About Sovereign Pipers

Sovereign Pipers is an association of exponents of the art of the Great Highland Bagpipe, comprised of seasoned and professional pipers, each with a wealth of experience in live performance, competition and recording. The dress is civilian formal daywear, or evening dress, according to requirements. While taking pride in reliability, presentation and the traditional music forms, any and all musical requests will be entertained.

     Sovereign Pipers - a cut above.

Founders:

Sean MacGloin has been playing the bagpipes for over 30 years. He began studying the instrument under the tutelage of his father, a composer for the Great Highland Bagpipes at the age of 4, and has continued since, teaching, tutoring and generally pushing the envelope of accepted bagpipe music.
Sean has performed in such unlikely venues such as the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, at Wembley with the pop group Madness, in Uganda for a World Bank god-moving ceremony on the White Nile and more 'likely' venues such as Carnegie Hall, the World Pipe Band Competition in Glasgow and for countless Burns' Suppers, weddings and New Year's celebrations.
A graduate from Trinity College, Cambridge, Sean practised law for nearly 10 years whereupon he took up music full time. Sean is also an avid violinist and has recorded and played with such musical luminaries as Morrissey, Madness, Alabama 3, Boz Boorer's All Stars (rockabilly), the Trojans (ska) and the Infamous Grouse Band (ceilidh). He was a member of the Scots Guards Association Pipe Band for several years and currently competes with the University of Luton Pipe Band, England's premier pipe band. Sean currently resides in Chelsea, London.

Robert Vowles is a highly experienced piper, who learned the instrument as a boy.  He has been pipe-major of two pipe bands, un-official piper for two British Army units, and regularly plays for a wide variety of social functions such as weddings, Hogmanays, Burn's Nights, St. Andrew's Day celebrations, and club dinners, not only in the UK, but in such places as the Congo, the Sahara, Kathmandu, and Bucharest.  He is a former member of the Scot's Guard's Association Band, and currently competes with the University of Luton Pipe Band.  As a qualified toastmaster, he is often called upon to manage gatherings with a Scottish flavour, as well as to meet the piping requirements of the event.  He lives in London with three sets of pipes, and a suitcase full of music.

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