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from July 2016 •
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Inveraray win their second major of 2016 – will this be their year on Glasgow Green?
July/August 16
PROMOTING THE MUSIC, HISTORY & STUDY OF THE BAGPIPES
SESSIONS CONCERTS LECTURES WORKSHOPS FAMILY EVENTS
LIAM O'FLYNN, MÍCHEÁL Ó SÚILLEABHÁIN, PADDY GLACKIN & NEIL MARTIN THE THEODOSII SPASSOV BULGARIAN FOLK QUINTET (BULGARIA) 'THE PIPES, THE PIPES' - PADRAIG McGOVERN, MAITIÚ Ó CASAIDE & JOHN TUOHY WITH LIONEL PALUN AND DONAL DINEEN PADDY KEENAN & NIALL VALLELY MORVAN MASSIF (FRANCE) THE FINNEGAN McSHERRY BAND XAVIER BODERIOU WITH SYLVAIN BAROU & JACQUES PELLEN (BRITTANY) EWAN HENDERSON & ANGUS MACKENZIE (SCOTLAND/CAPE BRETON) ANDY MAY TRIO (NORTHUMBERLAND) THE FRIEL SISTERS (SCOTLAND) PEARSE McMAHON & EMMET MULHOLLAND CILLIAN VALLELY, DAVID DOOCEY & ROSS MARTIN TIARNÁN Ó DUINNCHINN & LAOISE KELLY CALUM ALEX MACMILLAN (SCOTLAND) JARLATH HENDERSON CÚIG RÉALTA CONNLA ANNE MARTIN (SCOTLAND) CEOLTÓIRÍ FÈIS AN EARRAICH (SCOTLAND) FIONA KELLEHER & CAOIMHÍN VALLELY SEÁN McELWAINE & MARTIN McCORMACK MICK O'BRIEN DAVID POWER ELIOT GRASSO (USA) KEVIN ROWSOME EAMONN CURRAN AND MANY MORE
contents
Editorial 5
Roddy MacLeod
Scottish Championships
Inveraray’s big day at Dumbarton FRONT COVER PICTURE: Inveraray & District Pipe Band at Dumbarton 2016 Photo by Stuart Milne See feature on pages 6-9.
Piping Live! 2016 Magical moments and musical highlights
14
Product Reviews 19
New pipe case and CD reviews
Bucksburn & District Pipe Band
Pipe band concert revolution in the north-east
Youngstars Newsletter No.78
A very special appointment at Dumfries House
The Sri Dasmesh Pipe Band
The Malaysian Sikh Band
HNC Music — Piping
The National Piping Centre extends
its educational portfolio
Theory Top-Up by Tim Cummings
Compressing tunes with high-Bs
Peine Highland Gathering
European bands gather in Lower Saxony
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16
23
27
30
32
36
Competition League for Amateur Solo Pipers 40
CLASP at the Army School of Piping
Grey’s Notes by Michael Grey
Our Aunt Ethel
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www.thepipingcentre.co.uk EDITOR: Roddy MacLeod MBE, BSc • FEATURES MANAGER: John Slavin • PUBLISHER: © The National Piping Centre 2015 CORRESPONDENCE: The National Piping Centre, 30-34 McPhater Street, Glasgow, Scotland. G4 0HW. Tel. +44 (0)141 353 0220 EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: pipingtoday@designfolk.com • ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: hwilkinson@thepipingcentre.co.uk DESIGN & ADVERT ARTWORK: John Slavin/DesignFolk - email: pipingtoday@designfolk.com • www.designfolk.com
EDITORIAL
A busy time for piping
T Patron HRH The Prince Charles Duke of Rothesay, KG, KT, GCB
The National Piping Centre Founders Sir Brian Ivory CBE FRSE MA CA Lady Ivory DL MA ARCM FRSA Sandy Grant Gordon CBE MA The National Piping Centre Board Sir Brian Ivory CBE FRSE MA CA Lady Ivory DL MA ARCM FRSA Alan R. Forbes BSc FFA Allan G. Ramsay BA CA Fraser Morrison MA CA The National Piping Centre is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. Registered in Scotland No. 139271 Registered Charity No. SC020391 The National Piping Centre 30-34 McPhater Street Glasgow, Scotland. G4 0HW Tel: +44 (0)141 353 0220 Fax: +44 (0)141 353 1570
PIPING TODAY ISSN 1479 7143
Editor: Roddy MacLeod MBE BSc Features and all editorial enquiries: John Slavin/Designfolk email: pipingtoday@designfolk.com Mob: 0781 513 1116 published by the national piping centre 2016
Unless otherwise noted, the text, photographs and adverts are copyright © of the writer, photographer or designer. All rights reserved. The contents may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without written permision of the editor, Roddy MacLeod. Excerpts and entire reviews may be printed as long as credit is given to the author, artiste and/or photographer and the Piping Today magazine.
