Highland music.
Modern spirit.

A lifetime in the music

Scottish multi-instrumentalist and composer Kenneth I MacKenzie

With his musical roots in world-class pipe bands, Kenneth I MacKenzie has been involved in Scottish traditional music since the age of 14. Highlights of his far-reaching musical career include performing on Toyota Pipes and Drums’ Amazing Grace album – one of the bestselling pipe band albums of all time – and playing around the world including in Denmark, Norway, Russia, Hong Kong and the US.

He has graced stages including The Barrowland Ballroom, supporting The Waterboys, and Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, where he played Irish composer Shaun Davy’s masterpiece The Pilgram with the City of Glasgow Pipes and Drums and the Glasgow Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Iain Sutherland.

As well as composing many pipes tunes, some having been performed by pipe bands over the years and traditional style pieces of music, among his many influential song compositions are The Men of the Clyde, written as a tribute to the shipyard workers of the River Clyde and Oor Wullie – Scotland’s Oldest Wee Boy, which was re-produced by ‘Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood (Bay City Rollers) and Gordon Campbell and features on their albums, Oor Wullie Sing a long Favourites and A Big Bucket full o tunes. More recent songs include Tunnocks the Legend and The Tartan Army’s March which are both proving very popular.

Kenneth was nominated in the composer of the year category at the 2023 Scots Traditional Music Awards (Na Trads).

“Music and a love of playing in my heart it’s a joy to play in my own style and to create and share new tunes that cherish a traditional feel.”