Eastern United States Pipe Band Association EUSPBA
James H. McIntosh, MBE
It is with deep sadness, that we must report the passing of past EUSPBA President (1990-94) James H. McIntosh, MBE. Jimmy died on February 8 at age 95 from congestive heart failure.
There are few individuals who have had the deep impact on the piping world as he did. Born in 1925 in Broughty Ferry, Scotland, Jimmy started on his path to piping greatness at age 8 when his father started him with the local pipe band. He commenced a ten year army career when he joined the Cameron Highlanders as a band boy at age 14. Over the years Jimmy received tuition from a “who’s who” of Twentieth Century pipers: P/M Donald MacLeod, P/M Willie Ross, Robert U. Brown, and Robert B. Nicol.
At the age of 46, Jimmy returned to the competitive boards with amazing success: The Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting, winner of the first Grant’s Invitational (now the Glenfiddich), Dunvegan Gold Medal, Portee Clasp, and the Gold Medal at the Argyllshire Gathering. Recognizing a need for an organization to represent competitive pipers, he founded the Competing Pipers’ Association serving as its first president from 1976 to 1982 when he immigrated to the United States.
By the time Jimmy left for the United States, he already had a large cadre of students in North America owing to his teaching at Seumas MacNeill’s summer school in Timmins , Ontario and Jimmy’s own establishment of piping schools in the eastern United States. After first establishing himself in Delaware, he and his wife Joyce moved to the Pittsburgh area. What followed were productive years as he helped Carnegie Mellon University establish a bachelor’s degree in piping, the first of its kind in the world. Until his retirement from the University, he served as a Professor of Music.
From the time he first landed in the United States until his death, he had a profound influence on the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association. Besides serving two terms as the Association president, he served on the Adjudicator’s Advisory Board which was the forerunner to today’s Music Board. While on the board he helped develop the current program of exams and apprentice judging for potential EUSPBA adjudicators. For his contributions to the Association he was twice awarded the President’s Award. In 2010 he was inducted into EUSPBA’s Circle of Honor.
Of all of Jimmy’s accomplishments, his teaching ability was at the top of the list. Numerous students brought top honors back to North American. Many members of today’s Judging Panel studied with him. In 1994 he was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to piping. In 2002 the Balvenie Medal for outstanding service to piping was also awarded to Jimmy.
Although we mark Jimmy’s passing with sadness, we also rejoice in the legacy he has bestowed upon us. The EUSPBA’s Executive Committee joins Jimmy’s friends from around the world in expressing our heartfelt condolences to Joyce and son Cameron.
