IN THIS ISSUE Letters(3): Melrose weekend(5): Elsies Chanter(8): Harmonic Progression(9): Low Cost Border Reeds(13): Reeds from Gouged Bassoon Cane(18): In Conversation with Julian Goodacre(21): Amplifying Recording Smallpipes(31) Corigenda - Now Wha shall play the Day it Dawes?(38): Border pipe Survey(39): Session Pipes(42): Annual LBPS Competition(43) Invitation Recital Competition(46): Reviews(48): Northumberland and developed there. Letters It was not a combined effort of a number of makers but through myself From Julian Goodacre with Hamish coming in at a later Peebles stage. If names are mentioned in the historical research section then names The delightful carving on the cover of could be put forward in the making the last issue of Common Stock was and revival or not all in either section. done in the early 20th century. The If I can comment also on the Thistle Chapel at St Giles Cathedral assertion that the drones on the pipes Edinburgh was completed in 1911 in the carving are referred to as and features two angel pipers - the modern or revival in the letter by other one is of stone. The stone angel Robert Macdonald from Vancouver. EDITORIAL issue, that Duncan MacDougall was is playing a set with three short The carving is so generalised that any Our cover picture is of Gary West tuning born in 1837, so the pipes referred to drones - one bass and two tenors. The comment on the style of the drones is up before playing at t Invitation would have been made later than the chanter has a large flared bell. irrelevant. You might say that perhaps Recital Competition. See pa 1840s. A childrens fantasy story book it represents a bass drone with tenor The oft-delayed M is on its I recently applied for a place has been written about the wooden or maybe baritone but to go any final home run. As we go to press the on the 3-year BA (Scottish music angel piper. It is called Play, Piper r further is pure speculation. Nice book is ready for printing, and the CD bagpipes) couse at the RSAMD - Play, and it is written by Lillia carving though and the hands are in rom master is being edkited before being see CS Vol 17 No 1 p35. I told the Stirling and Jennifer Wade and the right position at least. copied. The tunes from the original tutor director, of Scottish music I wanted to published in Canada in 1993. (ISBN have been reprinted in a plastic bound study Border music on Border 0-969788-0-1) A4 booklet entitled "50 Lowland bagpipes, and was kept waiting two Border Tunes", months while the high heiduns and is available to From Sandy Robertson members (see back cover). grappled with this novel proposal. Newfoundland In this issue we focus on two Invited to audition I was faced by just From Colin Ross aspects of piping - Border/Lowland two assessors and told to play March Monkseaton pipes and the use of amplification. For Strathspey and Reel followed by a Loss hearing afflicts many musicians, the former a survey was undertaken by Piobaireachd! So no, I didnt get a especially those who play in I was interested to read Malcolm orchestras and probably pipers too the editor to tap into the knowledge and place. A waste of time and money? McInness article in the Common experience of current owners. If you Not entirely, for it gave me - and who practice indoors a lot. In my Stock which shows a need for a more case, born and raised in the perpetual didnt receive a questionnaired it means now you - an inkling of how certain detailed explanation on Border pipe dampness of Glen Affric environs, you are probably not registered as an wheels turn. reed construction than in the Border jJockAgnew I suffered from endless bouts of head owner/player of Border/Lowland pipes. [email protected] Bagpipe Tutor. I have that in mind for Jeannie Campbell writes, apropos 11 Ulting Lane, Langford Malden, colds that left me hard-of-hearing. To later this year on the lines of my correct it somewhat, I have gone the North hero report, page 5 in the least Esser. CM9 6QB England Smallpipe reed Tel +44 (0)1621 855447 booklet. through the evolution of hearing aid In Julians article on the history of the technology for 40 years. By the bellows pipes and their recent revival 1990s, the `in-the-ear I thought was he mentions that Northumbrian a major advantage. They were ideal pipemakers were responsible for for musicians because it built in helping the take off of the SSPs correction to block harmful where I think it would be more frequencies for those who play in accurate to say that it was initiated in rock bands and symphonies and

3 pipers who play indoors. For playing world of difference. Mine have 4 MELROSE 2003 Report by Jock Agnew small pipes, the down side was, since programmable channels: p1 = normal, the hearing aid favoured bass at the p2 = speech in noise, p3 = music1 One of the Societys staple activities, the annual teaching weekend at Melrose, expense of high notes in the chanter, (highland bagpipes) and p4 = music2 was once again organised by Rona Macdonald with the help of other members the drones effectively drowned out (smallpipes), respectively. To hear of the committee. the chanter. Some contributors to the beautiful tone of the chanter and common stock - who presumably the full resonance of the not-so- A lot may be crammed into a short weekend, especially if the organisation is on dont wear hearing aid, have noted the overbearing drones of my Hamish top of the situation and the participants willing. Both these criteria were met problem of overbearing drones. In Moore small pipes for the first time (again!) in Melrose this year. winter, with windchill of -40°C and 2 came as a big surprise. With the push The form was, as previously, that each of the three tutors was allocated a room, m of snow (in the winter of 2000- of a tiny button on the hearing aid I while the students migrated from one to the other, either individually or en 2001 we got a record-breaking 6.48 m switch to programme 3 for the masse as the programme demanded or their individual whims took them. of snow) puts a damper on playing the highland pipes, to quieten the drones highland pipes outdoors; more to the a little to favour the chanter and hear Meanwhile in the body of the Kirk, so to speak (the bar, in fact!), help was at point some consideration should be the gracing much more clearly is a hand for any beginners who needed pointing in the right direction towards given to protecting hearing. great confidence booster. That is to balancing bag against bellows (weve all been there) while lifting the correct A new generation of digital say, if not being too pretentious, the finger for the right note. Also with, at one time, three pipe makers available, hearing aids came on the market a hard work I put into the gracings paid doubtful reeds could be looked at, wrappings checked and advice given on few months ago. Surprisingly, they off without me fully appreciating how maintenance. were targeted towards the musician far I have progressed. The result is market because they are my playing has become much more A short weekend of this sort can really only introduce pipers to new ideas, allow programmable - i.e., musicians who fluid and relaxing. them take heart from hearing others with similar problems to their own, and be wish to protect against hearing loss, Even listening to the tape of a introduced to some new aspects of piping to take home and digest (or preferably, without losing the fidelity of sound. small pipe competition gives a much practise!) on their own. A good time to have a portable recording device, I Having just acquired a pair of digital better appreciation of the subtle would have thought, but only one person (in the groups I joined) made any hearing aids, I must say they make a differences and talents of the competitors attempt to take advantage of this aspect. The three tutors (Allan Macdonald, Iain MacInnes and Hamish Moore) focused on three quite different aspects of piping.