he summer months are always a busy time for The National Piping Centre. As usual, we have been engaged in lots of preparatory activity for the Piping Live! festival and as I write this, our programme is about to be sent to the printers. Our website (www.pipinglive.co.uk) has information on performers, events and lots more. Tickets are selling well so we are anticipating another great year. Let’s hope the weather is kind to us too, as that always enhances the festival experience. One of the new activities included in the festival this year is what we are calling the Piping Live! Big Band. This idea was borne out of trying to engage with our audience in a way that they could participate in the festival while doing some good work for charity. Our idea is to invite anyone who can play pipes, chanter, drums to take part in the big pipe band for a short parade from Blythswood Square to George Square. This will happen on Monday, August 8, 2016. We are doing this to raise money for this year’s nominated charity which is Asthma UK. We know there are many pipers who have or have had asthma and who have found that playing the pipes has either cured or helped them, so we thought this was a good link to make. For a small registration fee, participants will make a contribution to the charity and receive a Piping Live! T-shirt and also enjoy the experience of being part of the big band in the festival. We want to show the world the generosity of spirit among the piping and drumming community, so don’t miss your opportunity to get involved. Sign up and join some well-kent faces in the big band by registering via the Piping Live website. Also, look out for more information through Facebook and Twitter. You will notice in the Youngstars section of this magazine that we were recently involved in events at Dumfries House, Cumnock. Ayrshire, where we performed for our Patron, HRH, The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay (as The Prince is known in Scotland). On the evening of Wednesday, June 22, we performed for a Keepers of the Quaich dinner where the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland and several of our teaching staff played to an appreciative audience before and after dinner. Our performance was graciously acknowledged by Prince Charles as he took the time to meet each of the performers. The following day we provided a number of piping and drumming activities throughout the estate. These activities included pop-up pipers at various locations, a duet performing music of Robert Burns, a masterclass for pipers and come and try sessions for local schoolchildren in which Prince Charles also participated. The restoration of this 18th century Robert Adam designed house and the development of the surrounding estate by Prince Charles has been an incredible project. Dumfries House itself is now a popular visitor attraction and this has also helped to stimulate socio-economic, cultural and educational regeneration in this part of Scotland. Within the grounds of the estate are beautiful gardens, engineering workshops, art workshops, a working farm and excellent facilities for outreach activities. Perhaps most interesting to us is the bunkhouse and gymnasium which look to be an ideal venue for a piping and drumming camp. With Prince Charles as Patron of both organisations, we look forward to continuing to develop our links further with Dumfries House. Normally during that week of the year I would have been in Virginia teaching at our annual summer school held at Shenandoah University. In order to carry out my duties at Dumfries House, this year I invited Willie McCallum to be my stand-in and so he joined Stuart Samson, John Mulhearn and Matt MacIsaac who had all taught there before. We introduced a new format this year starting classes on Wednesday and running through until Sunday as opposed to Monday to Friday in order to minimise time off work for students. We also ran the group classes from Wednesday to Friday with the weekend devoted to workshop activity which allowed additional students to have weekend only attendance. Another new aspect this year was an invitational competition which featured five of the USA’s top solo pipers all of whom had been students at the school as youngsters. They were Andrew Donlon, Nick Hudson, Dan Lyden, Ben McClamrock and Derek Midgely. Without doubt these pipers are five great ambassadors for our school in Virginia. The competition consisted of a Piobaireachd, MSR and Hornpipe and Jig events. The overall winner was Ben McClamrock who received a $500 prize. All in all, a successful week and our grateful thanks go to John Taylor and the City of Winchester Pipe Band, who work closely with us to make this happen every year. Also a big thanks to Alastair Dunn of R.G. Hardie and Co. who generously donated a set of pipes which was awarded to MiSun Harvey who we hope will be sufficiently inspired to give Ben McClamrock a good run for his money in a few years. by RODDY MacLEOD MBE, BSc Principal, The National Piping Centre
PIPING TODAY ISSUE 81 • 2016
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MAJOR
by Stuart Milne
