The Pipers' Gathering 2005
"Live From Killington Vermont"

 

 

  
CD: Live From Killington

Performances recorded from
  our 2005 concerts at our
  new home in Killington Vermont,
featuring some of the best
alternative bagpipe artists
in the world.

 

 

About this CD

Some purists say that music should never be recorded; the playing of a pipe tune is a "happening" that is never repeated in exactly the same manner. When top-class pipers get together with piping enthusiasts to teach and play for a long weekend in August each year at the Pipers' Gathering in Killington, Vermont, camaraderie, laughter, music and the pure joy of being there leave memories that linger long after the event is over, it is certainly a "happening", but we recorded it anyway!

The tracks on this CD have been chosen from the music that was played at the two evening concerts during the 2005 Pipers' Gathering. They are live, virtually unedited, recordings of performances given by pipers for pipers. No attempt has been made to "sanitize" the playing and produce studio quality recordings. You will hear slight mistakes here and there, the odd note or drone out tune due to the reeds reacting with changes in humidity, and the unmistakable sound of feet tapping out the tempo. Our grateful thanks go to each of the performers for allowing their playing to be used to produce a memento of a great weekend. In this world of perfectly produced studio recordings, it takes great courage for a performer to allow a live track to be offered to the public. We hope that listeners will be able to capture some of the atmosphere of this event and may even be tempted to join us at future events.

Listing of Tracks, Titles, Performers and Instruments

For more artist information and pictures, please see the 
INSTRUCTORS and ARTIST GALLERY pages !

  1. Star Melody (composer: Julian Goodacre): Processional by group of pipers on various English bagpipes
  2. The Boy in the Gap - The Ravelled Hank of Yarn (reels) : Brian McNamara, Uilleann pipes in C
  3. Dun na Sead - Fort of the Jewels (air) : Brian McNamara, Uilleann pipes in C
  4. Father John MacMillan of Barra (march) : Hamish Moore, Scottish smallpipes in D
  5. Horsburgh Castle (march) - Dalnahasaig (strathspey) - Jenny Dang the Weaver (reel) : Hamish Moore, Scottish smallpipes in D
  6. Sean O'Duibhir á Ghleanna (set dance) - Lucy Campbell's (reel) : Emmett Gill, Uilleann pipes in C
  7. Down the Back Lane (jig) - Donneybrook Fair (jig) - Scully Casey's (jig) : Emmett Gill, Uilleann pipes in C
  8. Constant Billy (Trad English) : Julian Goodacre, Cornish double pipes in low D
  9. The SB Plus (Bourrée) : Julian Goodacre, English greatpipes in low D
  10. Intrada : Julian Goodacre, English double pipes in F
  11. I Only Want to be with You (air) - The Flaxen Haired Lass of Always (jig) : Julian Goodacre, Leicestershire smallpipes in D
  12. The Idle Jig (jig) - Miss Ellen MacPhee (jig) - Tripping Upstairs (jig) : Ellen MacPhee, Scottish smallpipes in A
  13. Glencoe March - Lady Charmichael's Strathspey - The Stone Frigate (reel) : Ellen MacPhee, Scottish smallpipes in A
  14. Gallowa Hills (trad song & variations) : Matt Seattle, Border pipes in A
  15. Lochanside (song) various performers
  16. Mackenzie's Misfortune (air) : Dick Hensold, Northumbrian smallpipes in D
  17. Jacky Layton (Trad song and variations) : Dick Hensold, Northumbrian smallpipes in D
  18. The Fertile Fields of Peebles : Dick Hensold, English greatpipes in D
  19. The Hag with the Money - Rocking the Baby - Tattered Jack Walsh (jigs) : Anthony Santoro, Uilleann pipes in D
  20. Dark Island (air) : Anthony Santoro, Uilleann pipes in D
  21. My Maryanne (reel) - Maids of Mount Kisco (reel)- Bucks of Oranmore (reel) : Anthony Santoro, Uilleann pipes in D
Recorded live by Bob Mills in Killington Vermont in August 2005.
Mixed and mastered for CD by Bob Mills.
<http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/bobmills>

All tracks except as noted traditional and arranged by artist.
Copyright © 2005 The Pipers' Gathering Inc.  

The Pipers Gathering Inc. has received permission for use of all tunes not in public domain. If we have mistakenly attributed a tune currently under copyright to the public domain, we apologize and would like to be informed of our error. We wish to thank all the performers on this recording for generously donating their time and skills. We also wish to thank the composers and copyright holders for their kind permission.

About the Bagpipes

To most people the word "bagpipes" conjures up images of highland regiments marching into battle to the skirl of the Great Highland pipes. While this is the modern impression of piping, there is a whole different world of bagpipe playing linked to the traditional music of many countries. Starting as a simple mouth-blown reed instrument some 4000 years ago in Mesopotamia, the pipes gradually spread east and west undergoing changes in each country. A couple of centuries ago, Italy had its Zampogna, France its Cabrettes, Musetttes, and Cornamuses, Hungary its Duda, Germany its Dudelsac, Ireland its Uilleann pipes, England its Northumbrian smallpipes, Leicestershire smallpipes, English greatpipes— well, you get the idea. All these bagpipes were quite different, reflecting the traditional music of each country. In this CD, we bring you ranking players on pipes of Ireland, England and Scotland— and not a Great Highland pipe among them! We hope that you will enjoy this music and that it will open a door to a whole new aspect of traditional music that you can begin to enjoy as soon as you pop this into your CD player.

