Neil Smith, Iain MacDonald, John Forster Charlton
Neil Smith of
Newcastle, England, was a well-known Northumbrian smallpiper and
protege of John Forster Charlton (see below) who ensured that this
strong connection continued unbroken. A devotee of Czech folk and
classical music, Smith was a regular visitor to Czech folk festivals,
where he was an audience favorite and like his predecessor a
much-loved figure in Strakonice. Neil passed away in 2015.
Iain MacDonald
is the leader of Scotland’s Neilston District Pipe and Drum Band and a
famed bagpipe educator, as well as a highler regarded musician himself
on all varietes of West European bagpipes, including the world-famous
Highland marching pipes. He is also a festival veteran, having
attended the Strakonice festival regularly since 1978.
John
Forster Charlton, also from Newcastle, was perhaps the most
important and influential of the visitors drawn to Strakonice. A
bagpipe virtuoso and authority on the Northumbrian small pipes,
Professor Charlton was the first festival guest from Western Europe to
forge a connection to the town of Strakonice. This led to his being
adopted by the people of Strakonice as a beloved foreign mascot who
attended every festival until his death in 1989. Charlton can be seen
with fellow Northumbrian piper Colin Ross and a team of rapper sword
dancers from Northumbria.