Inveraray’s big day at
All photos by Stuart Milne
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Stuart Liddell is congratulated by Kevin Rogers of St Laurence O’Toole
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one is the early season optimism and excitement that traditionally characterised the Scottish Championships, the first major of the new season for most of the 17 years Dumbarton has played host. Following the restructuring of the competition calendar the anticipation is of a very different kind as the season enters its most critical phase, with the World Championships a matter of days away. In a 2016 campaign wrought with drama at the top of Grade 1, with the first three majors each going to different bands, all eyes were on Levengrove Park on Saturday July 30 to discover who, if anyone, would carry an edge with them onto Glasgow Green. At the end of a mostly sunny day marked by cold spells and the occasional shower, it was Inveraray & District who broke the deadlock, winning the March, Strathspey & Reel contest with straight firsts. Coupled with their victory at the British Championships in May, the win gave the Argyllshire band a two-point lead in the Champion of Champions table, the first time they have gone into the Worlds at the top of the standings in Grade 1. Pipe major Stuart Liddell said: “It’s absolutely great. It’s very tight at the top, just to get the nod there is exceptionally honourable so I’m happy as anything. We had a couple of shaky starts earlier in the season but it was a clean run and felt very good. We have a slight advantage, but it’s back to square one I think for the
PIPING TODAY ISSUE 81 EXTRA • 2016
MAJOR
Dumbarton
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MAJOR PAGE 8
“There’s still a massive gulf between Grade 2 and Grade 1, as I know having taken Cullybackey from Grade 2 to Grade 1. We need to recruit and we need another calibre of player to push us on through Grade 1, but we’ll wait and see how the season pans out.” The other Scottish Champions of 2016 were Aughintober (Grade 3A & drumming), Marlacoo & District (Grade 3B), Bothwell Castle (Grade 3B drumming), Peoples Ford – Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia (Juvenile), George Heriot’s School (Juvenile drumming), Ullapool & District (Grade 4A & drumming), Johnstone (Grade 4B), Elgin & District (Grade 4B drumming), Kintyre Schools (Novice Juvenile B),
Robert Cupples
Pipes & Drums of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
All photos by Stuart Milne
Worlds because the other bands will be coming back just as strong. It’ll be business as usual for everybody, I think.” Given their run of results, which includes three drumming titles for Steven McWhirter’s corps, this season arguably represents Inveraray’s best chance so far to go one better than their second place at the 2014 World Championships, just over a decade after the band’s début competition in Novice Juvenile. “It’s almost unbelievable,” Stuart said. “I’m immensely proud of the guys and it’s very exciting. I love it.” However, the strength at the top end of Grade 1 means there remains a host of contenders for the ultimate prize on Glasgow Green. European Champions St Laurence O’Toole finished runners up, followed by Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia, who have slowly but surely been climbing back up the standings to keep the defence of their World title very much on the table. UK Champions Field Marshal Montgomery, who will hope for the extra boost normally enjoyed by the pre-Worlds concert headliners in two weeks’ time, came fourth, while ScottishPower were fifth. Rounding off the prize list were Police Scotland Fife, returning to the top six for the first time since 2011. Add in the unknown quantity of perennial contenders Simon Fraser University from British Columbia, and the Grade 1 World Championship remains anyone’s guess. In Grade 2 there was a different kind of drama, as the Pipes & Drums of the Police Service of Northern Ireland saw off stiff competition to remain on course for the first Grand Slam in the second tier since Inveraray in 2009, capturing the drumming prize in the process. First-year pipe major Robert Cupples said: “We’re delighted – it’s a very competitive grade. We’ve shown consistency over the season – that’s four major championships we’ve won now. It’s nice to go into the Worlds with that behind us, but on the day anything can happen. We’ve got to be a favourite in some ways. I thought the band was at a different level tonally on Saturday. We cranked ourselves up over the month of July during the break, and I think we just reached a new level for ourselves.” The original Royal Ulster Constabulary band was a regular prize-winner in Grade 1 for many years, and in 2000 captured the World drumming title under leading drummer Gary Corkin. In 2009 they returned to competition in Grade 3A under their new name led by Colin McClelland, who remains with the band. Robert said: “It’s fair to say this gentleman laid the groundwork – I’ve just done a bit of polish here and there. It’s working for us and we’re a great team.