PIPES STOLEN - see also page 23 Allan concentrated on Piobaireachd, for which his individual approach is well On 11th January , 2 sets of pipes were stolen from outside Sandy Bells Bar in known and, in some piping circles, even notorious. He gave us his interpretation Forest Hill Lane, Edinburgh. Small Pipes : In A and D. Four drones. Boxwood and the justification for linking the origins of Coel Mor with its modern with gold plated ferrules and cocobolo mounts. They have the hall- mark of competition practice. It was interesting to hear some of the history of the tunes, Hamish Moore Pipes i.e. the distinctive three steps between the upper narrow and how they sounded when played in modern competition style. Allan argued part of the drone and the larger diameter section which houses the tuning slide. that over the years some of the introduction, or lead-in notes, had become "A" chanter of African Blackwood, boxwood mounts, "D" chanter Lignum exaggerated and embodied in the tune itself, so that when compared to the song Vitae, cocobolo mounts. Bag of black hide with dark green velvet cover. version it appeared distorted, stilted and forced. Indeed, sometimes the first or Border Pipes : Boxwood with gold plated ferrules and cocobolo mounts Green second variation might sound closer to the original melody than the Ground suede bag (no cover). The boxwood on this set of pipes was "flamed"( having a itself. With Allan singing the Gaelic words, and playing the adjusted music on randomly spiralling grain ) making the pipes particularly distinctive. Bellows his smallpipes, we followed as best we could. What we heard made sense. The American cherry with a boxwood and highly ornate gold plated plates to hold tunes came to life with a lilting swing to them, and although the words the leather hinges. Also 2 Highland chanters. All in a plain black carrying themselves may have been unintelligible to those of us who do not have the case. A more comprehensive description is available from Fin Moore. Gaelic, the sense came through in the melody and the way in which it was (Time perhaps for makers to start putting serial numbers on their pipes? - Ed) expressed. I have the hand-outs in my pipe case, but without Allan singing the air to remind me, it is doubtful if I will ever recapture the essence of what we were shown. Which brings me back to my point about having a tape recorder The Melrose weekend has evolved over the years to follow (more or less) a proven formula. Part of this formula is the Saturday night dinner, complete with available. after-dinner speaker. It was slightly disconcerting on this occasion when the Hamish, for the group I was in, concentrated on Border pipes. But what was speaker rose to his feet and it could be seen that instead of a few notes to jog his this? He didnt have a set of Border pipes himself. Fin, whos own set was memory he had volume after volume of serious looking tomes. We need not stolen last year (see page 4), had taken his fathers pipes on tour, so Hamish had have felt apprehensive, for Julian used them purely for quotes, and some he did to use smallpipes when demonstrating the tunes. There was a brief pause while not use at all. I would challenge anyone (including Julian) to remember just he tuned each of our chanters with tape and enviable dexterity, before we were what he did say that night. At first there was a hush of awe around the tables, but introduced to some timing techniques. We sat and mimicked his actions as he soon there was hardly a straight face in the room as Julian took us through a pounded his thighs with open palms and a `slappity slappity slapitty rhythm labyrinth of nonsensical facts and figures to prove, as far as I could determine, suited to the step dancers jig - and not a single set of ledenhosen in the room! that bagpipes didn t really exist at all. To illustrate the principle he worked his feet on the wooden board beside his chair and even, when challenged, played some of the tune while dancing a few The Sunday afternoon I cannot talk about, because I wasn t there. My schedule steps. We on our part took it in turns to play from the music, while the rest of the required me back home that evening, which meant an eight-hour drive. group slapped out the timing with varying degrees of enthusiasm. So, to finish with a couple of general observations. Punctuality for the various The relationship between reels and strathspeys was discussed, and we worked classes was not widely practised, and this situation wasnt improved on the first through a system of foot tapping, using toe and heel to emphasise the strong day when the hotel staff failed to prepare one of the rooms on time. And the beats while maintaining the intermediate in a typical 4/4 reel. This technique habit of letting chanters dangle high above a hard floor while struggling to would help give lift and life to the music, Hamish explained connect bellows to bag was not the sole preserve of student pipers. It is like a man who has forgotten to zip up his pants: looks ludicrous and untidy but is Then came the finger twisting part. Taking advantage of the Border pipe otherwise of little consequence provided nothing slips out! To be fair, though, chanters ability to cross finger C natural, Hamish took us through a couple of tutors tend to keep their pipes well-maintained, and so are less likely to shed a tunes that needed this option. Unfamiliar finger movements have to be taken in chanter and damage the reed - but what an example to set! stages, and this we did, until at the end all five pipes were playing (almost) in unison. So how did Hamish achieve this on the smallpipe chanter? Well he All in all a good weekend, with a lot of hard work put in to make it a success - spread tape across the top half of the C finger-hole which, although it reduced and it showed. the volume of that note, brought it within a few whiskers of C natural. But it all came unstuck (pun intended!) when the tune moved into major mode requiring the standard C sharp, and it became instantly apparent how difficult it is to remove tape while maintaining the rhythm of a tune! PIPES FOR SALE BORDER PIPES in A. "These magnificent Border pipes are in ebony with gold- Iain, with smallpipes, introduced us to some 9/8 and 6/8 Border tunes. Working plated ferrules and cocobolo mounts. New reed by Hamish Moore this year at them in the traditional way, he took each phrase at a time, slowly at first then fully fettled. New bag, bellows and case included. Price 1350 ono" working up to speed. We were encouraged to listen to the emphasis he put on Apply to Editor certain notes and followed, where possible, his ornamentation. Like many experienced players he sometimes didnt know exactly what gracings he used SMALLPIPES in A. Hamish Moore. 3 years old, recently checked and set up by until asked to play them slowly and in detail. He finished the session by inviting Hamish Moore workshops. Complete with bellows and velvet lined custom anyone in the group to come up with a tune that the rest could play. Then, made carrying box by Kingham Case Company. Playing perfectly. Phone without the music, we all (including Iain) learned The Kings House - a slow, 01409 221405 (Devon). 1150.00 ono. thoughtful air, which had itself been learned from a recording - by ear. This exercise required considerable concentration and attention to detail, but it BORDER PIPES in A. 4 Addison drones in cherry - Bass, Baritone, Tenor, Alto. occurred to me that this could arguably be the modern equivalent of oral Richard chanter in boxwood. Bellows in birds eye maple with box and transmission of music - from recording, to individual, to tutor to class. blackwood string inlaid over stitching lines Drone reeds need attention. 450.00 ono. Paul Pringle 0208 451 2574 e-mail [email protected]

