By Senior Musician Simon
Deppeler
Alan Leggett – Piper
Early beginnings
For
Alan Leggett, growing up in the 1950's in rural Swan Hill, Australia, life was
simple. Days were filled with
fishing, swimming, roller skating, riding bikes, golf, football and the
bagpipes. Wait a minute... bagpipes?
For this 12 year old, learning the pipes was simply something else to
do. Little did he realize the adventure ahead.
Pipes
were a natural attraction for Allan, whose Scottish Grandmother, influenced
this interest.
During
his childhood, Alan and his Dad made a special trip to Ballarat to see the
famous Scottish Black Watch Pipe Band who were touring Australia at the time.
As the Scots marched down the street in all their finery, a vivid boyhood
memory was etched for all time.
As
a lad, Alan started learning bagpipe basics with the Swan Hill & District
Highland Pipe Band. He learned off different teachers from within the band. One
was a fruit farmer, another a wheat cocky.
Soon
to come was delving into other styles of music that would stay with him. A love
of the 50's and 60's hit parade, trad jazz, blues and rock n' roll.
"We bagged the Australian Championships when I was 23"
Upon
moving to Melbourne in 1965 Alan auditioned and was asked to join the highly
successful Hawthorn City Pipe Band (the best pipe band in Melbourne at the
time) and remained with them for 22 years until 1987. This band won 15
consecutive State championships at this time. They also bagged the Australian Championships for the first
time in 1970 when Alan was 23.
Alan
credits his time with the Hawthorn City Pipe Band as being responsible for
refining his technique and developing finesse in his playing. During the
seventies he won various solo awards in Australia and New Zealand and came to
hold the Intermediate Piping Certificate.
...by the age of 29 he'd reached the top...
But
of course pipers have to eat and so for a career, Alan had joined the CBA
(Commercial Bank of Australia) and worked his way up through the ranks. This
included a three-year stint traveling throughout Australia (six weeks at a
time) as an internal bank auditor.
Incredibly, by the age of 29 he'd reached the top and was a branch Bank
Manager in Rosanna.
Not
long after this, in 1988 synchronicity kicked in and Alan met Pipe Major Nat
Russell who had been recruited from the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Scotland
to head up the Victoria Police Pipe Band. During this period, Nat actually used
to frequent Alan's gourmet sandwich shop, which he had started in 1988 after
deciding to switch careers!
The
Hawthorn band at this time was experiencing internal political upheaval and at
least ten members had bailed. (Most of
these were already honorary Victoria Police band members) In the same year
Alan also became an honorary member of the Victoria Police Pipe Band before
joining as a full time member a year later.
"...simply the result of a plan executed with drive and passion..."
The
result of this synchronicity? Victoria Police inherited an instant competing
band, which would culminate in the winning of the World Piping Championships in
1998. Destiny or simply the result of a plan executed with drive and passion?
Both, actually.
I
was determined to find out more as I sat down with Alan recently.
Alan, what was the first music you can remember hearing?
The
music of Doris Day and Dean Martin.
Was your family particularly musical?
Not
really, but my Scottish Grandmother influenced me greatly in
taking up the pipes. I remember that even though she had migrated to Australia
from Dundee at the tender age of 18, by the time she was 96 I still couldn't
understand her!
What was the first tune you learnt?
Marie's
Wedding
What was it about the bagpipes that attracted you?
I
think it was the overall mystique - it was a totally different instrument to
anything I'd ever come across.
Have you composed music?
Actually
I have written a three-part 6/8 but I've never played it for anybody or printed
it up but I do still have it so who knows...maybe one day.
What was your first instrument?
Well
after flirting with harmonica, recorder, my Canora guitar and the clarinet (I was a huge Acker Bilk fan) Dad bought me an old set of Boys
Brigade Lawrie bagpipes from an old farmer my Dad knew. I still own them to this day and they
still sound pretty good too!
Your current instrument?
Victoria
Police equip us with Sinclair bagpipes with blackwood McCallum chanters.
What's the best thing about being in the Police band?
For
my first ten years, the international travel and pipe band competitions (only four weeks a year) made it a great
time for me. For the rest of the time, we used to do numerous country trips in
rural Victoria, which would include things like all the major Agricultural
Shows and especially the Australia Day celebration at Corowa. The genuine
appreciation the Pipe band elicits from the general public has always made the
job worthwhile to me.
The worst thing about being in the Police band?
It's
really the flip side of my previous answer. Currently we have severe financial
constraints and this has limited our rural work immensely.
Of all the CD 's the Pipe band has put out, which one are you most proud of?