PIPING TODAY ISSUE 81 EXTRA • 2016
MAJOR
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MAKOR Preston Lodge High School (Novice Juvenile B drumming) and Dollar Academy (Novice Juvenile A & drumming). 2016 is the first season Novice Juvenile has been split into two grades, with the “B” grade playing prescribed 2/4 marches as before and “A” stepping up to the same requirements as Grade 4A. Callum Beaumont enjoyed the rare achievement of winning two major championship titles in one day as a member of Inveraray & District and pipe major of Dollar Academy’s Novice Juvenile A band. Callum said: “For us, the split has been fantastic. With our school we’re very fortunate that Matt Wilson’s produced a fantastic Juvenile band, and great credit goes to him for that. Now the split makes it easier for us to try and have guys play through the stages more. I can try and get a Novice A band that can play good MSRs now, so that when they step up next year it’ll be closer. We don’t have a Novice B band that compete but we do have one back at the school, so having those guys playing through all the MAP tunes and then moving up to me makes the process so much smoother.”
News in brief l CALLING all pipers and drummers. As mentioned in our editorial, volunteers are needed to sign up to support a deserving cause and play in the Piping Live! Big Band in Glasgow on Monday, August 8. Pay a small registration fee – part of which goes to Asthma UK charity – and you get to play in the parade and get a T-shirt. See pipinglive.co.uk to register.
Callum Beaumont
Alongside PSNI, Dollar remain the only band with a chance of capturing a Grand Slam on Glasgow Green on Saturday August 13. Callum said: “We’re trying not to get the kids to think about that, I think that’s the number one thing. They talk about it – it would be a huge step for the school. We didn’t have the Juvenile band with us on Saturday – half the guys are on a rugby tour of Argentina which took away our drum corps, so unfortunately they didn’t have the chance to go for a Grand Slam this year. I think for us to do that would be fantastic, but we try not to talk about it.” l
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l TICKETS are on sale for the William Kennedy Piping Festival in Armagh from November 17-20. There’s a packed programme including the Friday night Hooley featuring acts such as Paddy Keenan & Niall Vallely, the Finnegan McSherry Band, Xavier Boderiou, Sylvain Barou & Jacques Pellen, Angus MacKenzie & Ewan Henderson, Andy May Trio, The Friel Sisters and Jarlath Henderson.For more information, see//www.armaghpipers.com/wkpf/ l SIGN up now for the October piping school events run by The National Piping Centre. The Autumn Gathering for adult learners runs from October 14-16, while the Young Stars takes place from October 17-20. Find out more at www. thepipingcentre.co.uk/bagpipe-drumming-schools/ seasonal-piping-schools/
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pick one up and start to play PAGE 10
PIPING TODAY ISSUE 81 EXTRA • 2016
The Duncan MacRae reproduction bagpipes are exact copies of the original MacRae pipes played by Stuart Liddell. The antique MacRae pipes were examined and measured by McCallum Bagpipes in order to craft an instrument with the sound Stuart desires. The result is a magnificent bagpipe which meets the high standards of Grade 1 pipe major and Glenfiddich Piping Champion — Stuart Liddell.