6 The pipemaker referred to in thispoem sent to me from New Zealand, was the late Trevor Cole who lost his battle with cancer in September 2001. HARMONIC PROPORTION Matt Seattle has written and talked about some of the patterns that emerge when Elsies Chanter by Sieffe La Trobe. examining traditional Border tunes - in the editorials for The Master Piper and the Border Bagpipe Book, and at the Morpeth meeting (see Common Stock Vol There once was a man made a fine set of pipes 17 No 2 pp 12-13). Here he sheds further light ... and he sent them off to the new owner, she happily unwrapped them and then heard a knock, Harmonic ProportionTM is the name I have given to a group of ideas or so the boxes she threw on the fire. now when she returned to assemble her pipes principles that have gradually coalesced as I attempted to make sense of Border pipe tunes, particularly those which are usually described as double her eyes saw the chanter was missing in fear and alarum she looked at the fire tonic tunes. It is not a watertight `system which can be universally applied, where the flames were a-roaring and hissing! but it does have a certain consistency, as well as definite practical uses: understanding the principles can help you both in reconstructing erratically written versions of traditional tunes and in composing new tunes. What you compose according to the principles will sound traditional - though whether it "Oh no!" cried the maiden, "oh what have I done? also sounds good depends on different factors entirely... for sure it is ruined and burnt! oh, how can I tell him what a fool I have been tis indeed a hard lesson Ive learnt!" We begin in time and space with Piper Ritchie in 18th century Peebles: well, a letter she wrote and the sad tale was told "the town-piper, dressed in a red uniform and cocked hat, as befitted a civic of the chanter that now played in Heaven, official ... escorting a marriage-party, he marched with becoming importance but the maker of pipes promised that before long in front, playing with might and main a tune called Welcome hame, my Dearie" a new chanter she again would be given. (from the Memoir of William and Robert Chambers, 1883 edition).

as he opened his pipe case that evening to play, why, the sight was amazing before him! Even with William Dixon among us once more it is still an exciting business two chanters for one pipe lay there on display tracking down tunes associated with known Border pipers. There are two strong you could hear him shout "Hey! Cockalorum!" contenders for Piper Ritchies tune, and both are triple-time hornpipes, a now the lass has her pipes and they play sweet and low type of tune strongly associated with Border piping. The first is called variously or as loud as the music inspires Carnagie s Jig, A Horn Pyp, Jacks Gone A-Shearing, Jockies Gone A and ever she thinks of the night she had thought Sheering, Nine Nights Away Welcome flame My Dearie, Welcome Home My that her chanter was lost in the fire. Dearie I published my own 8-strain set (Jacks Gone A-Shearing) in The Border Alls well that ends well and now I must go, Bagpipe Book, but here Ill stick to the historical record with a nice 2-strain and I thank you in advance for your clapping version from William Vickers manuscript. (Vickers strain 3 is omitted as it but the story is true, and the moral is clear goes beyond the pipe range). to all pipers and others unwrapping... instruments sent by a courier or post Welcome Home My Dearie [11 (Jacks Gone A-Shearing, W Vickers 1770) check all of the boxes before burning, for it might be yourself that gets more than you need a much harder pipe lesson for learning. Notice the chord symbols above the tune. Understanding harmonic proportion relies on having at least a basic knowledge and understanding of chords and static in the way that for example Indian music is. how they relate to melodies. I have met occasional resistance from pipers on mentioning chords, but the evidence from the `traditional tunes is that the pipers who wrote them understood their chords, whether they gave them the Here we return to Piper Ritchie and his other possible wedding tune. It is Welcome Home My Dearie same names as us, or any at all. The move from one chord to the other is clearly called in one source only, John Rooks manuscript Lang Stayd Away experienced when you put half of your attention on the drones and half on the (1840, Cumbria). His version is nearly identical to in the tune - the tune goes `in and `out of concord, or harmony, with the drones. Northumbrian Minstrelsy, and it is very possible that the two titles originally ran together as Lang Stayd Awa Welcome Home My Dearie, very This tune is built on two adjacent chords, A major and G major (the `extra B similar to Nine Nights Away Welcome Name My Dearie in our previous list. minors in strain 2 will be explored below). This is particularly obvious when This next list is much longer and drawn from many sources; I am still undecided you compare bars 2 and 4 of each strain - they are the same shape, but one whether all the tunes with these titles are versions of each other, or close scale degree apart, and closely follow the descending arpeggio of the chord relations, or a mixture, but for now I will simply give the list: Bob And Joan (or Bob And John or Bobbing Joan), Cam Ye O er Frae France?, written underneath. The Cellar Door Key, The French Milliner, Jack Lintels Jig, The Key Of The Cellar, Lang Stay Away, Love And Whiskey, Marchioness of Tweeddale s Here we digress slightly to illustrate some important points. Many of William Delight, Miss Murrays Reel, The New Way To Morpeth, Pawkie Adam Glen, Dixons tunes feature an arpeggio strain where the chord sequence is more Welcome Home My Dewy. strikingly defined than in the rest of the tune. Here are two from different tunes. Welcome Home My Dearie [II] (J Rook 1840) from Mock The Soldiers Lady (W Dixon 1733)

from The Apprentice Lads of Alnwick (W Dixon 1733)

