The Day it Daws (by Pete Stewart)
The Lowland Scots Bagpipe and its Music 1400 to 1715

Pete Stewart's history of piping in the lowlands up to the first appearance of written bagpipe music. Includes musical notation for 118 tunes, most mentioned as having been played by pipers, from contemporary sources, many never published before.

Now who shall play 'The Day it Daws'?’ asks the 17th century elegy that mourns the passing of Habbie Simson, the most celebrated of those pipers who were once such a feature of life in the Scottish  Lowlands.
 In the first volume of his history of the Lowland bagpipers, Pete Stewart draws on contemporary literary sources and burgh records to explore the social role of these pipers and their music, from the earliest days to the first appearance of written bagpipe music at the beginning of the 18th century.

In bringing together this splendid repertoire with the historical context within which it was set, Pete Stewart has set a new standard in the published scholarship of the lowland piping tradition. His research is  meticulous and penetrating yet remains highly readable throughout. ... a synthesis of music and history that greatly enhances our understanding of both. That is why this book represents a great leap forward in the onward march of the lowland bagpipe tradition.”
 
Dr Gary West
Department of Celtic and Scottish Studies
University of Edinburgh