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Pipe Major for competing Grade 3B pipe band. Also experienced pipers and drummers to strengthen the existing corps. For further information, or to express your interest, email the band secretary at ekpb@hotmail.co.uk
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NEWS
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FESTIVAL
Magical moments and musica GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL PIPING FESTIVAL 2016
W
HAT’S brought us all to a love of piping is a series of wonderful musical highlights whether as players or audience members, throughout our lives or as more recent converts. Now in its 13th year, Piping Live! is celebrating such Moments that Matter and how pipers are part of these events and our life stories. The packed programme of top acts lined up in Glasgow from August 8-16 will ensure plenty more magical memories are created for all those making and enjoying the music. The programme follows a familiar format with cracking concerts and competitions in the run-up to The Worlds at Glasgow Green and the now traditional After Worlds Shindig and Gordon Duncan Memorial competition. Again, there are pipe bands performing in George Square, Pipe Idol celebrating the cream of the young musical crop, the Street Cafe at The National Piping Centre and family fun day. The changing roster of impressive performers, the return of old favourites and some new venues mean the festival continues to grow and be bigger and better than ever. So pack your pipe case and get ready for the action which sets a high standard from the start with the Masters Piobaireachd and MSR at The National Piping Centre on Monday, August 8. The competitions get under way at 9am and 5pm. You can get a glimpse of who might be World Champion contenders at The International Quartet Competition at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s Strathclyde Suite on Tuesday, August 9. Players from Dowco Triumph Street, Inveraray and District, New Zealand Police, Bagad Cap Caval, Spirit of Scotland, Police Scotland Fife, Johnstone Pipe Band and 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) will battle it out for the title won last year by Inveraray. The following night hails the contribution of the smallpipies with a Lowland and Borders Piping Society showcase at The National Piping Centre. The growing popularity of the Pipe Idol competition sees the final on Thursday, August 11, move to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Strathclyde Suite at 5pm. PAGE 14
Jigs, Muneiras and other Magical Melodies: Anxo Lorenzo brings his trio from Galicia to tear up the stage with his Gaita, as they take you on a whirlwind through Spain and beyond.
PIPING TODAY ISSUE 81 EXTRA • 2016
FESTIVAL
al highlights Last year’s winners at Piping Live!: above, Scott Barrie winner of Pipe Idol with his Fred Morrison Reelpipes prize; right, Roddy MacLeod MBE, Overall winner of the Masters Piobaireachd and MSR; and Inveraray Pipe Band, winners of the International Quartet Competition.
Pipe Idol 2016: Pictured below are two of this year’s Pipe Idol competitors, Harry McLachlan and Robbie MacIsaac, who both qualified for the final in 2015.
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FESTIVAL
One of the most exciting bands on the Scottish folk scene make their return to Piping Live! Rura are back where it all started for them, as they present tracks their second album, 2015s Despite the Dark.
You can see the talented young players hoping to clinch a spot in the final at heats held in the Street Cafe at 3.30pm on Monday to Wednesday and 12noon on Thursday. New for this year, and following the tradition started at the Lord Todd Bar, is the Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Recital Challenge. This will see four pipers compete — Willie McCallum, Angus MacColl, Callum Beaumont and Alasdair Henderson — at 7.30pm at Strathclyde Suite at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. The city’s Drygate brewery makes its debut as a Piping Live! venue, playing host to RURA and Galicia’s Anxo Lorenxo Trio at 7.30pm on Friday, August 12. The gig, titled Jigs, Muneiras and Other Magical Melodies, will showcase both acts’ piping heritage and how they are advancing the cause of piping. All eyes will be on Glasgow Green on Saturday, August 13 as the action — and hopefully the weather — hots up at the World Pipe Band Championships. More than 200 bands have registered to take part in this spectacular contest. And later on, as band members and supporters commiserate or celebrate, the After Worlds Shindig featuring Red Hot Chilli Pipers will get everyone in the party mood from 8pm. Billed as the most famous bagpipe band on the planet, they will have the whole of the O2 ABC bagrocking to their trademark sound. It’s back to competitive action on Sunday, August 14, with a Scottish, Irish and Breton piper playing in each style in three rounds in tribute to Gordon Duncan. The Memorial Competition takes place at 3pm at The National Piping Centre. And rounding off the week in style will be Ross Ainslie, Ali Hutton and friends who launch their album at 7.30pm at The National Piping Centre on the Sunday night. Ticket prices vary and are available online from www.pipinglive. co.uk. For tickets for the World Pipe Band Championship, see www.theworlds.co.uk. l
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PIPING TODAY ISSUE 81 EXTRA • 2016
Angus MacColl will play at the inaugural Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies Recital Challenge
The past 10 years have seen the Red Hot Chilli Pipers become the most famous bagpipe band on the planet! They are bagpipes with attitude, drums with a Scottish accent and a show so hot it carries its own health warning!
