Eleven Pipers Piping

Well, this event was originally scheduled to occur much closer to the eleventh day of Christmas, but was postponed due to a snow storm.  Lucky for me, I couldn't make the original date, but was able to attend the concert this past Sunday in Vermont.

Tim Cummings, the concert organizer, owner and operator of Beithe Publishing, and piper of great awesomeness, graciously hosted me in his lovely home.  And Tim even managed to convince me to come up on Friday afternoon, so I could attend a concert by the very talented Tim Eriksen.  Tim E is a singer of old-timey ballads (and related and not so related material) and plays a number of instruments to accompany himself, including fiddle, banjo, and guitar.  The video below was the first place I saw Tim, when I was trying to find someone playing a different tune so I could learn it on the fiddle.



I'm a sucker for anyone who sings while accompanying themselves on the fiddle, so it I couldn't help myself.

Tim E gave a pre-concert talk on Shape Note singing.  I was aware of this tradition, but I didn't know much about it.  It's a system of music notation from the 1800's that uses shaped note heads to facilitate the learning of music for congregational singing.  Tim had us up and singing four part harmony in no time.  Very interesting, and something I may pursue in the future.

The Eleven Pipers Concert on Sunday was a great success.  Each piper played one or two sets of tunes, with some intermingling, and a full raucous every-piper-on-deck finale.

Richard Shuttleworth on Northumbrian Pipes accompanying Elias Alexander singing "Derwentwater's Farewell"

Here's a copy of the program:

 Program

Highland pipe ensemble
The Battle of Waterloo - Lord Lovat’s Lament - Cabar Feidh
(trad. Scotland/Appalachia - J.G.Slattery - trad. Scotland) 

Scottish shuttle- and smallpipe ensemble
Campbell's Farewell to Red Gap - Jenny Nettles
(traditional Scotland/Appalachia -  trad. Lowland/Border)

Dan Houghton: Border pipes
The Clarinet Reel - An Drochaid Càsadh - An Drochaid Chliùiteach
Cronan na Cailleiche ‘sa Bheinn Bhric - Sheatadh Cailleach Ruidhle Cailleach
(trad. Scotland) 

 

Richard Shuttleworth: Northumbrian smallpipes
Redesdale Hornpipe/The Navvie on the Line - Miss Hannah Ormston - Katie
Elliott’s Jig - Bonny Pit Laddie - Small Coals and Little Money
(trad. Northumbria)

Elias Alexander: American lung-pipes
Derwentwater's Farewell
(trad. Scotland)

Matt Buckley: Scottish smallpipes
The Atom of Delight - MacGregor of Ruara - The King’s House
(Derek Hoy - trad. Scotland)

Iain MacHarg:  Flemish/French pipes, practice chanter, and Scottish smallpipes
[French t.b.a.] - I hae wife o’ my ain - Paddy’s Leather Breeches - Haggis the Cat
(trad. France - trad. Gaelic - trad. Scotland - Iain MacHarg)

Jackie Lewis: Highland pipes and Scottish smallpipes
Samantha’s Lullaby - Wee Highland Laddie - Gardens of Skye - Flett from Flotta -
Scotland the Brave - pìobaireachd: MacIntosh’s Banner
(Arthur Ghillies - Donald MacLeod - A.Harper - D.MacLeod - trad. Scotland -
William MacKenzie)

Tim Cummings: Scottish smallpipes
All You Shining Stars - Lucy Cassidy - Moving Clouds
(Tim Cummings -  George MacIntyre - Neillie O’Boyle)

Anthony Santoro: Irish uilleann pipes

Peter Kent: Highland pipes
Capt. Archibald Leslie - Mamore - Hey Johnny - Lads of Mull - Och is Duine
Truagh Mi - The Sleeping Tune - Jimmy MacGregor - pìobaireachd: The Lament of the Children
(D.Campbell - trad. Cape Breton/Scotland - Patrick Mor MacCrimmon)

Ben Miller: Border pipes
The Wild Hills O’ Wannies - Elsie Marley - Holy Ha’penny
Sunderland Lasses - The Lads of Alnwick - Jack’s Gone A Shearing
(trad. Lowland/Borders)

Rik Palieri: Polish Podhalanskie, Fujarka, Piszczalki, & Gajdy
Trad. Folk Songs & Tunes - The Robbers Dance -
Groniczki, Gorniczki, How I long For my Small Mountains - Dolina - Istebna gajdy medley
(The Polish Mountaineers - trad. Tatra Highlands - trad. Poland)

Eleven Pipers
The Dark Island
(Iain MacLaughlin, 1963)

 

Ben Miller playing Border pipes (Banton Chanter)

The concert was a bit like a piping reunion.  I knew nine of the pipers, and it was great to see friends away from the usual venues where I may see them only once or twice a year.  And making new piping acquaintances is always a bonus.  Plus, hearing a lot of great bellows piping is a treat.  And I was even thrilled to hear a bit of very good highland piping, including a Pìobaireachd duet, with some super harmonies.  Then there was the uni-cycling bagpiper . . .

 

Tim Cummings on Banton Smallpipes and Dan Houghton accompanying.

All in all a trip well worth the drive.  I feel rejuvinated and recharged.  And ready to crank out more pipes.  A huge thanks to Tim Cummings for putting together a super show, and putting me up in five star luxury.

 

Anthony Santoro on Uilleann pipes leading the pipers in "The Dark Island."