In both of these the tonic, or. rather the `modal centre, is A, concordant There are several ideas to explore with the chords here. I have given the with the drones. Instead of G (the subtonic), the non-drone chord is now B simplest possible harmony in order to show how the tune is actually built, minor (the supertonic). The non-drone chord may also be called the `functional rather than how clever the accompaniment can be. We will take it one strain at dominant. a time. Notice that the chords come in different places, but there are the same number Strain I. Here you can see the same chords as in The Apprentice Lads of of A bars and B minor bars in each tune. What is constant is the proportion, Alnwick, but reversed. Ignoring the discrepancy in bar 2 for a moment, we 3:1, just as in our first tune. There is an important distinction between this still have the 3:1 ratio. The `modal centre here is B minor rather than A type of music and many other types of Western music, which work on the major, so that the A chord, the drone chord, is now the `functional dominant. principle of harmonic direction - starting at, and working to return to, a Now to the discrepancy. The third beat of bar 2 is built on the A chord. With tonal centre. Here, we are not going anywhere - we have the drones all the tunes in 3/2 (and 9/4 or 9/8) time we do not divide the bar in half in the time, and we move in and out with them. We may or may not end `with them, middle, but two-thirds of the way through (youll have to trust me on this but just because we have drones does not mean that our music is harmonically one...). So, taking the first half of the strain, we now have the 3:1 ratio repeated on a smaller scale. 10 11 Strain 2. Here we have D major instead of B minor, but not all the time. The Free or Low Cost Border Chanter Reeds ! `fluid tonic may be an unusual idea to grasp, but if you know your arpeggios you know that these two chords have two out of three notes in common, so they Jock Agnew has, for some years, been messing around with reeds. It is still very are not as far away from each other as might first appear. much a hit-and-miss business with him, and whenever he holds a workshop on Strain 3. Here we are back to B minor, but in bars 1 and 3 we have a beat of A the subject other peoples attempts seem to turn out better than his own!! major where we didnt have it before. This can easily be dismissed as a passing chord, but if we look more closely we see that, having divided our 3/2 I realise that what I have to say may irritate some of my pipe-making friends. bar in half two-thirds of the way through, the A comes halfway through the For that I am truly sorry. But it is all about the knotty problem of Border pipe first half-bar, so that within the one bar - if we can accept the design. These conical chanters seem to throw up more questions than can be non-symmetrical division - we have the 3:1 ratio again, this time on a smaller satisfactorily answered. The tone, ease of fingering, possibility of a chromatic scale still. This also accounts for the B minors in strain 2 of our first tune scale, the ability to pinch up to high B or even further; all seem to depend on a mentioned above, B minor being another `non-drone chord sharing two notes number of variables. And these variables include: the type of wood; the size of with G major. This repetition of the same ratio on a smaller and smaller scale the throat; the degree of taper (and the fidelity of that taper); the length of the resembles the fractal patterns behind many natural phenomena. For some, this chanter below the tuning holes or even the very existence of tuning holes. Then is evidence of an ordering Intelligence. of course there are the reeds...... There is one piper of my acquaintance who used to play Border pipes. His set, a These ideas may seem far-fetched, but they make the oft-repeated phrase good-looking set, sits unused on a chair in his living room. He hasnt picked `double tonic both simpler and richer than an arbitrary distribution of two them up, he tells me, in over twelve months. Why? The reed is broken, and the chords. 3:1 is not the only harmonic ratio in Border pipe tunes, and not all pipe maker is no longer in business, so the chanter cannot be sent back for a new Border pipe tunes work on harmonic ratios at all, but to give an impression of reed to be fitted! its importance, 3:1 can be easily discerned in 10 out of William Dixons 40 tunes. Which is, almost incredibly, a ratio of 3:1. There are now (to the best of my knowledge) close on a dozen pipe makers who make Border pipes. Many of them to whom Ive talked have told me, from time Back to Piper Ritchie and which tune he played. The original source of the to time, that they have (individually, not collectively) at last solved the problems first tune has a strain which goes beyond the pipe range, as is the case with connected with the Border chanter and all its vagaries. Come back a year later one or more strains in all other versions found. This shows that it was and the story might be that, well, last time they hadnt got it totally right, but definitely a fiddle tune, but not that it was definitely not a pipe tune: it now....! Some have become secretive about the processes they adopt - a is at the very least a pipe-influenced tune, and, in its favour, it is more changed scene from 20 years ago when design information on bellows pipes was relatively freely exchanged. often associated with the Welcome Hame title than the second tune. In favour of the second tune, it appears more often in pipe-related sources and There are various penalties we, as pipers, pay for all this. For instance the pipe-friendly settings, and given that Rooks manuscript, although a mixed fittings on the pipes are not always interchangeable; one makers bellows will bag, does contain Border pipe tunes, it seems the more likely candidate to me. not necessarily fit another makers pipes; the chanters from one maker will not We explore further in the next issue, Inshallah. fit into the stock made by another. And (unlike the Highland pipes) the reed that sounds well in one chanter is very unlikely to be suitable for another even The small print! though they are both in the same key, and appear identical in measurements and materials. For consistency all examples are written in 3/2 and transposed to A chanter range: Vickers tune orig in D rather than A, and written with half the note It has long been common knowledge that Highland pipe chanter reeds can be values here (3/4, orig mistakenly has 6/8); tunes in Dixons manuscript orig successfully adapted to the Border chanter. Rather than capitalise on this, many one tone lower; Rooks tune orig one tone lower and written with half the note Border pipe makers seem to have chosen to invent their own, to suit each his values here own particular design of chanter.