Xeremiers de Sóller was born in 2011 with the main objective of keeping the tradition of the Majorcan bagpipe (xeremies) and teaching new performers of this instruments.
LIVE IN IRELAND FESTIVAL
Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton met at the Vale of Atholl pipe band when they were 12 years old. The boys were guided by one of the most influential pipers in the last 30 years Gordon Duncan. After all the years playing in different set ups, the guys have decided to work on a duo album which is to be launched at this year’s Piping Live!
The music rarely stops The beauty of Piping Live! is that the music rarely stops during the week and there are plenty of chances to experience piping in the heart of the city outwith concert and competition settings. From Monday to Friday, pipe bands will play free showcases in George Square including Canada’s North Stratton Pipe Band, Brittany’s Bagad Cap Caval, Manawatu Scottish from New Zealand and Clan MacPherson Pipes and Drums from the US, to name just a few. The Street Cafe will also host performances from pipers from around the globe with acts such as the traditional Mallorcan pipers Xeremiers de Soller, Lubomir Tatarka from Slovakia, Belgium’s Bourdon Collectief and perennial Piping Live! favourites Armagh Pipers Club from Northern Ireland. On Tuesday, August 9, McCallum Bagpipes are sponsoring the Street Café and will present a showcase, while on the Thursday, Wallace Bagpipes will launching the new Chris Armstrong pipes at the same venue. The late-night session is always a highlight and the music goes on until late at the Festival Club at The National Piping Centre. It’s the perfect end to a full day of Piping Live! fun with performances from upand-coming acts, international artists and some of the festival favourites. Emerging Talent — supported by Tasgadh — shines a spotlight on five groups of young breakthrough artists. They are: Robyn McKay and Friends; David Shedden and Friends; Ross Miller and Charlie Stewart; Dosca; and Eddie and Luc. True to the aim of fostering young talent, the family fun day at The National Piping Centre on Tuesday, August 9, is a great way to attract the next generation of pipers and drummers. Activities include Highland dancing, storytelling and tenor drumming with Tyler Fry. Tickets are £2.50 per child. There are plenty other chances to try the pipes at George Square and at The National Piping Centre throughout the week, as well as Come and Try Gaelic and tours of the Museum of Piping with Hugh Cheape, both at The National Piping Centre. The College of Piping will play host to a Pipe Band of the Day concert from Monday to Thursday at 1pm. Acts performing include The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland and ScottishPower. They will also stage a Piobaireachd of the Day performance at noon, Monday to Thursday, from pipers including Sarah Muir, Jim McGillivray and Callum Beaumont. Tickets are £5 (£4). With music fans from around the globe gathered in the city, Piping Live! is a great place to launch books, CDs and pipes to an appreciative audience. A few such events include Colin MacLellan presenting an event celebrating the new book by the Captain John MacLellan Trust on Wednesday. On the Thursday, Bob Worrall is launching The International Collection – Book 3 – with performances by some of those whose compositions are included in the book. Fred Morrison is also due to launch his new pipes on the Thursday. l
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SHEET MUSIC ON DEMAND
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BODÉNÈS-HAMON Daou Don Dañs Paker Prod CD 019
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reton bagpipes and bombardes from Stephen Bodénès and Sylvain Hamon, joined by singer Rozenn Talec, with guitars and snare drum backing: this CD focuses on the mouth music of the Breton tradition, singing for dancing, combined with characteristic bombarde and biniou duets. I believe the album title translates roughly as “at the dancing”, but there are some slower pieces here too. Sylvain Hamon’s pipes are the adopted Great Highland Bagpipe of the Breton bagads – I didn’t hear the smaller biniou kozh at all on this recording. Hamon plays in a style very similar to the bombarde fingering, subtle gracenotes and none of the more complex Scottish ornamentation, although there is quite a lot of use of high A as a mute note. The traditional Breton approach of continuous