunes from the 1700s and longer, more complex tunes from the 1800s. This album was very important for making people interested in early Northumbrian music again.

Early Life and Musical Journey

Colin Ross was born in 1934 in North Shields, England. He grew up there with his parents, John Ross and Agnes Charlton. As a teenager, he started learning to play the violin.

From 1952 to 1956, he studied sculpture at Kings College Durham. This college is now known as Newcastle University. During this time, he met a Rapper dance team called the Kingsmen. He became their musician. He also met Northumbrian pipers Forster Charlton and Colin Caisley. This is when he fell in love with the Northumbrian smallpipes.

In 1958, he helped start the Bridge Folk Club in Newcastle. It was first called Newcastle Folksong and Ballad. There, he met Ray Fisher, who would become his wife. She was also a folk singer. In the same year, he got his first set of pipes from Willie Hamilton.

Becoming a Pipemaker

Colin Ross made his first set of pipes in 1961. At that time, he was a lecturer at Newcastle Polytechnic. This is now Northumbria University. He copied his own pipes to make his first set. He won several competitions for making pipes during the 1960s. In 1964, he was chosen as the vice-chairman of the Northumbrian Pipers' Society.

In the late 1970s, Colin Ross worked as the Curator of the Black Gate Museum in Newcastle. This museum held the Cocks collection of old bagpipes.

In the early 1980s, Colin Ross worked with other pipemakers like Hamish Moore. They wanted to create new smallpipes. These pipes would have a similar sound to Northumbrian smallpipes. But they would have an open end and use the same finger movements as the Great Highland bagpipe.

They created an instrument that let Great Highland pipers play quietly. It also allowed them to play in keys that worked better with other instruments, like the fiddle. Colin Ross sold one of these new instruments in 1982. These instruments are now called Scottish smallpipes.

Colin Ross became a full-time pipemaker in 1978. He also taught classes on how to make pipes. One of his biggest achievements was making pipe holes and reeds standard. This meant that his pipes would always be in tune with each other. Before him, it was hard for pipers to play together. Different pipes often sounded slightly off-key. Now, thanks to his work, pipers can play together easily.

Leadership and Special Awards

Colin Ross was the Chairman of the Northumbrian Pipers' Society from 1968 to 1980. He held this role again from 1992 until 2010. During his time as chairman, the Society published a lot of music. This included a new edition of their first tunebook in 1970. In 1980, they published a copy of Peacock's tunebook, which is an important historical music book. In 1997, he helped edit a book of tunes by Billy Pigg.

In 2008, he received the Gold Badge from the English Folk Dance and Song Society. This is the highest award the Society gives. It is for people who have made amazing contributions to folk dance, music, or song.

In May 2010, the Northumbrian Pipers' Society held a concert to honor Colin Ross. It celebrated his long and important work in piping. Most of the musicians at the concert played pipes that Colin Ross himself had made.

Death

Colin Ross passed away on May 27, 2019.

Published Works

• Reedmaking for Northumbrian and Scottish Smallpipes published by B & J Say Smallpipes ISBN: 0-9542402-0-0

Discography

• No Roses, Albion Country Band, Pegasus, 1971.
• The Bonnie Pit Laddie (with the High Level Ranters), TSCD486.
• Cut and Dry Dolly, Topic 12TS278, 1977.
• Spirit of the Border: Northumbrian Traditional Music Nimbus NI5615, 1999.