Bagpipes
Bagpipe Music CD Reviewed
Oct-16-2006 19:03 | Permalink
Full Review
Here...
Hey, anybody know any good bagpipe jokes? Let's start off this review with a nice, juicy Highland kneeslapper? OK, here goes...
Oh alright, maybe not.
See, when I first listened to Michael O'Neill's Ontophony, the idea came up that it would be fun to turn the tables on those people who are always having fun at the expense of the bagpipes. But after several more listens, it became fairly obvious that O'Neill's music more than holds its own.
Ontophony brings together O'Neill's Mearingstone group (four bagpipes, plus percussion) with the percussion ensemble Uzume Taiko. With three taiko (Japanese drum) drummers, tablas, shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute), and snare drum, this makes for a big group with an even bigger sound. Imagine the bagpipes acting as a gamelon orchestra, taking on the music of Philip Glass, leavened with the percussion approach of Bill Laswell. This is not music from the St. Patrick's Day parade.
The opening track, "A Walk Supreme," is a perfect example of the Ontophony sound. Since it's not possible to completely avoid the sound of the pipes, we're presented with that trademark drone. Thirty seconds in, a very angular melody forms, supported by the melodic signature of the tablas. Periodically, other bagpipes move in to add circular and repetitive lines that would not be out of place in a Steve Reich composition. With its intertwined melody lines, Ontophony has a modern sound unlike anything else I've ever heard.
"Migration of a Triad" take the sound a bit further out with lots of magnificent dissonance. In a jazz composition, notes from the next octave up are often added for coloration (flatted nineths, elevenths, etc.) "Migrate" takes advantage of the presence of multiple instruments to allow notes only a half-step apart to be sounded. While this may set some listeners ears on edge, I happen to hear beauty in the chaos.
Drawing on the entire bagpipe and percussion ensemble, "Luffness" features an extended weave of pipes, taiko drums, shakuhachi, and didgeridoo. It somehow manages to sound traditional and 'out' at the same time. While "World Music" has become an almost meaningless in descriptive usefulness (sort of like "ethnic food"), this particular composition does showcase the cross-cultural aspects of the Vancouver music and arts scene—melding various Eastern and Western musics to produce sounds that neatly fuse all elements. Impressive and sometimes magical stuff.
So, two bagpipers walk into a bar...
===============================================================================
Hey, anybody know any good bagpipe jokes? Let's start off this review with a nice, juicy Highland kneeslapper? OK, here goes...
Oh alright, maybe not.
See, when I first listened to Michael O'Neill's Ontophony, the idea came up that it would be fun to turn the tables on those people who are always having fun at the expense of the bagpipes. But after several more listens, it became fairly obvious that O'Neill's music more than holds its own.
Ontophony brings together O'Neill's Mearingstone group (four bagpipes, plus percussion) with the percussion ensemble Uzume Taiko. With three taiko (Japanese drum) drummers, tablas, shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute), and snare drum, this makes for a big group with an even bigger sound. Imagine the bagpipes acting as a gamelon orchestra, taking on the music of Philip Glass, leavened with the percussion approach of Bill Laswell. This is not music from the St. Patrick's Day parade.
The opening track, "A Walk Supreme," is a perfect example of the Ontophony sound. Since it's not possible to completely avoid the sound of the pipes, we're presented with that trademark drone. Thirty seconds in, a very angular melody forms, supported by the melodic signature of the tablas. Periodically, other bagpipes move in to add circular and repetitive lines that would not be out of place in a Steve Reich composition. With its intertwined melody lines, Ontophony has a modern sound unlike anything else I've ever heard.
"Migration of a Triad" take the sound a bit further out with lots of magnificent dissonance. In a jazz composition, notes from the next octave up are often added for coloration (flatted nineths, elevenths, etc.) "Migrate" takes advantage of the presence of multiple instruments to allow notes only a half-step apart to be sounded. While this may set some listeners ears on edge, I happen to hear beauty in the chaos.