RONAN LE BARS GROUP piping with bombarde added every second measure is used on most of this recording: this provides variThe First Snow ety, and also ensures that the poor bombarde player Coop Breizh CD1111 doesn’t explode as a result of the constant lung pressure required by his bagless instrument. Ten of the 11 tracks here feature pipes and bombarde separately or in combination, and about half the tracks add Talec’s strong vocals. There are sleevenotes in Breton and French, but they don’t give much away. Most of the lyrics are provided in both languages and all the melodies are attributed to traditional sources. I can also tell you that some of the brisker tunes are gavottes, but that’s about it. There are two songs which are not really dance music – both tell interesting stories of Breton mouth music. There is also one instrumental track, Janedig, which is too slow for dancing. The rest of Daou Don Dañs is exactly what it says on the tin, whether plain pipes and bombarde, powerful guitar picking, or puirt à beul. One surprising thing to note is that the pipes tend to be overshadowed by n Erc’h Kentañ in Breton, this is the the bombarde in this music: Bodénès’ playing steals second CD from piper Ronan Le Bars the limelight for me, both because it is slightly louder and his own group which includes the in the mix and because his performance is more great guitarist Nicolas Quemener as well as flamboyant. He has the advantage of tonguing some Pierre Stephan on fiddle and Pierrick Tardivel notes, of course, which gives the bombarde greater on upright bass. attack, especially when the piper avoids the grips and Le Bars plays uilleann pipes and he’s certainly luaths of Scottish piping. served his thrice seven years of apprenticeship: since The combination of Bodénès’ virtuosity and the mid 1990s he’s been at the centre of the Breton Hamon’s steady backing makes this an enjoyable music scene, playing with Alain Stivell, Dan Ar Bras, and engaging CD, with some very intense moments. Pennoù Skoulm, Glaz and several other groups. l by alex monaghan Ronan’s skill and musicality are exceptional, and
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PIPING TODAY ISSUE 81 EXTRA • 2016
this recording is a delight for Breton and Irish audiences alike. The Irish pipes are no strangers to Breton music: picked up decades ago by Patrick Molard and Ronan Le Bars among others, they have become almost part of the Breton tradition, and of course many Irish pipers such as Maloney, O’Flynn, McSherry and Vallely have adopted or adapted Breton music for the very flexible Irish instrument. A new crop of young pipers is now blurring the distinction between Irish and Breton piping – Calum Stewart and Loïc Bléjean are obvious examples. Ronan’s style here takes the best of Irish piping – the smoothness of the open traveller style, the tight ornamentation of the closed chanter – and applies it to music which is unmistakably Breton. About half of The First Snow is Le Bars’ own compositions, ranging from the Riverdance-like opening Tro Breizh to the relaxed rhythms of It Was a Nice Day. Seven-eight and three-two time signatures alternate with waltzes and gavottes, reels and airs. The low whistle piece Enez an Enez mimics the modern style of groups like Lúnasa or KAN. As well as traditional Breton dance tunes, this group pulls in jigs from northern Italy for the Dérobée de Guingamp, a mediaeval air Nu Alrest from the low countries, and a Bulgarian horo for the final fling on Ratchenisca. Unless I'm much mistaken, there’s some Scottish doubling going on in the Balkan piece, trills on high D complementing the low D crans. With some fine accompaniment and a tasty fiddle line, Ronan Le Bars manages to combine all these influences into one eclectic but coherent album. l by alex monaghan PAGE 19
NEW PRODUCTS
Product Reviews Fusion Bagpipe Case
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n recent years, developments in the bagpipe case market have largely been dominated by new cases designed with the international traveller in mind, becoming ever smaller to accommodate restrictive airline carry-on requirements. The new Urban Bagpipe Gig Bag from Fusion Products Company Limited gets away from this mantra with a full-size pipe case for the gigging musician. The first thing to note about this case is that the company which makes it, Fusion, is not a bagpipespecific company. They are an instrument case manufacturer which makes cases for everything from trumpets to guitars to cellos, with professional musicians and their expensive instruments in mind. For this review I used the case over the last two months, and when I say I used the case I really mean abused the case. I rarely walk out the front door of my flat without my pipes on my back, and as a student my pipe cases have always served double duty as a backpack where I keep my computer, books,
