Bagpiper Rory Sinclair
has been doing music in one way or another all his life. To begin with, there was a piano in the family home in Deep River and he noodled on the instrument almost daily till he left home for University. While in Deep River he took lessons on the Great Highland Bagpipe and the Saxophone. In addition he played clarinet and ukulele in two folk groups –self taught on both.
While at University he took up guitar – learning on his roommate’s instrument. The guitar has been a constant in his life ever since.
In 1991 Rory took up his bagpipes again and embarked on 20 years of weekly lessons with Pipe Major John MacKenzie of Newmarket. In the ‘90’s he competed at Highland Games with some success in Piobaireachd [classical form] as well as light music. Since taking up his piping again he has composed over 20 original pipe tunes.
Since 2000, Rory has been most interested in combining the music of the bagpipe with other instruments. He has produced 3 CD’s of pipe music both traditional and with other instruments. The most recent, “The World Through a Piper’s Fingers” features tunes, genres and songs that have never seen pipes: Bob Marley, Chuck Berry, Cajun, Calypso inter alia. He has played in several Irish bands, including Mystic Fyre, for various tracks on CD’s of other musicians, for countless academic processions, weddings, funerals and plays pipes with organ in many downtown churches. But the musical position of which he is most proud is being appointed Piper to the Earl of Caithness, Hereditary Chief of Clan Sinclair.
Video Samples:
Live from the Scottish Studies Society – Scot of the Year Awards Night, May 13, 2016 – St. George’s Hall, Toronto
