To see if a hymn has been published in any one of the Church Piper music
books, refer to SEARCH VOLUMES.
*Please note that Volume 1, originally named, “The Church Piper,” was
reedited with the title, “Music of Paradise.” “Christmas Music,” was
also reedited, and renamed “Christmas Carols.” Many more carols were
added to the original book. Check this web-site periodically for new
additions to the series.
To order any of The Church Piper Publications, refer to the select list
of Scottish Shops provided here. They are also available directly from
The Church Piper.
To refer to the index of hymn tunes for any volume, click on the name of
the book.
Click any of the icons for indexes.
Dr. MacDonald the author is a retired Optometrist, residing in Winnipeg,
Canada. He manages The Church Piper Publications, and is a freelance
Highland bagpiper. His music books resulted from having regularly
arranged hymn tunes for call to worship in Ness Avenue Baptist Church,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
For 31 years, Dr. MacDonald has been a featured musician at Ness Avenue
Baptist Church in Winnipeg. (1974-2005) Previous to this, he was the
official piper for Knox United Church, in Winnipeg (1951-1968).
Presently, he accepts invitations to play at other churches, at numerous
funeral homes, memorials, Patriotic functions and at weddings and
banquets. Piping-in of dignitaries has also been a part of his
itinerary.
Dr. MacDonald is an enthusiastic Christian. His faith rests on the Bible
being God’s Word and that in the beginning, God created the world.
Jesus was there at the beginning. He saw mankind drawing apart from
God. He became a man on earth. He did not relinquish His deity,
although humility was His characteristic. He came to buy us back to
God, using his own life as the “perfect” sacrifice. His sacrifice is
not without some obligation, however, for we are personally obliged to
make the choice of whether or not to accept this great gift of
forgiveness from God, along with its promise of newness of life.
Presently, there are eleven music books in The Church Piper series, and
they are obtainable from the various Scottish Shops that have been given
a link from The Church Piper and the International Fellowship of
Christian Pipers and Drummers. They are also directly available from
The Church Piper.
Many beautiful hymns have been resting in various hymnbooks waiting to
be arranged for The Highland bagpipes. Now they are to be discovered
in music books designed for pipers. Years have been devoted to their
preparation. A complete series is being developed to benefit soloists,
pipe bands and those who would love to hear their favorite hymns played
on the pipes.
Christian music is invaluable for the beginning of worship services, for
weddings, funerals, banquets and special occasions such as at Easter,
Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are many times when hymns should be
played. A number of them in one’s memory bank can be very useful. The
Church Piper music books are unique. Each one contains numerous
articles pertaining to its respective theme. Analogies are presented by
using gardening, sailing or walking, as they relate to life. Books are
specialized for Christmas, Funerals, Weddings, Thanksgiving, Patriotic
occasions and for other times as well. They offer the serious church
piper an opportunity to develop his of her own resources of music and
devotionals to present to church groups.
Considerable thought is initiated about Christ. The books provide great
starting places to elaborate upon one’s values in life, by referring not
only to the music, but also to its poetry, the Scripture and the various
devotionals that complement these books. For this purpose, a continual
effort will be made to present much more Christian music.
Pipers who are asked to play in church will be confident, having a ready
resource of well-selected hymns for continual practice. It may surprise
pipers who play for church related events, that a considerable
repertoire is necessary. One needs the right hymns that can be arranged
into medleys for each occasion. These hymn tunes are not generally
found in any other music books for pipers. The many hymns and tunes the
Church Piper will be requested to play for funerals, weddings, banquets,
memorials and reunions have been included in the collection.
Almost all the tunes needed by the Church Piper for special occasions
are unavailable in any collection. As they were transcribed and
arranged to play for various services, they were reserved for the
benefit of other pipers. The Church Piper wants to assist all members
of the International Fellowship of Christian Pipers and Drummers to be
well prepared to play in church.
The author wants Christian pipers and drummers to meet other Christians
and to encourage fellow Christians to do precisely as Jesus instructed;
to go out into the entire world and preach the Gospel, beginning near
home, and then gradually working outwards across the world. His hope is
that pipers will bring others from near and far, to the saving knowledge
of Jesus Christ. Pipes can speak the Gospel. To have the music is the
first step, while the second is to make it part of ones self and to use
it when the opportunity arises. The right music, always ready for the
occasion, is the key. It is presented in these music books, to every
piper, giving him or her a good assortment of hymns from which to
choose.
The theme hymn for the International Fellowship of Christian Pipers and
Drummers is, “If The Whole World Knew Jesus.” Every piper in the IFCPD
should know the hymn, because it will eventually be played by a selected
band built from the IFCPD members, when the invitation is given for a
band to present itself on stage or in a parade. The hymn has been
published in volume 4, “A Sojourner’s Joyful Adventure.”
Each book in the Church Piper series is based on a theme. Hymns have
been transposed and arranged for pipers who require a suitable
repertoire for church services. With considerable attention to detail,
every hymn is arranged for ease of fingering and maximum tone, which
will produce the majesty of sound that is desired by a piper who knows
the thrill of playing in church, for the glory of God.
Consistent with the theme, various dissertations or devotionals have
been included, to expand a piper’s knowledge of the Scriptures from
which the poets, who wrote the words of the hymns, derived their
inspiration. Words to the hymns are included as well as Scripture
verses related to the hymns. In all, every book should be a piper’s
delight; a treasure to which he or she can add subsequent volumes. The
series continues with a new book almost every year.