13 And now some pipe-makers are increasing the price of replacement reeds to reflect more accurately the time taken to make them and match them to the chanter. And when the piper needs a replacement he has to return the chanter to rather than one like this. (They can still be used but need a lot more work). that maker - which of course means extra cost and extra time.

Yet there is a supply of free or low cost potential reeds readily available (usually) to the player of Border bagpipes, which may provide a useful stand-by reed or even, on occasion, be better than the original! The strength of the unmodified reed at this stage doesnt seem to matter. I have Go to your nearest pipe band (or Highland piper even) and you can almost used some that, when sucked hard produce a squeal - sometimes to the surprise certainly come away with a handful of discarded used reeds. Many of these will of the vendor. I have equally successfully used others that are so strong it is be suitable for cutting down for the Border pipe chanter. If you prefer brand new impossible to induce any sound out of them at all. When the reed is scraped reeds to work with, then Highland bagpipe suppliers will let you sort out suitable down ready for the Border chanter, it should give a raucous crow-like sound candidates, and the cost of these new reeds is relatively modest. when the staple end is sucked at about the same pressure as that normally used to play the pipes. With a bit more effort the crow may double-tone to a squeal. Dont be alarmed at the prospect of cutting back a reed. It is not as technically difficult as it looks. What I cannot guarantee is that every reed will work in your Most modern Highland reeds seem to vary in overall length between 41mm and particular chanter to your entire satisfaction. In my experience the result is 44mm. The width at the tips might be as narrow as 10mm, but is usually 12 or unpredictable. I have, over the years, cut back a lot of Highland reeds, and found 13mm. If making a replacement reed and a choice of sizes is available, it might that with trial and error I can usually select one that will be acceptable (and be best to try and use one with dimensions that match the original. In my sometimes one that is excellent) in a conical Border chanter. And trial-and-error experience the longer the reed in relation to its width, the more likely it is to tends to be less painful if the reeds you experiment with are free in the first over-blow up to high B. place! The method used is not much different from that given by Colin Ross in Gordon I should mention that these reeds are more likely to be successful in a chanter Mooneys 1984 Tutor for the Cauld Wind Pipes. And the technique for oiling designed to take a cane rather than plastic reed. the reed (more on that below) was shown to me by Malcolm McLaren. So I cannot claim much original input for all this! The reed to be worked on should have certain characteristics. If it has already been used in a Highland chanter then there must be clean wood I use only the minimum of tools. A beneath the darkened (sometimes blackened and pitted) surface - an flat file for the initial cutting back initial scrape with a sharp knife will soon determine this. It should shown as the chequered areas in these be sound and virtually air-tight. To check this, stop the end of drawings), working gradually from the reed with a finger and suck at the staple. Very little one side to the next so as to maintain (if any) air should come through. Usually any leak is an equal balance of material down the sides of the reed where the two blades are in removed. To help me with this I contact. If it is only slight it might be mitigate -- mark the blades with pencil lines, even cured with glue - more on that below. and try to avoid filing those lines away

Extreme care must be taken when working near the tips of the reed. Damage to In my experience it is probably better to work with a reed of this profile: the blade tips may make the reed unusable, and it is important not to cut into the edges where the two blades lie adjacent to one another. This filing process is kept up until I can induce a squeak out of the reed by sucking fairly hard at the staple - protecting my tonsils and lungs by making Once the reed is making a `crow at normal playing pressure, I stop scraping, sure all the wood dust is first blown away. and check for air leaks (see Pge 8). If when sucking against the stopped end I At this point I start the scraping. Using a flat blade lose vacuum to any noticeable extent, I apply a thin line of white wood glue up (such as a Stanley knife), and holding the reed wit the edges where both blades meet. This is smoothed in with a finger and any a finger to support the blades, I scrape a little at a excess wiped off. Finally I apply a mixture of neatsfoot oil and white spirit (in time (shaded area in the drawing) on each side. I avoid going closer than about 50/50 proportions) to the outside of the reed blades and to the joint between 2mm to the tips, and keep the blade upright on the reed using a sort of rolling blades (if not glued). This I work in well with finger and thumb, then leave it for motion away from the staple. This goes on until I can suck a fairly strong squeal a few minutes to dry. out of the reed, without having to try so hard as before. The use of oil seems to make the tone more mellow, and reduces the effect that Now the final scrape. For this I use the small blade of my pen-knife, the cutting changes in humidity might have. It may also marginally lower the pitch. And if edge of which is slightly convex:- we think about it there is a certain logic, for if the reed had pursued a different career (in the Highland chanter, for instance) it would have spent a large part of its life in a moist condition.

With the reed relatively dry, I check again for the crowing sound (remembering c that the air sucked in will now smell/taste of white spirit and neatsfoot oil). At Again supporting the reed from below, I scrape the centre part of ea h side, this point there may be the need to scrape a tiny amount more off the flat of the frequently holding it up to a bright light to see what sort of translucency is being blades to get the reed to crow at the same pressure as before. achieved. I work until a pale area appears (shown in the drawing), making sure that each side is scraped by the same amount. Now the final stage, the bridle. Im not convinced that type or size or wire is vital. If it is copper wire it may leave green marks, if it is steel it may leave rusty marks, but who is going to peer inside your chanter? The heavier the gauge the fewer turns you will need to maintain the control of the blades, for after all it is only put on for that purpose. I use two turns of 25 thou diameter steel wire, because I happen to lave a reel of the stuff. In the past I have successfully used those plastic-covered wire tags that come with bin At this stage it is very important to frequently check the pressure required to liners, when three or four turns are necessary to gain the control. The makecarefully. the Forreed if `crow. And I find I have to judge this pressure best position seems to be well down the blades next to the wrapping. the lips of the reed are quite open I would expect more pressure (or sook!) to be needed. If they are close together then the pressure used to make it crow should The blade tips are closed to the right be about the same as normally supplied by bag and bellows when Im playing in aperture by squeezing the middle of the a comfortable and relaxed mood. bridle with a pair of pl iers. Dont overdo it. The staple underneath is also being flattened slightly, and is more difficult to open up again later if required. The final (minute) adjustments I do with my fin g ers. gently squeezing or opening This shape will subsequently be controlled, of course, by a wire bridle. the blades once the reed has been tried in the chanter.

