Tam O’Shanter Suite

To this day the “Tam O’Shanter Suite” has been one of my most interesting and challenging projects.  The recording here, from “Shambolica!” and tarted up visually for youtube, was the first track I tackled when going about making the Shambolica! project happen.  The whole “Tam O’Shanter” experience (meaning my efforts to create this track) tapped in to over 30 musicians and two different studios.  In the end there were nine of us – and the track all recorded in one studio.  Continue reading Tam O’Shanter Suite…

A Lot of Fun Thanks to youtube

The band had a lot of fun this season, or I think they did.  I know I did.  Stretchy music and youtube.com – what a combo.  Posts of our medley performances on the video site gave us waves of anonymous commentary; a sort of huge sputtering, spittley mouth-piece of amazingly passionate – and mostly vitriolic - comment.  Entertaining in the extreme for us.  I think of anonymous comment as entertainment and that with a bona fide signature as constructive.      
Continue reading A Lot of Fun Thanks to youtube…

Breton Pipe Bands

Yoann Le Goff sent me this site this morning: a link to a video recording of the premier grade pipe band event at Menez Meur, held June 30, 2008.   I am sure you will enjoy this video, you can watch and it’s almost like you’re standing in the crowd on what looks like an overcast early summer’s day in Brittainy.  C’était un spectacle merveilleux.
Continue reading Breton Pipe Bands…

Bagpipe Hero (Video)

So, there is this sometimes funny CBC television show: “This Hour Has 22 Minutes”… anyway, over the years they’ve done Gaelic bits and the odd nod to Canadian Scots … but this is pretty good…

The truth of the matter, though: bagpipes, destined to be a perennial novelty.  🙁

 M.  

Italy Redux: Italian Pipes (& Fellini)

I found my recent encounter with the pipes of Italy hugely interesting. Until recently the piping shepherd figure that I’d seen in a lot of Christmas nativity displays was about the beginning and end of my zampogna knowledge.
Continue reading Italy Redux: Italian Pipes (& Fellini)…

Solo Piping on an Edinburgh Stage

OK. It’s July. It’s summer. And I’m a bit lazy. Better to be outside than at the computer, I think. So I havn’t been all that attentive to this spot. My good intentions have been washed away by good weather, among other things. Continue reading Solo Piping on an Edinburgh Stage…

1987 World Pipe Band Championships – II

This is the second video in the set. This time the march, strathspey and reel, ‘Brig. Ronald Cheape of Tiroran’, ‘Blair Drummond’ and ‘Charlie’s Welcome’.

Continue reading 1987 World Pipe Band Championships – II…

1987 World Pipe Band Championships – I

You can learn a lot from the old tapes, the old recordings. You can hear what’s changed and what hasn’t. The sound of bands has come a way in 20 years. The size of bands, too (this band: 11 pipers, 6 snares, 2 tenor drums and bass).

Continue reading 1987 World Pipe Band Championships – I…