Hire James Meiklejohn | Bagpiper in Cardiff

Check availability and get a free quote now - no commitment to book

From£200

1 hour

Like James?

Watch & Listen

Watch

Listen

1-3 of 22 videos

ARM Night Ceilidh 2020

Scotland the Brave bagpipes Burns Night piping in the haggis

Bagpipes with Dhol drummer wedding

About James

I am a bagpipe player originally from Edinburgh but now living in Cardiff, and play at all kinds of traditional and contemporary events.

3 of 21 photos

Bagpiper

Cardiff

Public liability insurance of £10 million

Verified profile

I grew up in Edinburgh and played in a school pipe band, and, on moving down South for University, kept in touch with piping by playing for the Stockbridge Pipe Band in Edinburgh. When I moved to London, I joined the City of London Pipe Band: a fairly new organisation looking to raise the standard of piping in London. I now compete in band and solo competitions at a high level, and still receive tutoring from one of the world's top players to develop my playing further. As well as playing in competitions, I now play at lots of other public and private events, including weddings, birthday parties, Burns nights, corporate events, funerals, and ceremonies. I've also played at ceilidhs for dancers and always find a party on New Years Eve!

James

5 out of 5

38 verified reviews

Satisfaction

5.0

Professionalism

5.0

Communication

5.0

Punctuality

4.9

James' Reviews

5 out of 5

James played an incredibly important role at our Dads funeral, skilfully and impressively piping the funeral cortège both in and out of the celebration of life service. We can’t thank him enough for the compassion he showed to our situation and how flexible he was to our requests. Thank you James!

5 out of 5

Absolutely brilliant. Excellent performance and really helpful, flexible and chilled

5 out of 5

Absolutely first class. We hired James for our wedding for when guests were arriving. This went down a hit with positive comments from guests, suppliers and the venue itself. James was very attentive on emails and was so easy to deal with. James was also able to play the songs requested which made the day all the more special. Would recommend James to anyone looking for a piper in the South Wales/West Midlands area

5 out of 5

Could not recommend this fine gentleman anymore! Absolutely perfect from start to finish, whether that be with communication, interaction with the guests to the sheer amazement of his skill. Was definitely a moment to remember for all the family and friends and cannot thank you enough 👏

Read all 31 reviews

5 out of 5

Thank you so much you were absolutely fantastic, the guests loved you and even the florist said you made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up when you started to play.

5 out of 5

Honestly, thank you so much. You were such a fab addition, and it felt so special to be piped in for arrival and out. I loved it and so many people commented on how great you were.

Read all 7 reviews

Encore badges

Top 10 booked musician of 2023

Top 10 booked musician of 2021

Lightning fast responses

Average response time under 2 hours

50 gigs

Veteran: 50 bookings through Encore

Saved the day!

Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice

7th Anniversary

This act has been working with Encore for over 7 years

Member of the Encore community forum

James' Song list

-- Traditional and popular tunes --

Scotland the Brave

Highland Cathedral

Amazing Grace

Flower of Scotland

Auld Lang Syne

-- Slow airs and memorial songs --

Auld Lang Syne

Hector the Hero

Air in B Minor

The Old Churchyard

The Music Man

The Water is Wide

Hector the Hero

Setting a Course for Lewis / Togail Curs Air Leodhas

Time to Say Goodbye

You Raise Me Up

Last of the Mohicans

Going Home

The Music Man

Old 100th

All People that on Earth do Dwell

Calon Lan

Flowers of the Forest

I Will Return Home to Kintail

Erin’s Green Shore

Dances with Wolves theme

-- Marches --

Braes of Castle Grant

Dr Angus Macdonald

Bruce Gandy's Farewell to the Iron Horse

Highland Wedding

Donald Maclennan of Rothesay

John Macdonald of Glencoe

Rowan Tree

Flett from Flotta

Wee Michael's March

The Young MacGregor

When the Battle's Over

Dawning of the Day

The Rowan Tree

The Black Bear

The Glenfinnan Highland Gathering

The Young MacGregor

Fields of Flanders

Shoals of Herring

Castle Dangerous

Minstrel Boy

Black Bear

The Heights of Dargai

Battle of the Somme

The Festival March

79ths Farewell to Gibraltar

Edinburgh City Police Pipers

The Green Hills of Tyroll

Highland Laddie

Lochanside

The Minstrel Boy

Grannie Betty's

Landscapes

Meeting of the Waters

-- Hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys and reels --

Tam Bain's Lum

Cosmos Cascade

Inveraray Castle

Edwyn's Didji Place

Jimmy's Gift

The High Drive (Jig)

The High Drive (Reel)

Wee Gordon's Brig o'Doon Phrase

Rhonda Blair

Jig of Slurs

Dora Macleod

The Smith of Chilliechassie

John Morrison of Assynt House

Mrs MacPherson of Inveran

The Fiddler's Rally

The Soup Dragon

The Dirty Lough

The Pitlochry High School Centenary

Glasgow City Police Pipers

Lord McConnell

The Emancipation Break

Up to the Line

The Waterhole

Crossing the Minch

-- National anthems and celebratory songs --

Flower of Scotland

Bread of Heaven

Ireland's Call

Land of My Fathers

God Save the Queen

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau

Calon Lan

-- Modern Songs --

500 miles

Road to the Isles

Flower of Scotland

Here Comes the Sun

Wake Me Up

Star Wars Theme

Happy Birthday

Clocks

Anti-hero

Love Story

I'm a Man You Don't Meet Everyday

-- Hyms --

Old Hundredth

Bread of Heaven

Amazing Grace

-- Raising a Toast --

Wedding toast

Birthday toast

Introduction to Robbie Burns' Life

--Burns poems--

Address to a Haggis

Selkirk Grace

Tae a mouse

James' Prices

Last updated: 2024

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Performance duration	Price
Short performance (up to 15 min)	£175
Up to 1 hour	£200
Up to 2 hours	£245
Up to 3 hours	£295

Wedding ceremony

This includes music before the service begins, music during the signing of the register, and music as guests leave.

£220

Drinks reception

Two performances of up to 45 mins each during your drinks reception

£280

Wedding ceremony + Drinks reception + Dinner

- Music before the service begins, music during the signing of the register, and music as guests leave. - 2 x 45 min performances at the drinks reception. - 2 x 45 min performances as dinner is being served.

£330

Customer questions

What do your clients love most about your performances?

I always make an effort to look as smart as possible, and play tunes everyone will enjoy!

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

Edinburgh Usher Hall, KKL Luzern Concert Hall, Annabelles, ARM headquarters

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, Beolach, Inveraray and District Pipe Band

What is the most high profile gig you've performed?

Playing in front of thousands of people at the KKL Concert Hall in Lucerne.

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

I'll do my best to accommodate the changes, just please let me know as early as possible!

Can you provide an iPod/DJ service before and between your sets?

Yes, I can put together a playlist of other bagpipe or traditional Scottish music.

How much time do you need to set up?

I like to see the venue around an hour before playing, but only need around 20 minutes to tune up - ideally somewhere a similar temperature to the venue itself.

Can I pick the pieces you play from the set list?

Yes, please let me know what you'd like or just any preferences for tunes.

Do you bring all the equipment you need to perform?

Yes, there is no need for amplification of any kind with the bagpipes!

Can you learn specific pieces before the event?

Yes, please just get in touch, anything I don't know already I can learn in a few days for you.

Musicianship

Genres:

Scottish music, Ceilidh, Traditional Scottish folk, Traditional Irish folk, Christmas, Military, Marching, World music, Folk

See all genres

Instruments:

Bagpipes

See all instruments

Event types:

Wedding, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Church service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Theatre / Show, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve, Virtual event, Cruise

See all event types

Other skills:

Instrumental teaching, Theory teaching

See all skills