Care is also needed in the area just above the wrapping, (called, by some reed So the advantages are: a cheap, maybe free, reed; one that can be blown with the makers, the sound box) which seems mouth without feeling guilty! and the hard part having already been done by the very sensitive to any removal of reed-maker. And the disadvantages? Well, the unpredictability - several reeds material. I try to avoid scraping this may have to be made before one suits your chanter, and the time taken to scrape area at all if possible. one down - although I find I become quicker with practice. Reeds from Gouged Bassoon Cane When buying gouged cane expect it to be sold in bundles of ten or twelve pieces. Kevin Scott s full article (which has been heavily truncated by the editor) dealt in Picking and choosing individual pieces is not allowed in most cases. The cane detail with Uillean pipe reeds. Readers (who might also refer to Common Stock splits are 120mm long and 15-20mm wide. There are dozens of cane farms found 17.1, pp 5-7) will appreciate that much in this area is shared by all bellows pipes. along the Mediterranean coasts of Spain and France with a few located at Italy. The cane is cultivated, cut and processed each year. When the cane has been aged When I first began reed making I had looked over the various websites and and dried it is processed further by splitting and gouging. When the process is done purchased the books available at the time. It became clear that a specialized gouge the cane splits are bundled and sold internationally. The cost per bundle depends was needed as well as other tools not easily found. There were many opinions upon the brand name, plus the mark up the final retailer places upon it. Expect to about which kind of cane to use, hard as opposed to soft, California as opposed to pay between $12.00 and $20.00 for a ten piece bundle. This may seem expensive European, wild versus cultivated. There were also many ideas and techniques and at first glance it is. Take into consideration the cost of the more traditional cane which seemed to work at cross purposes. What was clear is it wouldnt be easy. used for uilleann reeds and the gouged cane cost does not seem so high. Even gathering cane has its cost. I thought a short cut could be had by using gouged cane. This idea was short lived as once the cane was found and purchased it was clear it needed processing as well. The gouged diameter of most cane processed for bassoon reeds is near 30mm. The After several years I worked out a method to use the cane for pipe chanter reeds. diameter which has proven to make the best uilleann reeds is closer to 50mm. The With this method testing cane using faulty methods could be thrown out as well as wider bored chanters use 65mm. If a gouge were used [by the reed maker] too the other whizbang tricks used to sort cane. Gathering cane could be placed by the much cane would be removed from an already gouged section of cane. The wayside with all the dangers involved with trespassing on private land or traveling resulting reed would be too thin. A simple solution was to find something with the long distances just to find suitable cane. I no longer needed to train as a short correct radius to use as a sanding block. Ideally it should be lightweight to reduce distance runner to outrun the nasty creatures who make cane breaks their homes. the fatigue in holding it. A few suggestions were plastic drinking glasses, cans with All that was needed was a bundle of gouged bassoon cane. both ends removed as well as paper tubes found at the center of paper products So I thought.... such as paper towels. A more permanent solution is sections of clear plastic tubing available at hardware stores or plastics shops. The plastic tubes have other uses as There are several types of cultivated cane. Add to that the many sizes available well. Plastic or rubber stoppers can be bought at the same shop that sells the tubing. suitable for different double reeded instruments and it seemed there were too many The tubing can then be used as a storage device for all the other small tools used in choices. The most basic type is the cane tubes. These are sold in different diameters reed making by plugging both ends. Also, once a design has been worked out and each for a different double reed instrument. There is gouged cane meaning the cane found to be successful the rough cutting dimensions may be cut into the tube as an tubes have been split into sections wide enough for each instruments reed aid to profiling the reed. dimensions and gouged down to a basic millimeter thickness. And finally there is the gouged and profiled cane ready to be folded over a reed mandrel and bound to a The tools which are the most useful are a small saw, one or two small knives, a six staple. Looking over the many types it became clear that only the gouged, bassoon inch rule, and various soft lead pencils as well as a permanent marker. Exacto, X- cane would work. Acto makes a full line of small carving tools, one of which is a small backed saw. A jewelers frame and blades are also very useful but takes considerable more So began a long process of changing older techniques in order to make decent practice to use. The cutting knives can also be bought from Exacto. There are reeds. The result is nice crisp reeds that have incredible tone due to the hard cane doubtless other brand names available, Exacto being the one which comes to mind normally used for bassoons. Out went the mushy sounding soft cane reeds. The for American consumers, J-Acto at Europe. A scalpel bought from a jewelers hardness of the cane is due to the closeness of the grain. This makes the reed much supply is also very useful. Rio Grande (www.riogrande.com 800 545 6566) is a less willing to accept the moisture which gives bellows pipes such problems. jewelers supply at New Mexico that specializes in metal working tools and Softer cane has courser fibers with plenty of air space willing to take up that very materials. They are more than glad to sell to the small craftsman. The six inch moisture. rule may be bought almost anywhere. Look for one that is near 10mm to 12mm wide. This can double as a measuring device to cut the width of the cane. A flat

18 19 IN CONVERSATION surface is essential for the cane profiling process. A waste piece of plastic sheet can with be had at the same shop as the tubing is purchased. A section of glass works well or a piece of wood with a plastic surface on one side will work. Finally soft lead JULIAN GOODACRE pencils and a fine permanent markers are available everywhere. Make sure the pencil is indeed a very soft lead. They are very helpful in the sanding process. y Add to this a block of bees wax, thick super glue and Teflon tape. The bees wax is With the annual LBPS competition a thing of yesterda s memory, Julian and I important as it will save your fingers from the sanding. sat and chatted in his kitchen, throats lubricated with a goodly supply of tea...