Drawing on the entire bagpipe and percussion ensemble, "Luffness" features an extended weave of pipes, taiko drums, shakuhachi, and didgeridoo. It somehow manages to sound traditional and 'out' at the same time. While "World Music" has become an almost meaningless in descriptive usefulness (sort of like "ethnic food"), this particular composition does showcase the cross-cultural aspects of the Vancouver music and arts scene—melding various Eastern and Western musics to produce sounds that neatly fuse all elements. Impressive and sometimes magical stuff.
So, two bagpipers walk into a bar...
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Bagpipe Jokes
Jul-14-2006 20:17 | Permalink
More here...
• Q. What do you call someone who hangs around with musicians? A. A bagpiper.
• Q. What did the bagpiper get on his I.Q. test? A. Drool.
• Q. What's the definition of a quarter tone? A. A bagpiper tuning his drones.
• Q. Why are bagpipers fingers like lightning? A. They rarely strike the same spot twice.
• Q. How can you tell if a bagpipe is out of tune? A. Someone is blowing into it.
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• Q. What do you call someone who hangs around with musicians? A. A bagpiper.
• Q. What did the bagpiper get on his I.Q. test? A. Drool.
• Q. What's the definition of a quarter tone? A. A bagpiper tuning his drones.
• Q. Why are bagpipers fingers like lightning? A. They rarely strike the same spot twice.
• Q. How can you tell if a bagpipe is out of tune? A. Someone is blowing into it.
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Jazz Pipes
Jul-14-2006 20:09 | Permalink
Check out more
here
The mere mention of jazz played on bagpipes is guaranteed to get a look of disbelief from most people, but not from listeners who have heard Rufus Harley, especially Re-Creation of the Gods, a 1972 disc that many consider his best. The Transparency label has reissued this record on CD with four extra tracks and pristine digital remastering of the sound.
Rufus Harley, one of the only bagpipe-playing jazz musicians in the history of jazz, is a virtuoso on the instrument, coaxing improvised riff after riff from it. In his hands it sounds like two reed instruments played at once. This very enjoyable and often surprising music is in the soul-jazz vein, with a touch of Eastern sounds, and the combination of organ, bagpipe, percussion and sometimes electric bass works very well. The playing can easily be termed spiritual.
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The mere mention of jazz played on bagpipes is guaranteed to get a look of disbelief from most people, but not from listeners who have heard Rufus Harley, especially Re-Creation of the Gods, a 1972 disc that many consider his best. The Transparency label has reissued this record on CD with four extra tracks and pristine digital remastering of the sound.
Rufus Harley, one of the only bagpipe-playing jazz musicians in the history of jazz, is a virtuoso on the instrument, coaxing improvised riff after riff from it. In his hands it sounds like two reed instruments played at once. This very enjoyable and often surprising music is in the soul-jazz vein, with a touch of Eastern sounds, and the combination of organ, bagpipe, percussion and sometimes electric bass works very well. The playing can easily be termed spiritual.
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Getting in touch with one's roots with an
earsplitting set of pipes
Jun-11-2006 19:19 | Permalink
Read more
here...
"I'm tired of being one of those Heinz-57 Americans with no clear cultural identity. It's just not right when you talk about your kin from the 'Old Country,' and you're referring to people from Wapato. I'm thinking strongly about adopting a national heritage. And you could do a lot worse than being Scottish or Irish."
Just how much worse, of course, is cause for great argument. But I was halfway serious about wanting to learn how to tame the Great Highlands Bagpipe.
I'll state the obvious right up front: Bagpipes, like liver, are a taste some listeners simply never acquire. Thanks to their forced-air nature, the pipes can only be played one way — freight-train loud. And given that even a perfectly tuned, expertly played set of pipes can be painful to some, listening to a newbie huff and screech could be considered cruel and unusual.
As the authors of a bagpipe Web site, hotpipes.com, put it: "There's a certain charm in walking past a house and hearing someone awkwardly running scales on a tuba, but blundering into earshot of a neophyte honking away on [bagpipes] might cause nose-bleeds, shattered eyeglasses and could lead to convulsions and death."
[...]
Q: Why do bagpipers walk as they play?
A: They're trying to get away from the noise.
Or:
Q: How do you get two pipers to play in harmony?
A: Shoot one.
===============================================================================
"I'm tired of being one of those Heinz-57 Americans with no clear cultural identity. It's just not right when you talk about your kin from the 'Old Country,' and you're referring to people from Wapato. I'm thinking strongly about adopting a national heritage. And you could do a lot worse than being Scottish or Irish."
Just how much worse, of course, is cause for great argument. But I was halfway serious about wanting to learn how to tame the Great Highlands Bagpipe.
I'll state the obvious right up front: Bagpipes, like liver, are a taste some listeners simply never acquire. Thanks to their forced-air nature, the pipes can only be played one way — freight-train loud. And given that even a perfectly tuned, expertly played set of pipes can be painful to some, listening to a newbie huff and screech could be considered cruel and unusual.
As the authors of a bagpipe Web site, hotpipes.com, put it: "There's a certain charm in walking past a house and hearing someone awkwardly running scales on a tuba, but blundering into earshot of a neophyte honking away on [bagpipes] might cause nose-bleeds, shattered eyeglasses and could lead to convulsions and death."
[...]
Q: Why do bagpipers walk as they play?
A: They're trying to get away from the noise.
Or:
Q: How do you get two pipers to play in harmony?
A: Shoot one.
===============================================================================
Pipers call a tune at highland gathering
Jun-02-2006 18:39 | Permalink
Read more
here.
THE lads and lassies of Townsville's highland band will go head to head with the best pipers and drummers in the North at a competition being held in June.
The RSL Memorial Pipes and Drums Association will represent Townsville at the North Queensland Highland Gathering at the Kirwan Tavern on Monday, June 12.
Association spokesman Denis Airens said the competition would involve solo performances as well as each band playing 45 minutes of a medley of tunes.
There will be five bands competing from Cairns, Innisfail, Mackay and Rockhampton.
Mr Airens said the bagpipes were difficult instruments to master.
He said it took about 12 months to learn to start playing.
"After 40 years I'm still trying to work them out," Mr Airens said.
===============================================================================
THE lads and lassies of Townsville's highland band will go head to head with the best pipers and drummers in the North at a competition being held in June.
The RSL Memorial Pipes and Drums Association will represent Townsville at the North Queensland Highland Gathering at the Kirwan Tavern on Monday, June 12.
Association spokesman Denis Airens said the competition would involve solo performances as well as each band playing 45 minutes of a medley of tunes.
There will be five bands competing from Cairns, Innisfail, Mackay and Rockhampton.
Mr Airens said the bagpipes were difficult instruments to master.
He said it took about 12 months to learn to start playing.
"After 40 years I'm still trying to work them out," Mr Airens said.
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Pipers compete at the 'big one'
Jun-02-2006 18:37 | Permalink
Read more
here.
Pipers compete at the 'big one'
By MARK RANZENBERGER
Sun Staff Writer
Piper Ian Donaldson raised his finger, and the piper in the orange tartan played a simple scale.
But McDonald sensed something not quite right in the drone, reached into his sporan and pulled out an electronic tuning meter. With a few tweaks on the pipe, the world-class piper had brought the Atlanta Pipe Band closer to the sound it was seeking.
"That sound is not something that happens by accident," drum major Jim Thompson said.
The Georgia-based group of bagpipers competed this weekend in the U.S. Open championships at the 39th annual Alma Highland Festival. The band won its class in 2005.
"We compete all over the place," Thompson said, "but this is the big one."
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Pipers compete at the 'big one'
By MARK RANZENBERGER
Sun Staff Writer
Piper Ian Donaldson raised his finger, and the piper in the orange tartan played a simple scale.
But McDonald sensed something not quite right in the drone, reached into his sporan and pulled out an electronic tuning meter. With a few tweaks on the pipe, the world-class piper had brought the Atlanta Pipe Band closer to the sound it was seeking.
"That sound is not something that happens by accident," drum major Jim Thompson said.
The Georgia-based group of bagpipers competed this weekend in the U.S. Open championships at the 39th annual Alma Highland Festival. The band won its class in 2005.
"We compete all over the place," Thompson said, "but this is the big one."
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Bagpipers are definitive homage of 'fallen warrior'
May-19-2006 20:57 | Permalink
WASHINGTON
— At the solemn stroke of midnight, two
Minnesota bagpipers stood at the center of the
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and played
their mournful tunes.
One of the pipers, Bill Gilchrist, wrote a song they played, "The Thin Blue Line," and the other, Jeff Perry, composed its harmony.
"The tune is a tribute to the police; the melody line is about their dedication to duty," said Gilchrist, Minnesota Police Pipe Band senior piper and an Edina resident.
It's Minnesota's year at National Police Week. For the first time since the event began in 1962, the hosts are groups from Minnesota — the pipe band, the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association honor guard and the Emerald Society of Minnesota.
"It's a tremendous honor to be here in our nation's capitol, representing Minnesota," said Charles Timmers, the band's incoming pipe major and an Inver Grove Heights resident.
At all the ceremonies, including a march through the streets of Washington Sunday and an address by President Bush Monday, the pipe band from Minnesota was the featured group.
The Minnesota Police Pipe Band, which changed its name last year from Minnesota Pipes and Drums to emphasize its connection with police, has about 80 members, including students, and 34 came to Washington, said Sally Gordon, piper and band manager. Its members, except for about a half-dozen, are not police officers.
More here...
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One of the pipers, Bill Gilchrist, wrote a song they played, "The Thin Blue Line," and the other, Jeff Perry, composed its harmony.
"The tune is a tribute to the police; the melody line is about their dedication to duty," said Gilchrist, Minnesota Police Pipe Band senior piper and an Edina resident.
It's Minnesota's year at National Police Week. For the first time since the event began in 1962, the hosts are groups from Minnesota — the pipe band, the Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association honor guard and the Emerald Society of Minnesota.
"It's a tremendous honor to be here in our nation's capitol, representing Minnesota," said Charles Timmers, the band's incoming pipe major and an Inver Grove Heights resident.
At all the ceremonies, including a march through the streets of Washington Sunday and an address by President Bush Monday, the pipe band from Minnesota was the featured group.
The Minnesota Police Pipe Band, which changed its name last year from Minnesota Pipes and Drums to emphasize its connection with police, has about 80 members, including students, and 34 came to Washington, said Sally Gordon, piper and band manager. Its members, except for about a half-dozen, are not police officers.
More here...
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The jig isn't up yet for bagpiping fans
May-19-2006 17:25 | Permalink
Paul Glader
Wall Street Journal
May. 14, 2006 12:00 AM
PITTSBURGH - As the only student majoring in bagpipes at any American university or college, Nick Hudson walks a loud, lonely road.
A recent day found him practicing by himself in a basement room at Carnegie Mellon University's student union. Pulling back his shoulder-length red hair, the 18-year-old freshman jammed rubber plugs into his ears before he adjusted the reeds and tuned the drones of his instrument.
Then, tucking the bag under his arm, he began to step methodically around the room in time as he played Scottish jigs, classical pieces called piobaireachd and, to show the instrument's versatility, a lightning-fast rendition of Thunderstruck by AC/DC.
The earplugs are crucial since the instrument churns out up to 122 decibels, making it louder than a chainsaw.
Bagpipes are enjoying a resurgence in popularity, amid a broad interest in folk music and ethnic music. Jeff Mann, chairman of the Alliance of North American Pipe Band Associations, said there are 9,000 bagpipers in North America registered with the 10 regional associations, up 50 percent since 1999. The count doesn't include those who play as a hobby but don't belong to the bagpiper organizations.
Read more here...
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Wall Street Journal
May. 14, 2006 12:00 AM
PITTSBURGH - As the only student majoring in bagpipes at any American university or college, Nick Hudson walks a loud, lonely road.
A recent day found him practicing by himself in a basement room at Carnegie Mellon University's student union. Pulling back his shoulder-length red hair, the 18-year-old freshman jammed rubber plugs into his ears before he adjusted the reeds and tuned the drones of his instrument.
Then, tucking the bag under his arm, he began to step methodically around the room in time as he played Scottish jigs, classical pieces called piobaireachd and, to show the instrument's versatility, a lightning-fast rendition of Thunderstruck by AC/DC.
The earplugs are crucial since the instrument churns out up to 122 decibels, making it louder than a chainsaw.
Bagpipes are enjoying a resurgence in popularity, amid a broad interest in folk music and ethnic music. Jeff Mann, chairman of the Alliance of North American Pipe Band Associations, said there are 9,000 bagpipers in North America registered with the 10 regional associations, up 50 percent since 1999. The count doesn't include those who play as a hobby but don't belong to the bagpiper organizations.
Read more here...
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A schoolgirl beat will take marchers to the shrine
Apr-29-2006 16:22 | Permalink
Maybe we can
get some of them to join up with us?
TWENTY students from Melbourne's Presbyterian Ladies' College will form the first all-girl school band to perform in Victoria on Anzac Day.
It's always good to be the first. But the distinction gets even more impressive — the students belong to an all-girl pipes and drums marching band.
The girls, aged 14 to 16, have been practising their instruments for three years, perfecting their technique in preparation for their first big march.
All Girl Pipe and Drum Band
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TWENTY students from Melbourne's Presbyterian Ladies' College will form the first all-girl school band to perform in Victoria on Anzac Day.
It's always good to be the first. But the distinction gets even more impressive — the students belong to an all-girl pipes and drums marching band.
The girls, aged 14 to 16, have been practising their instruments for three years, perfecting their technique in preparation for their first big march.
All Girl Pipe and Drum Band
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Newport News Pipers
Mar-29-2006 20:37 | Permalink
Read more here.
Korff, an 83-year-old Newport News resident with a high energy level and sharp wit, gives free bagpipe lessons. Korff prepares novice pipers for the Newport News Police Pipe and Drum Corps, which performs free at police academy graduations, fund-raisers and funerals of fallen police officers and firefighters.
"We all come together for a common cause," said Thomas Crouch, a detective with the Newport News Police Department. He plays bagpipe in the band and serves as president of the organization. "It's about promoting heritage and culture and honoring the fallen."
But there's a test for students' dedication: They have to train for about two years before they can perform with the band.
They take lessons with Korff for about a year and a half, playing on a practice chanter - a long black instrument similar to a recorder. Then they can advance to the full bagpipes and start practicing with the pipe band. But they must take about four months of lessons before they can perform.
"Whoever sticks with it is obviously dedicated," Crouch said.
[...]
The band consists of eight pipers, five drummers and one drum major. One piper is a retired New York police officer who played in close to 90 funerals after Sept. 11, 2001, he said.
"I think the bagpipes have a way to stir the soul," he said. "Everybody knows 'Amazing Grace' on bagpipes."
He hopes to expand the band to consist of 20 pipers. To achieve that, Korff's lessons are open to anyone with the goal of joining the pipe band. They have to pay $25 annual dues and about $140 for a chanter and music book. And they need to be ready to pay more than $1,000 for a bagpipe from Scotland.
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Korff, an 83-year-old Newport News resident with a high energy level and sharp wit, gives free bagpipe lessons. Korff prepares novice pipers for the Newport News Police Pipe and Drum Corps, which performs free at police academy graduations, fund-raisers and funerals of fallen police officers and firefighters.
"We all come together for a common cause," said Thomas Crouch, a detective with the Newport News Police Department. He plays bagpipe in the band and serves as president of the organization. "It's about promoting heritage and culture and honoring the fallen."
But there's a test for students' dedication: They have to train for about two years before they can perform with the band.
They take lessons with Korff for about a year and a half, playing on a practice chanter - a long black instrument similar to a recorder. Then they can advance to the full bagpipes and start practicing with the pipe band. But they must take about four months of lessons before they can perform.
"Whoever sticks with it is obviously dedicated," Crouch said.
[...]
The band consists of eight pipers, five drummers and one drum major. One piper is a retired New York police officer who played in close to 90 funerals after Sept. 11, 2001, he said.
"I think the bagpipes have a way to stir the soul," he said. "Everybody knows 'Amazing Grace' on bagpipes."
He hopes to expand the band to consist of 20 pipers. To achieve that, Korff's lessons are open to anyone with the goal of joining the pipe band. They have to pay $25 annual dues and about $140 for a chanter and music book. And they need to be ready to pay more than $1,000 for a bagpipe from Scotland.
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Wail of the pipes to go high-brow at Carnegie Hall
date
Mar-28-2006 20:09 | Permalink
Only fourth time bagpipes have been featured in orchestra at august venue
By ANTHONY RAMIREZ New York Times
Read more here
NEW YORK — For centuries, the drone of the bagpipes has been a cry to battle. It was an instrument of war, accompanied by drums and a dagger in the piper’s sock. More recently, especially, after Sept. 11, 2001, the bagpipes have been more visible as an instrument of lamentation.
At the funerals of police officers and firefighters, as well as of national figures like President Ronald Reagan, the bagpipes’ wail has become a cry from the heart.
What the bagpipes have rarely been, however, is an instrument used for classical music. On Tuesday, the bagpipes, typically heard outdoors, will be heard inside Carnegie Hall, the hushed venue of Casals, Horowitz and Rubinstein.
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What are Irish bagpipes
Mar-12-2006 20:19 | Permalink
Read more
here
The Irish bagpipes are known as the uilleann pipes.
"Uilleann" means elbow in the Irish language.
They are the latest evolution of the pipes, reaching their current design in the mid-1800s.
The pipes are different from Scottish pipes in a number of ways. First off, you don't blow into them to produce a sound, unlike the Scottish Highland pipes that most people have seen. There are two bags that sit under each arm; one pumps air into the second bag, while the second pumps air into the chanter the whistle-like part.
The uilleann pipes are the only pipes that you can accompany yourself on; keys called "regulators" on the side of the chanter allow the player to play chords along with the single note lines they play on the chanter.
Uilleann pipes are the only pipes that can rest, or keep silent, for a beat or two. Scottish Highland and Border pipes require constant airflow, and therefore, emit constant sound.
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The Irish bagpipes are known as the uilleann pipes.
"Uilleann" means elbow in the Irish language.
They are the latest evolution of the pipes, reaching their current design in the mid-1800s.
The pipes are different from Scottish pipes in a number of ways. First off, you don't blow into them to produce a sound, unlike the Scottish Highland pipes that most people have seen. There are two bags that sit under each arm; one pumps air into the second bag, while the second pumps air into the chanter the whistle-like part.
The uilleann pipes are the only pipes that you can accompany yourself on; keys called "regulators" on the side of the chanter allow the player to play chords along with the single note lines they play on the chanter.
Uilleann pipes are the only pipes that can rest, or keep silent, for a beat or two. Scottish Highland and Border pipes require constant airflow, and therefore, emit constant sound.
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