Bellows pipes: Most of the bagpipes played on this recording are "bellows-blown". That is, they are powered not by the pipers' lungs, but by a bellows strapped around the waist, under the arm. Sometime in the later part of the 18th century the bellows were added to bagpipes. This provides the pipes with a dry air source, in comparison to the moisture of the breath, and gives the reeds a much longer life span, as well as keeping the reeds more stable in tone and pitch as they are played. Some of these pipes are available in both bellows-blown and mouth-blown arrangements.

Northumbrian Smallpipes: Developed in Northumberland, the border county on the northeast coast of England, these bagpipes over a two-octave, fully chromatic range. They boast a complicated system of drones that can be tuned to the tonic, dominant and octave in several keys. The Northumbrian small pipes are characterized by their sweet tone and staccato style of playing. (Tracks 16, 17 & 18)

Uilleann Pipes: Developed in Ireland around the same time as the Northumbrian small pipes were being developed in England (circa 1650-1700) the Uilleann pipes have a haunting tone and are often used by film makers to create "atmosphere". If you have seen such films as Titanic or Braveheart you may recall the sound of these pipes. The Uilleann pipes have a two octave range, three drones tuned to the tonic and regulators that offer, in the hands of a skilled player, the possibility of accompanying chords. (Tracks 2, 3, 6, 7, 19, 20 & 21)

Scottish small pipes: With a cylindrically bored chanter, the Scottish small pipes offer the same 9 note range of the Highland pipes but with a much quieter tone. They have three drones tuned to the tonic and dominant. (Tracks 4, 5, 12 & 13)

Border pipes: Border pipes have a conically bored chanter and the same 9 note range as the Highland pipes but with a unique tone. The three drones are tuned to the tonic and dominant. (Track 14)

English Bagpipes: Based on measurements of carvings and drawings in churches throughout England, Julian Goodacre has recreated several old English bagpipes such as the Cornish double pipes, the Leicestershire small pipes, the English great pipes and the English double pipes. These each have very distinctive sounds and drone arrangements. (Tracks 1, 8, 9, 10 & 11)

 

Review of The Pipers’ Gathering 2005 – Live from Killington, Vermont

The Northumbrian Pipers' Society Magazine, Volume 27
by Maureen Davison

For those unfamiliar with work and aims of The Pipers’ Gathering Inc., it was formed as a non-profit organisation in 1999, with the purpose of promoting the revival of traditional and folk bagpipes and their music, especially that of other-than-highland bagpipes. Not to the total exclusion of the latter I might add, as I well remember Jim McGillivray’s demonstration of champion piobaireachd back in 2002, during a very pleasant long weekend spent in North Hero, home of the Pipers’ Gathering prior to its relocation to Killington last year.

During a typical Gathering, apart from the workshops, sessions, demonstrations, talks and trade stands, there are Saturday and Sunday evening concerts, featuring world-class performers. This 21-track selection from 2005, is a fair representation of bagpipes originating from the UK and Ireland, which have also made their way into the hands and hearts of North American musicians who play alongside the British on this CD. The live performances are largely unedited in an attempt to capture the atmosphere of the event and this objective is met with some success.

Northumbrian smallpipes feature on two tracks. Jacky Layton and Mackenzie’s Misfortune (an own composition) are played by Dick Hensold on his D pipes, which impart a rich, mellow flavour to the tunes and make me wonder why this pitch of Northumbrian pipes is so under-recorded. The Border pipes enjoy just a single track, Matt Seattle plays Gallowa Hills with his own variations. Julian Goodacre gives a good demonstration of his pipemaking and performing skills, using a varied selection of his English bagpipes and I particularly like Constant Billy, performed on the Cornish double pipes in low D.

Scottish smallpipes are represented by Hamish Moore and Ellen MacPhee. Hamish’s sets have a distinctly Highland style, culminating with the tapping of dancing feet and Ellen’s performance includes a very nice version of Tripping Upstairs. Uilleann pipes are always well represented and occupy seven tracks, with performances from Brian McNamara, Emmett Gill and Anthony Santoro. Anthony is described as an example of today’s American pipering and his Hag with the Money set is absolutely electrifying. I’m hungry to hear more of this superb musician on the strength of that alone.

So who would want to buy this album? Obviously those who attended and enjoyed the concerts, previous participants like myself, for whom it evoked memories of several fantastic days across the Pond and those considering going to future events. If you are just hankering after a compilation of assorted bagpipes in various pitches, it’s a good example. Not least of all, consider it a worthwhile purchase to support the organisers’ hard work to fund future Gatherings. It can be obtained via the internet at: http://www.pipersgathering.org/Merchandise.shtml.

 

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