Eagle-Conundrum, The-(SP)-SD/Pipe band

The Conundrum by Michael Eagle is a Scottish March written by the great bagpiper composer, Peter R. MacLeod (1878-1965). MacLeod composed over 200 tunes and is considered one of the most prolific modern composers of the instrument contributing other classics such as Dora MacLeod, John Morrison of Assynt House, Major Manson, Hugh Kennedy, and Pipe Major Willie MacLean. He served as Pipe Major of the 7th Cameronians Scottish Riffles Territorial Army in the early 1900s. While working in Glasgow in the late 1920s, MacLeod injured and eventually lost his right leg in a machine accident. The injury put an end to his competitive piping career, but the prosthetic ailment has become synonymous with this particular tune as one can easily envision a limping man struggling to march along his way.

As the drumming for this tune was commissioned for the 2013 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Modern Snare Drum Competition, the intent is to perform on either a Scottish or orchestral snare drum, but still alongside a bagpiper. By Scottish terms, this drum corps (meaning the percussion section of the pipe band) score would be suitable for a Grade II+ band or individual player. The vocabulary used is quite contemporary for all the drums including the tenor and bass drum. It is the intent of the composer that this commission and publication introduces this beautiful style of drumming to otherwise unknowing players who might eventually find their way to a pipe band themselves.