The last item is a variety of sandpapers or glass papers. After going around using many different types one has come to the forefront as being about the best for When did you actually join the quickly removing cane. 3m makes a sanding paper which is made of loosely woven Society? fibers. It is a mesh about 0.05mm wide with adhesive applied which holds the abrasive. The product is made for sanding dry wall. It comes in several grits, #2 Probably 1985. Id just started being the best for this purpose. It is called " Drywall Sanding Screens, Grilles de professional pipemaking. I poncage pour placoplatre, Malles para lijado de paredes" It is 4 3/8in x 11 in, think Gordon Mooney was the 111 mm x 279mm. It will quickly reduce the radius of a piece of cane and not load Chairman, and Jim Gilchrist up. Also needed is a selection of wet-dry paper, 220-400 grits or which ever you Editor of Common Stock. have available. Perhaps Mike Rowan was Chairman. There was loads of The process involves increasing the radius to one usable by uilleann reed makers. enthusiasm and things were Marking the two cane blades. Cutting and profiling the blades and finally binding fairly ad hoc, and dare I say it, them to the staple. chaotic. I joined the committee As written above hours were spent going over every technique in order to find possibly in 1987. A bit later those suitable for making reeds using gouged cane. There is no doubt that many of Manuel Trucco arrived from the ideas and techniques used were taken from others who have gone before. The Italy, and we started having credit goes to those that worked them out previously. committee meetings in Manuels house. He became the secretary and possibly the treasurer, and started pulling things into some kind 4 shape. He was Anyone making a reed should experiment with what works for the chanter being bounding with enthusiasm and put a lot of energy into it and we realised that one reeded: Also, never assume a set of dimensions is correct. They may have been of the things holding the Society back from getting financial help from the correct for the item being measured at the time the illustration was drawn. A better Scottish Arts Council was that we were not structured properly, with a technique is to build each reed to the chanter using an old reed as a model or a constitution. We spent one winter - Manuel, Eon MacJntyre and myself - basic set of dimensions and tuning in the reed. pulling together a constitution, and then called an Extraordinary General A. Meeting during the 1998 competition in which the Society membership accepted To locate gouged cane in your area begin with higher end music stores. If a shop the constitution as we presented it The constitution has worked very well; we specialising in double reed instruments can be found, contact them. On the internet have only once tinkered with it since. I appointed myself at some stage as begin with the International Double Reed Society (http://idrs.colorado.edu) or The Society Archivist, and I still retain that. I have a tin box with LBPS posters and British Double Reed Society (http://www.bdrs.org.uk). The cane used to write this photographs and documents- Im always looking for as much early material as article was purchased at Forrests Music, Berkeley California possible. (http://www.forrestsmusic.com). Will you keep that on when you leave the committee?

I should very much like to, if the committee is happy with that. Our audio archive all goes into the School of Scottish Studies, and Im very pleased by that. but I would like it all properly catalogued. It is not catalogued at present. At some of the early Collogues the talks were not taped, wonderful, very special. The committee just lifted all the LBPS work from my which I regret, because we have had excellent talks over the years. shoulders. Her sister Sue, who is a nurse, had come over from the USA and we The early AGMs were not well attended because they were an nursed her. And Sharon died at home on October 18th. event in themselves. The worst AGM was when only Jeannie and Gordon Mooney turned up. It was dubbed our AGD- our Annual So it has been a big change. Our son Liam had got himself a place at the General Duet! We cottoned onto the tactic that if we sandwiched it into the international school Atlantic College in south Wales, so now I am living on my middle of a Collogue wed get a lot of people coming to it, and it would go own. I knew I wanted to carry on the business and carry on living the way I did, speedily if we timed it for twelve oclock, with lunch being at one! We have so Im continuing pipemaking and living on my own. I dont know what more to found that very successful. say . The support Ive had from customers and pipers has been amazing. People who hardly know me, or people who have got pipes on order, when they heard During your time on the committee the Society has developed several regular about it they said just take your time and all the rest of it. I really appreciate functions in the year - would you tell us a bit about them.. this.

Originally we had a meeting every two months. After Hamish became Chairman I believe that at the next AGM you are planning to step down as Chairman and we decided rather than having bimonthly meetings in the School of Scottish committee member. Has your recent bereavement played a part in this decision? Studies, some of which were very poorly attended, to concentrate our efforts on four events a year. Once Hamish became chairman things really began to move, No. The decision as to when to leave the committee came two or three years because hes a mover and a shaker. He doesnt only come up with brilliant ideas, ago. I had discussed this with Sharon. One of the things knowing that she had he sees them through. And he really dragged the committee along. Wed been just two months to live meant we could talk over a vast amount about our life toddling along quite happily and suddenly whoosh! He was charging along with together and also my plans as well for the future. So she knew that I was going ideas. He did an enormous amount of good for the Society. The decision to to be giving up at the next Collogue. I wanted to devote more time to other areas concentrate our efforts on four main functions - the Burns night, the Collogue, of my life. Being on the committee takes up a lot of time. The committee puts in the competition and the teaching weekend - this was a new event; perhaps we a vast amount of work as well as the driving and telephone calls - we all enjoy it, hadnt had it then in Melrose - I can t remember. And over the years we gave but it does take up quite a few days a year. And I want to devote more time to publicity to David Hannays teaching week in Galloway, and now that has other things in my life. Im certainly not turning my back on the Society, and I become established weve taken that under the LBPS wing this year. look forward to attending events.

Not all the members reading this will be aware of your recent personal loss - Is the group The Goodacre Brothers still in existence? and 1 wondered if you would like to say something on that score? The Goodacre Brothers have been on the back burner for the last few years. Well this time two years ago - maybe a little more - my wife Sharon developed Weve been playing, on and off, for 17 years. There have been lulls when we cancer of the duodenum, which is a very rare form of cancer. It took a while for havent been doing any work, and the recent lull was aggravated when my them to diagnose it. Finally in July 2001 she was rushed into hospital - the brothers pipes were stolen: his Leicestershire smallpipes and his Border pipes Edinburgh Royal Infirmary - where she had a six and a half hour operation. Her were stolen from the back of his car. Happily I was able to replace his Border recovery was very slow. Sharon s physical peak last year was around Easter. I pipes within 56 hours of the theft, because I had a set in stock. His wasn t actually at the LBPS competition, it was organising itself, while we were Leicestershire smallpipes though, were unique in many ways, and because they having a wonderful canal holiday with my brother John and his wife Stephanie. were the second set I made, I didnt have plans in those days. But Im well on the But the cancer returned, this time in her liv Her. She was offered chemotherapy, way now to making him another set of a similar specification. And we intend - but refused it. We felt things were too far gone and in August she was told she we hope to play at the Collogue this Year in November, and that will be the first had a couple of months to live. gig weve played since we played in North Hero Vermont in 2000.

