LOCHGELLY High School pipe band mentor, Tom Brown, this week looked back on the influence Bob Shepherd had on piping, not only in Central Fife area or Scotland but world wide and said: "Bob will be forever recognised as one of the most important and influential figures to have been involved in the World of Pipe Bands".

Cardenden man Bob died at the end of last week after an involvement which saw him start as a teenage piper and become one of the best ever teachers of the pipes.

Tom followed Bob in creating some amazing piping talent at Lochgelly High and he said: "He was a renowned Pipe Major, Educator and Innovator throughout his entire career.

"Bob’s career as a Pipe Major started soon after his appointment to his teaching post as a Mathematics Teacher at Ballingry Junior High School.

"In 1965 Pipe Major Robert MacKay of Dundonald Colliery Pipe Band retired. Bob was asked to take over the reins of the band which had been going through somewhat difficult times, the local Colliery at Dundonald had closed down, and the band had no financial support and only a few active members, but they were then offered financial support by the Miners of the Francis Colliery in Dysart. The band were then re-named as Dysart and Dundonald Pipe Band

"Bob made a major decision that in order to re-build the Band that he would start a teaching programme at Ballingry Junior High School, with his pupils practicing at break times and lunch times at the school.

"Bob along with his brother George soon made rapid progress in re-building the Dysart and Dundonald Band, and the Band along with the first Novice Band - Dysart and Dundonald Novice Juveniles, took to the competition arena in 1966.

"The Novice band then emerged as Ballingry Junior High School in 1967 and soon started achieving success in their competition grades, winning at all the major championships in an unprecedented fashion over the next few years."

Added Tom: "Dysart and Dundonald also went on to claim their first success in Grade 3 at Dunblane in 1968 and the Dysart band were soon making progress through the Grade and were Grade 3 Champion of Champions in 1970 and then Promoted to Grade 2 in 1971.

"This success was due to Bob’s investment in the youth programme and his style of teaching was such that he was progressing his young players to an extraordinary standard and with these young players feeding into the Dysart & Dundonald Band, it resulted in the band being hugely successful in Grade 2 Competition Arena, winning eight major championships in a row including the Grade 2 World title and 2 Champion of Champion’s titles.

"The band were further promoted to Grade 1 in 1974, and the Pipe Band World were now paying attention to his feeder system and its success.

"Bob also saw the Band as an extended Family and along with his wife Dorothy they would enlist the help of girlfriends, wives etc to assist with the catering at contests and cultivate the Dysart Family, also arranging social evenings and events to continue to bring the band together".

Looking at the rise of the band to the top he added: "The Grade 1 Competition scene at this time was dominated by five Bands,

Glasgow Police, Edinburgh Police, Shotts and Dykehead, Muirhead and Sons and Red Hackle Pipe Bands, and it was in this arena that Bob Shepherd and his young players of Dysart and Dundonald made their full Impact.

"Bob was also manufacturing his own Pipe Reeds and with a Matched set of Sinclair Pipe Chanters, Bob was producing a Distinctive and Unique new sound for his young band and was also continually setting new boundaries with his unique musical interpretations.

"The Band were soon Dominating the Grade 1 Arenas throughout the Pipe Band Competition scene winning all the major titles on Multiple occasions, these were the: Cowal, European, Scottish, British Championship’s and the World Championship Titles in 1977 and 1978 and were Crowned Supreme Champion of Champions on four occasions.

"The Novice and Juvenile Bands of Ballingry school also continued their successes and Bob invested his time and knowledge in preparing several of his young Dysart band to become Band Tutors and they worked under Bob and George’s guidance and mentorship.

"Bob moulded his team and bands' efforts to achieve unsurpassed achievements in the Competition Arenas, also ensuring that a steady stream of young players from the Ballingry Band feeder system, continuing their playing efforts with Dysart in the Grade 1 Arena under Bob’s Leadership

"In 1987, and at the opening of the new Lochgelly High School, saw Bob make perhaps one of the most significant developments in mainstream education and that was to introduce piping tuition into mainstream music education.

"Bob negotiated with the then Rector Jack Yuill and Convener of Fife Council, Robert Goug,h to set up a project to teach piping in schools, and that he would take up a post as a full time pipe band instructor at Lochgelly High School to achieve this.

"This proved to be hugely successful venture with the emergence of Lochgelly High School Pipe Band who have achieved outstanding success since their formation in 1987.

"This type of Tuition Programme would also, as time progressed, eventually be utilised in various forms within 29 of 32 the Local Government Education Authorities throughout Scotland and at the current time, has resulted in perhaps thousands of young people being given the opportunity to learn to play the Bagpipes or Drums and perform in their school or local pipe band"s.

Tom also looked at Bob Shepherd's influence on equipment: "In 1992 Bob made another major decision that would impact upon the Pipe Band World and that was to retire from his work as a Piping Tutor and focus fully on the development of his business R T Shepherd & Son and where Bob and his son Douglas began to manufacture Reeds, Bagpipes, Pipe Chanters, and Scottish Small Pipes in a Factory Unit in Cardenden.

"The demand for the products from R T Shepherd’s is of an International level and they produce perhaps the finest competition Pipe Chanters available and his Pipe Chanter has won numerous Grade 1 World Title,s being played by Shotts and Dykehead and Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Bands

"Bob’s appetite for his work and producing innovative products for the Pipe Band World was Immense.

"He developed the World’s first Synthetic Pipe Bag made in conjunction with the US based company W. L. GORE manufacturers of Gore-Tex, and also developed and produced the First Synthetic Drone Reeds and Drone Enhancers; all these products have made the life of a Bagpiper much easier and help to produce a good sounding Instrument.

"He also developed a new concept to manufacture his Pipe Reeds, this was a High-Tech CNC Engineering Operation, again another innovative First.

"He also developed an Orchestral Pipe Chanter, which has made a huge impact regards Playing the Pipes with other musical Instruments, such as Brass Bands, Orchestras and Folk and Traditional Music Bands.

"Bob was also recognised as a much-respected Senior Adjudicator and Educator within The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association and would always be willing to offer advice and impart his knowledge to his many students and his influence regards the musicality of the modern pipe bands is still very much in evidence today in Competition Arenas throughout the Pipe Band World.

"Bob travelled extensively world-wide as he was in constant demand as a lecturer and educator of Pipe Band Musical Development and made many friends during his travels.

"Indeed, Bob received his MBE Honour in 2002 in recognition for his Services to Music.

"Bob’s impact and legacy within the Pipe Band World will to continue for a long time to come, in the form of the many people, who he has influenced and encouraged to continue his passion of pipe bands, teaching and playing the Great Highland Bagpipe".