Born in New Zealand, I was introduced to the bagpipes by my father who had Scottish heritage through his father who was born in Caithness.
Piobaireachd has been a lifetime passion, winning the New Zealand piobaireachd Championship shortly before departing for Scotland in 1973.
My first major Scottish success was in 1974, winning the Gold Medal Piobaireachd at the Royal Braemar Highland Gathering. In 1975, I won The Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting and the following year, aged twenty two, I won the first of my six Gold Clasps. The Gold Clasp is widely recognised as the premier piobaireachd award in the world. Spanning five decades, my competitive and mentoring record has made me one of the world’s most successful, and knowledgeable pipers.
Through my study of Piobaireachd, teaching was a natural progression.
My pupils have won:
- Glenfiddich Championships
- Northern Meeting Gold Clasps
- Highland Society of London’s Gold Medals
- Silver chanters
- Bratach Gorms
I also teach many successful Amateur players worldwide. In addition, I enjoy helping players that don’t compete, but want to have a better understanding of Piobaireachd.
Countries that have sought my expertise through recitals and workshops include, Australia, Brittany, Canada, New Zealand and America.
In 2016 I was honoured to be inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame.
My competitive accomplishments include:
- Highland Society of London’s Gold Medals at the Argyllshire Gathering (Oban) and the Northern Meeting (Inverness)
- Clasp to the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal at Inverness, 6 times
- Senior Piobaireachd at Oban
- Dunvegan Medal
- Colonel Jock MacDonald Clasp to the Dunvegan Medal, 2 times
- Silver Chanter, 5 times
- Bratach Gorm, 5 times
- Gillies Cup, 3 times
- Marches, Strathspeys & Reels at Oban and Inverness
- Former Winners MSR at London, 5 times
- Glenfiddich Championship, 4 times
Senior adjudicator for the Solo Piper’s Judges Association for both Piobaireachd and light music, Murray has judged Internationally, and at all major events in Scotland.
Murray, along with his wife Patricia established Henderson Reedmakers in 1986
Patricia was a very successful solo piper, becoming the first female to win prizes in the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting (Inverness) in 1978 and 1979.
Retiring from competitive piping, she became the first female adjudicator at the Northern Meeting and Argyllshire Gathering.
Attaining “Senior” judge status for Piobaireachd with the Solo Piper’s Judges Association, she has also adjudicated in Canada, New Zealand and at the Glenfiddich Championship (Blair Atholl Castle).
An experienced tutor, she played a major role instructing their daughter Faye to her Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal win in 2010. At eighteen years of age, Faye made history becoming the first and only female to achieve this award. Their eldest daughter Fiona, was a successful fiddle player and was invited on three occasions to compete in the Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship.