Small Pipes Big Heart The first 50 tunes
Jon Shurlock
February 2018 Contents Small Pipes Big Heart ...... 1 My pipes ...... 1 1. Northumbrian Air ...... 1 2. Fishing for mackerels ...... 2 3. Wild flowers and bees ...... 2 4. Last day smiles ...... 4 5. The Committee ...... 4 6. First Day ...... 5 7. The Low Lights ...... 6 8. Piping the wall ...... 8 9. Ross Pipes ...... 9 10. The reel deal...... 10 11. Winter hedgehogs ...... 12 12. Winnall Moors ...... 13 13. Warm up the house ...... 15 14. Cold snap ...... 16 15. City Mill ...... 17 16. The best of life ...... 18 17. Some assembly required ...... 19 18. Longer days ...... 20 19. The Buttercross ...... 21 20. Christmas Eve ...... 22 21. Xmas socks ...... 24 22. Itchy Feet ...... 25 23. Year's end ...... 26 24. My country ...... 27 25. Salisbury pipes ...... 28 26. Quema del Año Viejo ...... 29 27. Play pipes to save the planet ...... 30 28. New Year's milling ...... 31 29. Eleanor ...... 33 30. Winchester's Versailles ...... 34 31. Back to the drawing board ...... 36 32. It’s sad not solemn ...... 38 33. Clean slate ...... 39
34. The Hangers ...... 40 35. Put that in your pipe and smoke it! ...... 41 36. Fireside Story ...... 41 37. Playground ...... 43 38. Deep home ...... 44 39. Earth and Sky...... 45 40. On Peter Fenwick’s 70th ...... 46 41. The Black Death ...... 47 42. Grey worn ...... 49 43. Sound advice ...... 50 44. The times they are a-changin’ ...... 51 45. Red Sky ...... 53 46. Snake road ...... 54 47. What makes us ...... 55 48. Up and down again ...... 56 49. Spring ...... 64 50. What the flock ...... 65 Just the tunes ...... 67 Tunes in G ...... 68 Busy Bee ...... 68 Calm ...... 68 City Mill ...... 69 The Committee Jig ...... 69 Dance out the North wind ...... 70 Deep Home ...... 70 Final Day Jig ...... 71 First Day ...... 71 Five ways to say goodbye ...... 72 Froxfield ...... 73 The Hangers at Steep ...... 73 The journey to Salisbury pipes on a crunchy autumn day ...... 74 The King’s House ...... 74 Long Grass ...... 75 Lost Time ...... 75 The Low Lights of Shield duet ...... 76 My country ...... 77 Music, friends and a good pint of beer ...... 77 New Year’s lollop ...... 78 Northumbrian Air ...... 78 On Peter Fenwick’s 70th ...... 79 Piping the Wall ...... 79 Plague Jig ...... 81 St Catherine’s Hill ...... 81 Salisbury Pipes ...... 82 Sawing up logs ...... 82 Shattered Ground ...... 83 A skein of geese ...... 83 Thanks to Paul Tabbush for fettling my pipes ...... 84 Warm up the house ...... 84 Winchester Carol ...... 85 Tunes in D...... 86 The Buttercross ...... 86 Crackling Fire ...... 86 A fine lunch ...... 87 Fishing for mackerels ...... 87 Howling Winds ...... 88 Itchy Feet...... 88 Lull before the storm ...... 89 The more it changes… ...... 89 Oram’s Arbour...... 90 The roaring fire ...... 90 Rumbled ...... 91 Shuffle-toed ...... 91 A and E tunes ...... 92 A solemn dance ...... 92 Frozen Jig...... 92 January Air ...... 93 Longer Days ...... 93 Run Hedgehog Run ...... 94 Old Year’s Evening...... 94 Winnall Moors ...... 95 Making Amends ...... 96 Making amends ...... 96 New Year’s Lollop ...... 96 Piping the Wall ...... 97
Salisbury Pipes ...... 98 Spring is in the air ...... 98
Small Pipes Big Heart
Small Pipes Big Heart Jul 30, 2017
I have been playing the Northumbrian Small Pipes for just over 6 months now. My pipes Sep 29, 2017
My pipes were made by David Burleigh about 1985, #1180
A standard 7-key, 4-drone F+ set made from Blackwood with brass, Catalin mounts
They are actually featured on this: http://milecastle27.co.uk/rob/2015/12/david-burleigh-timeline/ 1. Northumbrian Air Sep 29, 2017
I was born in Northumbria but my family moved down South again when I was 3 or 4. Different air, different people.
Here's my first piping tune. Guess who's just discovered the B key
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2. Fishing for mackerels Nov 19, 2017
When I was about 10 we went on a family holiday to Glasnacardoch near Mallaig and stayed with an artist who knew some of my parents’ friends and painted massive colourscapes. I have a lot of vivid memories from this holiday, one of which was fishing for mackerel with my dad off the point at the mouth of the bay. We ate them later that evening, grilled on toast.
I tried to capture my memories of fishing on the rocks, with the waves crashing in, the sun setting and the mackerel wriggling on the end of the line.
I quite like this tune so entered it into a competition. It didn't win, it didn't even get close, but I got this feedback which was helpful: “This is an innovative tune that breaks from the tradition with some very interesting parts. I liked the effect of the C naturals. I was less sure of some of the rhythmic changes that broke the flow of the tune for me.”
3. Wild flowers and bees Nov 19, 2017
My wild flower meadow has given me a lot of pleasure. It took a while to establish itself but this year there were so many bumble bees it was a beautiful sight, as they worked their way around the lavender. The butterflies were quite a festival as well, as they flipflapped around the flowers.
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160bpm? Ha! in my dreams! But that's the nice things about coming up with a tune, I don't necessarily have to be able to play it.
But then the grass needs cutting once or twice a year. The mower really didn't like it so maybe I'll get a scythe for next year. Never one for shying away from dissonance - that's the mower complaining at the long, wet grass
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4. Last day smiles Nov 19, 2017
I've just started a new job and it was a real relief when the last day of my previous job finally arrived. What had got to me was the noise in the office, you couldn't hear yourself think, and this finally ground me down.
Nothing fancy about this tune, just full of exuberance and energy, optimism and freedom. Play it as fast as you dare or at least as fast as you can (which in my case is very slow). And smile while you play it
.
5. The Committee Nov 25, 2017
This year I went to Whitley Bay for a week's piping. It was invigorating and that wasn't just the weather. The tutors were fantastic, Christine was a fantastic hostess and the people were great (of course, they were pipers!) Susan did a military job of marshalling everyone and the organisation was spot on.
The inspiring Chris Ormston did a song writing session and we wrote a song together (although all the good bits are Chris') which we performed later that week. We all contributed something, hence the tune's name.
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Whitley Bay 2017 6. First Day Nov 25, 2017
My new job has started and I now walk to work every day. On my first day walking in, with the leaves scuffed under my feet, and probably due to the oxygen stimulating my brain, this tune popped into my head. I quickly sung it into my phone and then wrote it down later. It is of course the sequel to the Last Day.
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7. The Low Lights Nov 26, 2017
The piping week at Whitley Bay gave me a glow that lit up our dreary autumn for several weeks afterwards. During the week Chris Ormston led a songwriting session which produced a collective effort. Then later that night I heard his "The Low Lights of Shield" which is a beautiful tune, and the combination of session and song inspired me to add some seconds.
The Low Lights at Shield is one of a pair of lights that helped ships safely navigate into the mouth of the Tyne. Chris was inspired to write the tune by "a view of the mouth of the Tyne at dusk". There is also an excellent pub at Shields called The Low Lights Tavern which serves up a great fish and chips: the fish was really fresh, the batter light and crispy, the chips cooked in beef fat as they should be!
Back to the music, you should have a listen to Chris' gorgeous music.
Anyways, here's the tune. Spot where I've tried to emulate the ships' foghorns as they enter the Tyne.
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8. Piping the wall Nov 27, 2017
So it's started, my plans have come together and it's time to get organised!
Early this year I decided that it would be great to walk Hadrian's Wall but it was a hectic summer and it didn't happen, which was a good thing, because I then came up with the idea of taking my pipes and 'piping the wall'. It was then a short journey to arrive at the idea of using the walk to drum up some money to support Northumbrian Pipes.
I now have two projects to support, one that will benefit all pipers, the other that will specifically support young and upcoming pipers
The first project is for the Northumbrian Pipers' Society and will help publish a book of Forster Charlton's unpublished tunes, probably in the spring of 2019 The second project is for Magnetic North East and will provide a year's piping lessons for a young, deserving musician, probably from autumn 2018
Now that real life only exists on the web, it's de rigeur to have home in Facebook land so Piping the wall has its own page.
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Once things have been finalised I'll set up a JustGiving website and really focus on publicising the event to get as many donations as possible. The aim is to raise £3,000, split between the two projects.
And of course, I needed to celebrate this with a tune!
9. Ross Pipes December 5, 2017
I have just got my Ross pipes back from the amazing Mr Tabbush. Not only a fantastic piper, consummate musician and all round nice bloke, Paul also makes beautiful pipes; a real craftsman with a deep understanding of wood.
These pipes are not his but are made by the renowned Colin Ross. They needed a bit of work on them and Paul has returned them in tip top order, singing sweet and tuneful.
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And as often happens, when I played my pipes a tune popped out. I couldn’t think of a nicer person to dedicate it to, so here’s my thanks to Paul Tabbush for looking after my pipes.
10. The reel deal December 8, 2017
Following on from Piping the Wall, here’s something the same and something a bit different.
On the way to work, with my head in the November clouds, I starting humming the tune and in the course of my walk it was wrangled into a reel. A few inchoate mumblings into my phone and here it is, the same tune but different. And two versions, that’s got to be value for money!
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Here’s the original with a bit of a tweakage
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11. Winter hedgehogs December 10, 2017
Recently I almost ran over a hedgehog.
(Not this one)
It was late at night, bitterly cold and I was hurrying to get home when I saw a hedgehog scuttle across the road about 6 feet in front of me. I slammed on brakes, much to the pleasure of the white van behind me and waited, hoping that I had stopped in time.
While arms started flailing in the van behind – accompanied no doubt by some choice language – I sat there looking this way and that. Just as the van started backing up and manoeuvring to drive round me, I saw the hog appear in the gutter making haste, so I carried on, leaving a big gap between me and animal, and probably leaving the van driver to shout about the state of the world.
As I was driving away it occurred to me that it was quite late in the year – shouldn’t hedgehogs be hibernating by now?
So I contacted the British Hedgehog Presevation Society for some expert advice. It seems that the hedgehog was probably what is known as an Autumn Juvenile.
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According to the Society: “Giving advice on whether to leave them out in the garden and keep feeding them or whether to bring them indoors and over-winter them can be difficult. Left outside it is more difficult to monitor them and if they start to have problems and hide away they can just die. If they are brought indoors the stress of captivity can also kill them.”
They also sent me a useful leaflet that gives more information: L15 Autumn Juv leaflet 2017
Anyway, here’s a scurrying little melody. Even more than usual, tuning is really important – I’m not sure if my pipes struggle with minor keys, or whether I’m not used to tuning to different keys (almost certainly the latter). I need a good 5 mins to make the pipes sound tuneful. Try it with just the E drone(s) but for the full medieval touch add in the A.
12. Winnall Moors December 10, 2017
This weekend, with a December Atlantic high providing a brief window of cut crystal weather before being hustled out the way by a big weather front, I decided to go for an early morning walk around the Winnall Moors nature reserve.
We are very lucky where I live because not only are we close to stunning countryside (the South Downs Way starts here) but there are also many beautiful green spaces threaded through the city. The local council is eyeing up these gaps to develop into housing, offices and shops, but the main green lungs have been left alone so far.
The reserve was quiet and frozen, the only wildlife I saw was a robin, a blackbird and a swan; although I did meet a jogger who seemed desperate to get somewhere. I took my time to see what I could see and to breathe in the tranquility, with only the distant rough hum of the M3 to disturb the moment.
I’ve tried put this morning into the melody below, but the pipes have to be completely in tune for the music to have any chance of capturing the atmosphere. I can see that there’s a recent theme to tunes that pop into my head; minor and discordant, must be something to do with the season.
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13. Warm up the house December 10, 2017
After all that minor discord that has been appearing in my head it must be time for some no nonsense G major.
There is nothing like coming home after a weekend away, putting on the heating and cracking open a bottle of something.
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14. Cold snap December 12, 2017
There is nothing like a synoptic chart to get my blood racing
The last couple of days have been bitter and that’s due to the ridge of high pressure sitting over the UK, leaving the night skies naked. However the ridge will be swept away by a series of fronts coming in from the Atlantic, leaving us with miserable weather (technical term!)
Walking around today, trying to warm myself up, this A minor tune came into my head. I was still cold though…
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15. City Mill December 17, 2017
I am a volunteer miller at the City Mill in Winchester. It is quite an amazing place, full of creative and dedicated people and well worth a visit, especially on the weekend when we mill flour. The Mill has been part of the fabric of Winchester since the 10th Century (and in fact probably until Roman times) and has played a bit part in all the big acts of recent history,: the Norman Conquest, the Black Death, the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, Globalisation and onwards.
This is a print by Tony Kenyon of the mill, a sumptuous depiction of the mill.
I recently went to the annual Xmas volunteers party where we had fantastic food, a good sing song and a raffle (obviously fixed as I didn't win any prizes ;o)
It was also the first public outing of my pipes and we finished off the evening with a rendition of Auld Lang Syne.
On the way home, full of wine and good cheer, this melody popped into my head.
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16. The best of life December 17, 2017
Today was a miserable day, cold, wet and uninspiring. But I was playing carols for Naomi House with Saxophony in the town centre so walked in under the rain. Luckily we were under cover and all went well. Then, music done and money collected, some friends popped by and we ended up in the Black Boy for some satisfying Flower Pots. As we were putting the world to rights I thought to myself that life really doesn't get much better than this, some music and good chat, all washed down with a swift pint.
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Note: The pub could be named after: a character with skin darkened by their work, like chimney sweeps or miners covered in soot or coal-dust; King Charles II, who was nicknamed 'Black Boy' by his mother, Henrietta Maria of France because of his dark hair and complexion.
And some photos from the pub
17. Some assembly required December 19, 2017
I recently saw this on the Northumbrian Piping Newsgroup Facebook page. It made laugh, especially as Xmas is approaching and those fateful words "Requires batteries" or "Assembly instructions included" hang doomfully in the air.
It also made me think of the wood in the garden that needs chopping up. Hence this ditty
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18. Longer days December 23, 2017
This is always a strange time of year, a seasonal gloaming with thoughts behind and plans ahead. The diurnal roller coaster has bottomed out but, although the year's embers are dying, the days have started lengthening their stride and soon we'll be gathering speed to burst into the new year. However, there's still 2 months of winter ahead, which always feels a bit unfair
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19. The Buttercross Posted on December 24, 2017
This is a slightly unusual image of the Buttercross, one of Winchester’s iconic monuments. It’s a great place to arrange to meetup and as a youf I sat on the steps many times and had a swift beer before heading on. Nowadays that wouldn’t be possible as you’re not allowed to drink in the city centre anymore.
Wikipedia says: The City Cross (also known as the Buttercross) has been dated to the 15th century, and features 12 statues of the Virgin Mary, saints and various historical figures. Several statues appear to have been added throughout the structure’s history. In 1770, Thomas Dummer purchased the Buttercross from the Corporation of Page 21 Small Pipes Big Heart
Winchester, intending to have it re-erected at Cranbury Park, near Otterbourne. When his workmen arrived to dismantle the cross, they were prevented from doing so by the people of the city, who “organised a small riot” and they were forced to abandon their task. The agreement with the city was cancelled and Dummer erected a lath and plaster facsimile, which stood in the park for about sixty years before it was destroyed by the weather. The Buttercross itself was restored by G. G. Scott in 1865, and still stands in the High Street. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument. 20. Christmas Eve Posted on December 24, 2017
How did 2017 evaporate so quickly? It’s Christmas Eve already!
Today there’s time to take stock before the next few days of Xmas-lashed mayhem, time to check that I’ve wrapped presents for everyone, got the food in the fridge and everything is set.
Here’s a few random non-festive pictures that Google suggested for “Lull before the storm”.
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And a few notes
21. Xmas socks Posted on December 27, 2017
Here's a picture of my Xmas socks, a gift from nephew #2.
They're an amazing present. Not only are the colours really loud but also, for every pair bought, another pair is given to a homeless charity.
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Around this time of year, during the disclocated period between Xmas and New Year, I normally wonder where the past year went.
This tune is a bit like that dislocated time, with time lost and time gained
22. Itchy Feet Posted on December 28, 2017
Sometimes you've just got to keep moving.
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23. Year's end Posted on December 28, 2017
Grand November glist'ning keen
Christmas calm subdued
New Year scares the breath
And here's a few more lines to meet and greet 2018.
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24. My country Posted on December 29, 2017
Since 23 June 2016 the whole framework of the UK has changed; possibly the biggest change for 100 years and definitely the most momentous for a generation. I was a young child when we entered Europe and now it looks like I will never again be an EU citizen.
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As a way to 'take back control' I've used a whole range of melodies that are associated with the UK. I've put the tunes into the blender, added my own seasoning, baked for 28 minutes, then soaked in gin.
25. Salisbury pipes Posted on December 30, 2017
I've been playing pipes now for about a year and a major help has been the Salisbury pipes group, run by the ever welcoming Ian Curr. Everyone has been very supportive and helpful. One of the players, Wallie Ogilvie, has a site where he uploads recording of pipe tunes. He plays to a level to which I can only aspire at the moment.
There is a lovely journey to the group via Stockbridge. In November the day was a particularly pure and crisp autumnal day.
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26. Quema del Año Viejo Posted on December 31, 2017
Let's throw our mistakes on the fire, shred our failed dreams and look forward to 2018.
In some South American countries, like Ecuador, they celebrate the burning of the old year (Quema del Año viejo) by making puppets from old clothes and filling them with newspapers, sawdust and firecrackers. The face usually resembles someone who represents all the bad from the year that has just finished. At midnight they burn the Page 29 Small Pipes Big Heart puppets and let off fireworks. This purification ritual eliminates all the bad luck and negative energy from the previous year and allows a new start in the coming year.
27. Play pipes to save the planet Posted on January 01, 2018
Nothing better than a wood fire to raise the mood and warm the room.
Of course, it also contributes to global warming...
...Playing this tune on the other hand creates good cheer and has a minimal effect on the climate. Play pipes to save the planet, you know it makes sense.
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Play it as written, or spice it up by playing it as a hornpipe in 9/8 28. New Year's milling Posted on January 01, 2018
What better way to start the New Year than milling, creating fresh flour from grain?
I've milled at the City Mill on New Year's day for 7 or 8 years now and I find it a lovely way to start the year. It was very busy today, maybe due to the rain and perhaps encouraged by the Bus Running Day organised by the Friends of King Alfred Buses.
I've also finally found a use for Twatter. The mill has a dedicated Twitter feed that displays the water level. You can see a jump on the 27th, probably due to someone upstream opening some gates after the horrendous rain that freefalled on Boxing Day. The drop on the 31st is due to the mill manager opening our sluice gates, after a call from the Environmental Agency warned of possible flooding.
It gets pretty nippy downstairs where all the machinery is housed.
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Here's the pit wheel and great spur wheel And the source of the mill's energy, the water wheel
It gets pretty chilly down there, the air is damp and there's often a skinning wind. Hence this damp and chilly ditty.
This tune needs the drones to be completely in tune. Just playing with the E or A drone doesn't really give the right sound. Or maybe it’s just not a very good tune!
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29. Eleanor Posted on January 03, 2018
Did I mention I like a good surface chart?
:o)
Last night was a right howler, with storm Eleanor ripping down the hill inbetween the houses. Definitely a night where you count your fences in the morning. I can only imagine what it must have been like further up North.
Here's a tune from last year, meant to be played with D and A drones, but sounds okay with D and G.
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30. Winchester's Versailles Posted on January 05, 2018
In the seventeenth century King Charles II planned a version of Versailles in Winchester, with a new palace (on the site of the present Peninsula Barracks) and "sweeping views, walks and gardens descending to the cathedral". However the money ran out and the building was later destroyed in a fire.
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From the Hampshire Cultural Trust
Winchester Palace
Also known as the King's House and Peninsula Barracks
Winchester Palace was built on the site of the Winchester castle which was stormed by Oliver Cromwell in 1645 after a short siege during the English Civil War. Despite the damage done to the castle during the siege it was still considered a defensible position and so Parliament ordered it destroyed in 1650.
In 1682 king Charles II purchased the site of the former castle from the City of Winchester and commissioned Christopher Wren to design and build a royal palace on the site. The king had spent an increasing amount of time in Winchester having partly been lured there by horse racing. The palace designed by Wren was inspired by the French royal palace at Versailles near Paris and it was planned to be aligned with the west front of Winchester Cathedral. An avenue connecting the two was also envisaged for the houses of the nobility and gentry that would inevitably wish to follow the King's lead and have a residence in Winchester. The work progressed quickly and the main shell was finished when the king died in 1685. Charles' successor James II was less keen on Winchester and his turbulent reign left little time or money for projects such as Winchester Palace and so it remained unfinished.
William of Orange and Mary paid little attention to Winchester and its palace and it was not until the accession of Queen Anne to the throne in 1702 that interest was again shown in the palace, this time as a residence for other members of the Royal household such as her consort Prince George of Denmark. Still the palace remained empty and it was not until 1756 that a use was found for the palace, that of a prison.
1756 saw the start of the seven years war and Winchester Palace was chosen to house prisoners of war. Over the next 35 years the palace saw French, American, Spanish and Dutch prisoners, all captured during the various colonial wars of the time including the American War of Independence. In 1792 the nature of the residents changed again when the palace was appointed for the housing of French religious refugees who had fled France as a result of the revolution.
The palace saw its final change of use in 1792 when British soldiers were billeted there for the first time and the first floor level, which had been built as banqueting rooms, was split into two levels to increase the buildings capacity. The Page 35 Small Pipes Big Heart palace remained the central barrack to the larger Peninsula Barracks site for 102 years as new buildings were built around it but the night of December 19th, 1894 saw the end of the palace.
A fire broke out in the palace just after midnight and quickly spread due to a lack of water with which to fight it. By the time sufficient water arrived the fireman had to turn their attention to protecting the 12th century Great Hall, the only surviving building from the medieval castle, and the palace was gutted leaving an unsafe shell. The palace was demolished and two new barrack buildings were constructed in a similar style to the Wren building using some salvaged architectural detailing. The site continued to be used as army barracks until 1986 when the army left and the buildings were subsequently converted into residential flats in the 1990s. 31. Back to the drawing board Posted on January 05, 2018
Here is another tune I entered into the Morpeth 2017 competition, this time in the variations class. There is a long back story to this tune which I may talk about another time.
I got this feedback: “I really like the title and the name of each individual variation; it's a nice idea. It's great sight-reading practice with some challenges, but I suspect the set may sound better on an instrument without drones.”
I think that's a polite way of saying they hated the music!
:o)
I actually think it goes quite well on the pipes, but I learnt that perhaps competition tunes shouldn't be too tricky. There was an option to send in an mp3 instead of the sheet music, so I might try that next time. But it obviously didn't float their boat so back to the drawing board...
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As I have fat finger syndrome (also known as "not being able to play the pipes"), if I want to play this to tempo I miss out the Hungarian variation, simplify it a bit.
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32. It’s sad not solemn Posted on January 05, 2018
I entered this into the new tune class at Morpeth 2017, although playing it back again it's not a great tune. It's not even one of the better ones in my meagre collection, but I think I entered it because I thought the angularity would be a bit different and make it stand out. I'm confident that I succeeded in that, but only in the way you stand out at school when everyone has been chosen for the football team except you.
Feedback: “I could not make this tune work on the NSP. I think it would sound better on a non-drone instrument.”
I don’t think they got the Amin (and to be fair the original didn't specify that it was Amin - another lesson learnt) but it obviously wasn't good enough, and I agree wholeheartedly with the feedback. I don't know about sounding better on a non-drone instrument, I think silent instrument would be nearer the mark! Back to the drawing board!
All in all a sad state of affairs!
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33. Clean slate Posted on January 05, 2018
After the last "angular" tune I thought that I needed a simple, clean melody that just plays to the drones. Just listen to the drones and away you go.
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34. The Hangers Posted on January 6, 2018
Part of my family comes from Froxfield near Petersfield which is a beautiful part of the county, within the South Downs National Park and on the border between the ancient kingdoms of Wessex and Sussex. Old aunt Annie lived at the top of the Hangers and is reputed to have frequented the The Trooper Inn every evening before staggering back up the hill to home.
The Hangers mark the eastern edge of the Hampshire Downs and have been designated a Special Area of Conservation. The name itself is derived from the long, narrow remnants of ancient woodland that are ‘hanging’ onto the steep slopes.
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35. Put that in your pipe and smoke it! Posted on January 6, 2018
This does not create truth
A personal view
A confident voice
A repetitive nature
36. Fireside Story January 10, 2018
All good stories have a beginning
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A middle
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And an end
37. Playground January 19, 2018
Where I live there is a space on top of the hill called Oram’s Arbour. Two thousand years ago the site was an Iron Age settlement and was still occupied up to the 14th century when the plague arrived and the site was abandonded. It used to be where Guy Fawkes night was held and now is a major venue for the annual Hat Fair.
As a child I often played there, doing things like trying to get the swings to go all the way round, or letting go of the swing and seeing how far I could jump. I have memories of sitting on the bank and using blades of grass to make squawking sounds. Now I use blades of canes to make squawking sounds. Plus ca change…
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38. Deep home January 23, 2018
I recently went to a Klezmer weekend run by the amazing London Klezmer Quartet at Halsway Manor. As a clarinet player I am in awe of Susi Evans – her tone is absolutely gorgeous – but they are all phenomenal musicians, lovely people and inspiring teachers.
We did a lot of music that weekend and one of the activities was playing in a mini concert for which we had been split into groups. Our group was led by the dynamic Indra Buraczewska who not only underpins the LKQ with her rock solid basslines but also has a great voice.
Indra lives in Ukraine and we got talking about how an Australian classical violinist had ended up working on a Ukrainian farm and playing klezmer bass in a London-based band! Indra spoke about “Deep Home” which she said is where you feel really at home, something you feel deep inside you. For her it is the family-owned farm.
This tune has nothing to do with klezmer, and in fact reminds me somehow of 1970s wild west serials. So no connection at all!
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Klezmer is a Yiddish word, combining “kley” (vessel) and “zemer” (melody), that means musical instrument. 39. Earth and Sky Posted on January 27, 2018
Yesnaby Castle sea stack, Orkney
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Brief streak of clean sky
Rugged clouds are blown aside
Rain returns with force
40. On Peter Fenwick’s 70th Posted on January 28, 2018
Sir John Fenwick’s The Flower Amang Them A’ is a well known tune among pipers. I have the honour later this year of playing with a group of pipers at the 70th birthday party of a descendant of his, hence the title of the tune
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And here's some information on Peter's illustrious ancestor. I fear it ends badly...
And finally a recording (my first on the pipes!) https://soundcloud.com/user-225670436/on-peter-fenwicks-70th
41. The Black Death Posted on January 31, 2018
A cheery subject!
It’s the spring of 1348 and la peste noire, De Zwarte Dood, la peste nera, isrampaging through Eurasia, leaving behind 75 to 200 million deaths in the wake of its carnage.
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News of the Black Death had arrived in England but as yet the plague had not crossed the Channel. But in June 1348 two ships set out from Bordeaux for the port of Bristol. As was usual with ships of that period their simple rig and basic navigation meant that they first stopped off at a port along the southern coast, in this case Melcombe Regis in Dorset.
However, all was not well onboard and several men were found to have large boils in their armpits and groin. Melcombe Regis’s merchants kept quiet about the deaths for fear of halting trade in their prosperous little town but the disease nevertheless started to slowly spread outwards.
The first deaths in Hampshire were recorded at Titchfield at the manorial court of Titchfield of October 1348, by which time the disease had also reached Winchester, when Bishop Edendon of Winchester said
“A voice in Rama has been heard, and much lamentation and mourning has echoed throughout the world… We report with anguish the serious news which has come to our ears, that this cruel plague has now begun a similarly savage attack upon the coastal areas of England. We are struck by terror lest (may God avert it!) this brutal disease should rage in any part of our city or diocese.”
The Black Death would go on to kill almost 50% of Winchester’s population, reducing the already waning city’s influence even further and reducing its population from the 11,625 recorded in 1300 to just 5,000 by 1350. The population of Winchester did not again reach its pre-plague level until 1841.
There is a famous monument in Winchester appropriately called the Plague Monument that was built in 1759 to mark the spot where money was exchanged for goods. People brought their goods to this point outside the West Gate and waited (at a distance) for the townsfolk to bring out their payment which was left in a bowl of vinegar to disinfect it.
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With this jolly tune, I imagine the people who have survived the first wave of the Black Death, who wake up one day and just need to dance for the joy of life.
Note: the latest studies appear to show that the Black Death wasn’t spread by rats at all, but human-to-human via human fleas and body lice. 42. Grey worn Posted on February 3, 2018
A grey shuffle-toed morning
Winter’s worn away
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43. Sound advice Posted on February 3, 2018
This Facebook post shows why the internet is a wondrous thing – the range and depth of information boggles the mind. This is a crash course in playing the pipes from one of today’s top players – I certainly have a lot to learn from this .
Inky Adrian
Just a quick word from me, Adrian D Schofield: Nothing wrong with the chanter playing: clear and detached fingering. Make sure your LH thumb goes on the back G hole at an angle or your LH fingers will start to go at a severe angle on their holes and make the fingering harder to cover the holes and play the notes.
Make sure you use the full stroke of the bellows: this may seem difficult at first but your left arm will get used to it, unless there’s some leaks making it difficult not to slow-down your pumping action.
Make sure the valve-holes, on the drones, point away from your right arm or your arm will block the holes up, when on the intake of air with the bellows.
Bag pressure is almost as good as it gets, if my last instructions are adhered to, otherwise, try to keep the bag- pressure more steady. *This can be achieved by not relaxing your left arm completely when pumping the bellows, in fact, if you keep same pressure on the bag and slowly push the air in with the bellows, then slightly reduce your left arm pressure on the bag, that should work – your bellows must be airtight for this procedure. If they’re not, take more pressure off the bag (not a lot) until you can easily pump air in. There are 2 ways of winding the bag: All pressure is taken off the bag and the bellows just push the air in (hard method) and the method* I’ve just talked about.
Don’t use your smaller drones just yet, as they are a bit more temperamental than the big ones and easily stop working.
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Winster Gallop is a good tune to start on with your very good fingering of the chanter – don’t lose that technique, it’s the very backbone of the Northumberland small-pipes!
26 December 2017 https://www.facebook.com/groups/131491660229952/permalink/1651257718253331/?comment_id=16515202215 60414&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R6%22%7D
Totally unrelated tune, just trying to stay warm!
44. The times they are a-changin’ Posted on February 3, 2018
As I’ve said before, the best way to save the world is to play pipes. Bob obviously had the right idea all the way back in 1965.
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45. Red Sky Posted on February 4, 2018
This is the view from my office, not a bad view normally but even better with a sunset thrown in.
And as often happens a tune popped into my head
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46. Snake road Posted on February 6, 2018
Hangers at Steep
As a child we used to make the journey through Steep often and I vividly remember snaking our way up or down the hill, known locally as the Hangers. On one side the Hangers drop abruptly away, falling 100m to the plain below and there was always the thrill of almost plunging over the edge.
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47. What makes us Posted on February 7, 2018
One of the questions with which I have amused myself in the last few years is what it means to be human. One definition that caught my attention was put forward by Neil MacGregor in the truly brilliant Radio 4 series A History of the World in 100 Objects.
MacGregor believes that we became human the moment that we became dependent on tools, which was about two million years ago when we developed the stone hand axe. Using the Olduvai Stone Chopping Tool as an example he says, “Lots of animals use objects, particularly of course apes, but what sets us apart from them at this moment in our evolution is that, unlike them, we make tools before we need them. And once we have used them we keep them to use again. It’s the beginning of the tool box.”
MacGregor goes on to say, “What we’re looking at in this chopping tool is the moment at which we became distinctly smarter and with an impulse not just to make things, but to imagine how we could make things ‘better’… The chopping tool is the beginning of a relationship between humans and the things they create, which is both a love affair and a dependency. From this point on, we can’t survive without the things we make and, in this sense, it is making things that makes us human.”
I think that another thing that makes us human is the communal meal, when people come together and contribute different things to put on the table for everyone to share.
This weekend was a good example: Chicken liver parfait, cheese fritters, good wine, a lamb roast and rhubarb crumble with ice cream and miel de caña. Add in lovely company and good cheer and you have a perfect afternoon.
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Recipes
Blitz garlic, cinnamon, paprika, sage, crushed cumin seeds, seasoning, pomegranate molasses, milled black pepper, olive oil. Add to leg of lamb and keep in the fridge for two days, shaking regularly. Cover with foil and slow roast with onions cut into wedges for about 4 hours at gas 2-3. Drain off the liquor and reduce until fully flavoursome (about 20 mins).
Sweat diced onions, add cooked flageolet beans, warm through, add lots of chopped mint and flat leaf parsley, finish with lemon juice. Fry off pancetta, add roughly chopped walnuts, add in blanched picked kale. Cut lamb into slices cover, with a bit of the sauce and serve with roast potatoes and veg. 48. Up and down again Posted on February 9, 2018
St Catherine’s Hill is not very high but nonetheless still impresses and offers clear and spectacular views over Winchester and the Itchen Valley. Named after the buried ruins of a Norman chapel, it’s another Iron Age enclosure (see Oram’s Arbour) and you can still see the outline of the hill fort ramparts. Having walked up the hill the wrong way, I can personally confirm that attackers would find it a challenge to overcome the fort.
It is at the westernmost limits of the South Downs National Park; it is a flowerful grassland reserve managed by the Wildlife Trust and hosts many different species of butterflies, although there were none on the cold bleak winter day when I went recently.
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It also boasts a seventeenth century mizmaze which, local legend says, was cut by a Winchester College pupil during the summer break. It takes five or six minutes to walk around and you can just about see it in the aerial photo above, directly South East of the clump of trees in the middle.
Ooh, a mizmaze I wonder where it leads?
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Ahh, that would be the middle then!
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49. Spring Posted on February 10, 2018
I have some bluebells in the garden that were kindly donated by a friend from their garden. Not quite up to the spread above, but a welcome harginger of spring, longer days and milder weather.
A slightly quirky tune, just wait until I add the seconds!
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50. What the flock Posted on February 13, 2018
A Skein of pink-footed geese
Language continually amazes me with its depth and precision. I found out today that the picture above is not a gaggle or flock of pink-footed geese. No, it’s a skein because they are flying. And ‘skein’ is even more precise than that; if they were flying in V-formation it would be a wedge of geese.
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Skein
A flock of geese, ducks, or other similar birds in flight
From Middle English skeyine, from Old French escaigne
When in flight, geese are called a skein; when not in flight, a gaggle; and when flying in a V formation, they are referred to as a wedge)
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Just the tunes
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Tunes in G
Busy Bee
Calm
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City Mill
The Committee Jig
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Dance out the North wind
Deep Home
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Final Day Jig
First Day
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Five ways to say goodbye
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Froxfield
The Hangers at Steep
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The journey to Salisbury pipes on a crunchy autumn day
The King’s House
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Long Grass
Lost Time
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The Low Lights of Shield duet
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My country
Music, friends and a good pint of beer
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New Year’s lollop
Northumbrian Air
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On Peter Fenwick’s 70th
Piping the Wall
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Plague Jig
St Catherine’s Hill
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Salisbury Pipes
Sawing up logs
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Shattered Ground
A skein of geese
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Thanks to Paul Tabbush for fettling my pipes
Warm up the house
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Winchester Carol
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Tunes in D
The Buttercross
Crackling Fire
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A fine lunch
Fishing for mackerels
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Howling Winds
Itchy Feet
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Lull before the storm
The more it changes…
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Oram’s Arbour
The roaring fire
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Rumbled
Shuffle-toed
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A and E tunes
A solemn dance
Frozen Jig
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January Air
Longer Days
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Run Hedgehog Run
Old Year’s Evening
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Winnall Moors
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Making Amends The notes are only as good as the day they were written down. Another day might have produced a different tune, or perhaps another player adds a nice twist, or maybe playing it through again smooths off some rough edges or introduces an interesting variation. Here then are updated versions Making amends Posted on January 28, 2018
I have been writing tunes for the pipes since last year and have started lots, finished quite a few and posted some of the best (and a few of the worst) here.
I do it purely for my own pleasure, although I won’t treat fame and fortune as strangers if they come knocking (I hope it’s clear that the last statement is a joke!).
So I was touched when a member of the Salisbury pipes group, Wallie Ogilvie, said that he had not only found this site but also asked if I could send him a few tunes. Wallie is a fantastic musician, as well as an all-round good bloke, so I sent over a few. Wallie very kindly played them through and gave some very useful feedback. There ensued a bit of toing and froing where we discussed various bits and then I came up with some final-ish versions and Wallie recorded them in his own style.
So here are the final tunes with recordings by Wallie. New Year’s Lollop
And the original version for comparison
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Piping the Wall
The first version
And another one!
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Salisbury Pipes
The original version Spring is in the air
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