Pipe Major Gordon Walker

Gordon Walker Events

Gordon WalkerThe name Gordon Walker has been synonymous with Highland Bagpipe music for over thirty five years. As a young boy prodigy of the late Pipe Major David Kay of Ayrshire, Gordon won all the amateur and juvenile solo contests there were to be had at that time. When he came of age he joined The British Army following in the footsteps of his two uncles who served as pipers in The Scots Guards, Gordon enlisted into The Royal Highland Fusiliers studying under Pipe Major Iain M. Morrison, and Captains John MacLellan and Andrew Pitkeithely (both former Directors of Army Bagpipe Music)

At the age of fifteen Gordon won his first professional contest, and at sixteen he became the youngest recipient to win The Argyllshire Gathering Silver Medal for piobaireachd in 1985.

This of course established him on the competing scene and countless success’s were to follow, many several times over. He passed his Army Pipe Major’s Certificate with distinguished honours at Edinburgh Castle and holds all the necessary teaching certificates from The Institute of Piping. He was the senior instructor at both The College of Piping and The National Piping Centre, and now directs the piping programme at St. Columba’s School, Kilmacolm.

A seasoned competitor and prolific major prize winner, the term won them all springs to mind , Bratach Gorms, Glenfiddichs, Silver Stars, Gold Medals, Clasps you name it the list goes on. Gordon of course is well respected and is equally at home on the competition stage as he is on the recital platform or concert stage where he royally entertains.
He has made many recordings and was voted the best competition piper of 2008 by the online magazine ‘’Pipes and Drums’’

In 2010 The Pipe Major took top honours in The Metro Cup Invitational in New York winning the medley selection, 1st overall in The Glasgow Uist and Barra Assoc, 1st overall in The Pipe Major Donald MacLeod Mem Invitational in Stornoway with 1st in The M/S/R and for the third year in a row 1st in The piobaireachd, and was 1st M/S/R and Runner-up overall in The Dr Dan Reid Mem Invitational in San Francisco in May.

He is Pipe Major of ‘’The Mauchline & District Caledonia Pipe Band’’ located in his native Ayrshire, and play’s a David Naill bagpipe with a McCallum chanter.

With all his success though, his feet remain firmly on the ground, a modest, yet self assured guy, very supportive to the development and enlargement of young players. Affectionately known in the piping world as ”Wee Gordon” he is in keen demand as a competitor, recitalist and adjudicator.