"Victoria Police Pipe Band at Motherwell - The
Masterblasters Concert" This album was all traditional but had elements of
innovation. The band had many virtuosi and subsequently, the overall standard
of playing was very high. It was recorded at the bands' zenith.
Tell us about practice. What do you practice these days?
To
tell the truth I mainly practice our new tunes, mainly to keep up with all the
nimble "young" fingers in the band! The current crop of Police Pipers
is very talented.
How about some of your most memorable moments in your career?
Of
course, the World Championships in
'91 and '92 were the pinnacle. After the competition, in Portrush, all 30
competing bands marched down the streets to a wildly clapping and cheering
crowd, ten deep on both sides of the road. That was unforgettable.
The
band also did a really big concert with The Seekers at the Melbourne Concert
Hall and the Andre Rieu concerts in Melbourne were memorable just because of
the sheer size of the occasion.
Every
year in St Kilda, here in Melbourne we are featured in the Gay Parade and
always get a great response from the crowd.
In
1996 the band did a tour that took in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Denver in
Colorado where we played at a place called Estes Park in the Rocky Mountains
National Park. They hold a military tattoo and pipe competition there and take
it very seriously!
Why have you been successful?
Well
as I've said before, playing doesn't come easily to me so I've had to put in
some super hard work and really dedicate myself to piping. Good luck has also
played a factor.
What is the best advice you were ever given on pursuing a music career?
I
remember being told to start with piano as it gives you a solid musical
grounding on which to build interest in other instruments and styles of music.
I'd agree with that.
What music do you listen to these days?
Well
to be honest, not a lot of pipe music these days but I do love modern, acid and traditional jazz, heavy metal, blues
and rock 'n roll.
Artists
like Jimi Hendrix, Modern Jazz Quartet, Average White Band, the Doors, Atlanta
Rhythm Section, Jimi Vaughn and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Guitar Shorty, Poppa
Chubby, Johnny Winter, Donovan, Walter Trout, Jimmy Thackery and Led
Zeppelin.
One
of my favorites was the Dave Brubeck Quartet, especially their songs Take 5 and
The
Unsquare Dance. But I have to admit my all time favorite group would have to be
the Rolling Stones. I've seen them every time they've come out to Australia.
Favorite album of all time? You can only pick one!
I
can't. My two top albums are Zeppelin 2 and the first Santana album called
SANTANA
The last album you bought?
I
actually don't recall, as these days I mostly download the individual tracks I
like off the Internet.
The best concert you ever saw?
ACDC
and also the Stones (5 times!)
What is required to play the bagpipes well?
Patience,
hard work and of course it's always handy to have a natural aptitude which I
never had as I always had to work and work for any progress I've made.
What is your favorite sound?
Good
blues harp playing.
What's your best bagpiper joke?
What's
the difference between a trampoline and a set of bagpipes?
You
take off your hobnail boots before you jump on a trampoline!
Most embarrassing moment on stage?
A
few years back, in the Police band, we had some new Ghillie Brogues lace-up
shoes complete with 150 cm laces! It was the first time I'd worn them and I
wasn't completely sure how to lace them up properly. Quite an art form in
itself. Halfway through the march
that day, they came undone. To my horror I had to fall out of the march, do the
repair and then sprint back red-faced, to rejoin the band which naturally,
hadn't stopped. I learnt how to
lace them properly later that day!
Besides music, what inspires you?
Watching
a pro golfer curve a shot perfectly.
Desert island time. What's going on your iPod?
All
the artists I mentioned previously but you could also add in Bill Wyman's
Rhythm Kings, the “Led Zeppelin 2” album, and the
debut Santana album.
Finish these sentences...
I'm always being asked...
(by kids) why have you got a skirt?
I wish I could play...
a Gibson or Fender electric guitar.
Has technology affected
bagpipe music?
Dramatically...and
for the good! The new synthetic reeds and bags now make learning the pipes a
whole lot easier as it is now a more reliable instrument. This is great for up
and coming kids who are learning. Unfortunately this is a shrinking number
because of the allure of computers and hi-tech games. At least the pipes are
now not excruciatingly difficult to begin. Technology has helped with overall
facility 10 fold.
Of
course some people think there has been a trade off of a lesser sound quality
for the technological advances. Personally, I think it would take an very sharp
musical ear to tell the difference. The average person certainly couldn't tell
the difference.
What's next for you?
I plan to retire next year and hope to become better acquainted with my other favorite instrument - the golf club.
CDs
Also featured on this site are CDs by the other two Victoria Police bands, the Showband and Code One rock band.