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notebook, iPad, and other various school supplies. So between band practices, gigs, competitions and general day-to-day kicking about, this case was put through its paces. Unboxing the case, the very first thing I noticed was how sturdy it looked and felt, and the attention to detail in it. There was good stitching, riveted carry handles, a rubber bottom and side to keep your pipes dry on wet grass and increase the longevity of the case, rubber zips to keep from scratching your instrument, and sturdy sides to protect your pipes. The case also features an external water bottle pocket, which I found is also the perfect size and shape to hold a burrito (necessity is the mother of invention) and a removable rain cover which came quite in handy at the British Championships in Paisley. Over the course of the last two months the case has held up exceedingly well and I am very happy with the quality of construction. For someone like me, who carries around loads of gear, the case has plenty of room. At one point I was carrying around five pipe chanters, two practice chanters, three boxes of drone reeds, two whistles, a computer, notebooks, a book, spare blowpipe, maintenance kit, and, of course, my pipes with room to spare. I know, it’s a bit much, but there was a point where I needed all those things on a daily basis and the Fusion case meant I only needed my pipe case instead of a pipe case and a messenger bag. The three external pockets provide lots of room to carry accessories and they are large enough to fit A4 size paper, so computers and books fit easily. You might think that carrying all that gear would strain my back but actually I found that many of my shoulder and back problems went away after switching to the Fusion case, despite increasing the weight I was carrying.
PIPING TODAY ISSUE 81 EXTRA • 2016
The case distributes the weight evenly and the padded shoulder straps and back plate help cushion the weight, reducing the wearer’s strain. The weight distribution did take a little getting used to, as the case is quite deep, meaning that the weight of my computer was quite far from my back which initially caused a feeling of being pulled backwards. But with some adjustment to the straps and a few days getting used to the new case, this went away quickly. Additionally, the case is incredibly light on its own. The case does feature a “fuse on” feature, where a separate, smaller, bag can be purchased from Fusion which then attaches to the outside of the case, hence the name Fusion. That being said, I can’t imagine needing more space than the case currently provides. For all these pros, there are a few small cons. Firstly, the case comes with a board covered in pockets which is meant to sit on the pipes adding protection and additional storage space for accessories. I found this to be clunky and, as such, never used it. The case also comes with a chanter bag, but it isn’t big enough to hold a wooden practice chanter with a sole, and I don’t feel the need to store my plastic PC in a protective case. I wound up repurposing the chanter case as a whistle case, which has been useful. Finally, the waist strap and shoulder straps feel superfluous, as most pipers won’t be doing any sort of long-distance hiking with their pipes. The biggest complaint about the case is that it is slightly too large for motorised travel. I found it cumbersome in the boot of a car when travelling to band with three other pipers, slightly too large to take on some flights (although another user of the case recently informed me he took his on an Easyjet flight with no bother), and on the bus to Paisley I could not fit it in the overhead. But for kicking about town this case simply can’t be beaten. This being said, the Fusion case provides a unique, high quality, reliable pipe case for demanding musicians which I would recommend to any piper looking to take care of his or her instrument. l by andrew bova
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