Evening star., 1939-06-19
Iowa u. Scottish Bogpipe Band
Has Lots Of Color, No Scots
Aggregation Performs Here on Way to Fair and
Takes Down the House of 1000 Persons

Incredulitv would be written or
the face of many an ancient High.
land piper, now. sleeping peacefully
in a mist-dewed tomb in Scotland
If he knew his ancient and honor
able art had taken root anc
thriven, what's more, in Iowa OF
ali places.
He would be even more disbeliev-
ing if he knew that not a single
student in the Scottish Bagpipe
Band of the University of Iowa is
Scottish.
However, his heart might well
have been thrilled had he heard
the As members of the band swing
into the strains of the Reel of Tul-
loch' or the "Gillie Callum' in the
Department of Commerce audi
torium last night.
The band, organized several years
ago by Col. George F. N. Daley
who heads the University of Iowa
R. o. T. C. unit, is en- route to
the New York Worlds Fair for a
week of piping Roughly, a dozen
engagements at the fair grounds
and in hotels in New York lie ahead
1000 Hear Concert.
Last night the band played to a
packed house of 1000 persons. de-
spite rather inadequate advance
press notices, and, what's more
brought down that house with a
will
After touring Washington
throughout the day the band
dressed in full Highland military
regalia-kilt, plaid, busbee, sporran
skean dhu, tunic. CATERS and all
stepped onto the stage of the
auditorium shortly after pm. amid
enthusiastic applause,
Following Pipe Maj. William
Adamson, imported to the univer-
sity to instruct the pipers and
drummers by Col. Daley, the STU
dents marched briskly through the
backstage door playing the Forty
Second well-knoWn Scottish mill
tary march. Drum Maj. Joseph
Belerhad ranged the band around
the stage and the concert began
1t was originally scheduled to take
place on the east steps of the Capt.
tol. but was moved because of in
clement weather
After playing Loeb Leven," an
other pipe tune, the band broke
into the quick measures of the
Highland Fling and four cc-eds,
the Misses Ruth House, Luella
Brodie, La Vonne Karel and Frances
Adamson, danced frontstage to the
great delight of the audience.
Lauder Favorite Sung.
The Blue Bells of Scotland
came next, followed by the same four
girls in the Sword Dance" Next the
band came Through the Rye" with
a will and there followed an en-
semble in which Pipe Maj. Adam
son and several bandsmen, playing
regulation band instruments, blend
ed the tones Of the divergent types
OF instruments remarkably we'll
They next sang two of Sir Harry
Ladders favorites, John Anderson
My 10" and "A Wee Doch and
Doris" and following that played
a pipe adaptation of the Iowa Corn
Song"
Next came the big stunt of the
evening. Miss Adamson stepped
lightly onto one of the two bass
drums and was hoisted aloft on the
shoulders of half dozen bandsmen
there to dance the Highland
Fling" Another dance in the form
OF reel was executed by the Misses
Adamson and House and two bands
men, Owen Blexrud and Leon Karel
After marching around the room
playing the Reel of Tulloch,' the
visitors answered prolonged applause
with an encore. They played will
Ye No Come Back Again?"-the tune
played for the King and Queen as
they left Canada last week-and
hastened to the Army Navy Club
for dinner.
How He Got Idea.
The explanation of how the piping
art became so popular in an isolated
region of the United States Middle
West is, for the most part, Col.
Daley himself, who went to the
University of Iowa in 1894. It seems
that one day when he was rumi-
mating in the vicinity of Edinburgh
Castle on tour of the British Isles
the Scots Greys Pipe Band marched
past Col. Daley down the hill on
which the castle stands. He was so
impressed, he said last night. that
when he returned to Iowa he deter
mined to start a pipe band there.