Matthew McRae

Services offered:- Weddings, Corporate, Media, Birthdays, Funerals, Burns' Suppers and Other Events of your choosing. Matthew McRae has been playing the Great Highland Bagpipes since he was 10 years old and through-out his piping career he has played as an individual solo performer at multiple events across a wide range of platforms. He has performed at prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Hampton Court Palace, The Intercontinental in Mayfair (Ldn), Saxon Hall, Birkbeck University, Sony Pictures and plays regularly on the Great British Pullman steam train (otherwise known as the 'Orient Express'). Furthermore, Matthew has played for weddings at Horsley Towers, Horsted Place, Leeds Castle, Saddlers Hall, and Burns’ suppers for Panasonic, Mecca Bingo, Grosvenor Casino and Howling Hops Brewery etc. Matthew is an accomplished skilled professional, highly versatile and flexible in his approach. He always works with his clients to ensure that every performance delivers the right impact for the intended audience. Media:- Matthew has appeared on a range of well-known TV and Radio programmes, from Chris Evans’ Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 and Absolute Radio, to Made in Chelsea and The Last Leg: Correspondents. He has also featured as a session musician with Right Said Fred and for Walkers Crisps, and has performed with The Chieftains, and the international bestselling classical group, Il Divo. Corporate:- Matthew has worked with a range of leading corporations including Channel 4, BBC One, BBC Radio 2, Absolute Radio, Sony, RadioTimes, Burberry, Walkers, Panasonic, Flybe, Belmond, Marie Curie and many more. Band Involvement:- Matthew has always been closely affiliated with the pipe band fraternity playing with a total of three bands to-date. The first was in 1995 called the Southend Scottish Pipe Band, then after disbanding in 2002 Matthew joined the Sutherland Pipes & Drums based in Corringham, where he has played in many festivals, fetes, military tattoos, remembrance parades and Christmas celebrations. Deciding to progress his piping onto the next level, in 2012 Matthew joined the Essex Caledonian Pipe Band. Being a competition band, Matthew has been competing up and down the country, and internationally since, including the quartets, mini bands and Jim McGuinn memorial contest in Broxbourne, the local Scotland in Colchester Competition, the Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon and the Scottish Weekend Competition in Belgium. Past and present results across all competitions have been very positive, picking up 1st, 2nd or 3rd place honours.