It was a most wonderful last two months. I was very supported by family and Although you play music, you don t actually read music - and yet you ve friends and the community, and the local medical profession. It was very produced music books and played in a group. How do you learn the tunes and preserve them in your memory for the next occasion? 22 Yes. With any tune, whether its mine or not, I have to really Lets move away from the making of music to the making of instruments. How love it, absolutely love it, to start remembering it. I use a tape did you get started in your pipe making? recorder for capturing the tunes that come into my head. Its handy for me to have a tape recorder near at all times. And I I was working in Castle Douglas in Galloway for nearly five years as an have hundreds of little snippets - not all of them tunes - on agricultural engineer and I decided to give up my job and go travelling in Africa masses of tapes which I have indexed. There are some good tunes there which I and the Far East. And I took with me my Generation penny whistle, but I was would hardly recognise if you played them to me at the moment. I have not terrified it might get stolen - so I also took with me some Araldite and some learnt them yet! What I need to do is go through them, learn one, then play it to scissors, one round file and a cheap copy of a Swiss army knife, and with those I a good friend who can then write it down for me.. learned how to make quite passable penny whistles out of old tin cans (I still have one I made in the Philippines out of a Milo tin). And that made me realise Is the fact that you reed no music an accident of a matter ofprinciple? that one could make instruments - they werent just something you bought in shops. My brother John had always been interested in English bagpipes because Its not a matter of principle. I think right now it would he was aware, I think by reading Roderick Canons article in the English Folk be quite handy to be able to read it. Its not a matter of Song and Dance Journal, that there had been bagpiping in England - apart from principle, but I speak up about it a lot because there are Northumbrian piping. So when I came back from my travels in 1981 I arrived many people who feel they are not musical because they back in Scotland with a burning ambition to make English bagpipes, and fell in cant read music. And that was the feeling I got at love with the band Blowzabella, and they inspired me enormously with their school. I now dont say "I cant read music," I say "I music and playing. That Was Jon Swaynes band which featured two English dont read music." And statistically I should think only a small percentage of bagpipes and two hurdy-gurdy players. musicians throughout the world actually can read music. But its a handy skill. I bought a lathe and started making bits of pipes and teaching myself, and then Who then writes down your music when you produce these music books? when Id got so far my brother John had given me the idea of a smallpipe and I came up with what we later called the Leicestershire smallpipe. John and I The moment that changed my life musically (Im not answering your question played Leicestershire smallpipes in duets, and John started doing the for a moment) was after my brother John bought a penny whistle and was arrangements. He has a rare ability to write wonderful bagpipe arrangements. teaching himself to play some tunes from tapes of the Chieftains. John had studied music to play the keyboard and play the recorder, and he was telling me In 1985 I moved up to Edinburgh before marrying Sharon and set myself up as a that he could play by ear - folk music - but every time he tried to read music it professional maker. I had just one design of pipe at that stage, the Leicestershire all fell apart. He told me he found it such a disadvantage being able to read smallpipe, but I soon started making an English double pipe based on the James music when playing traditional tunes. And that sentence changed my whole life, Talbot manuscripts from the 1690s. And it was around this time that I went to because it suddenly dawned on me that you dont have to read music to be able the first LBPS meeting at the School of Scottish studies. And that is when I first to play it. I hadnt realised that before. Its like writing: you can see two people really became aware of Scottish smallpipes. chatting in the street - you dont know whether they can read or write, yet they can speak perfectly. And youve been making smallpipes since that time. What woods do you use?

So now you re going to tell me how you get your dots down on paper to publish Im not going to answer that just yet. Having gone to that first meeting, and books of music . thinking I wanted to make Scottish smallpipes, I then went to the museum and took measurements from one in the National Museum. So thats how I got Sometimes I play them to Pete of The Goodacre Brothers or to another friend I started. OK Ill answer your question. Ive always been committed to using have down in Galloway, Mark Nixon, who is my amanuensis. I cajole him to British hardwoods. Ive never used imported timber, and that is definitely a stand write them down when he is in a good mood. And Mark is good sometimes at I take, because Im concerned about the use of tropical hardwoods, many of improving tunes, so he gets credits to some of them. which are being felled, but not replanted. Im well aware that some of the earliest pipes surviving - probably the earliest chanter surviving - is made out of tropical imported timber. Even in the 17th Century they were making pipes from 24 25 imported timber, but I find the British timbers very satisfactory. I have a vacuum pressure system for injecting oil very, very deep into the woods. I source much Lets move away from the making of music to the making of instruments. How of the wood myself and can often supply customers with a photo of the tree from did you get started in your pipe making? which their pipe is made. One of the challenges of using British hardwood from a pipe-making point of view is they are very difficult to turn. They flex a lot I was working in Castle Douglas in Galloway for nearly five years as an more, they bend a lot more than many of the far more dense woods. So when agricultural engineer and I decided to give up my job and go travelling in Africa you are turning an A chanter in the lathe it can bow all over the place. So its a and the Far East. And I took with me my Generation penny whistle, but I was challenge - its a challenge. The only exception to the use of British woods that I terrified it might get stolen - so I also took with me some Araldite and some am likely to make is for copies of 18th century highland chanters. I have bought scissors, one round file and a cheap copy of a Swiss army knife, and with those I a large roller made of Lignum Vitae from a 19th century mill ... learned how to make quite passable penny whistles out of old tin cans (I still have one I made in the Philippines out of a Milo tin). And that made me realise What sort of choice of woods would you offer for a set of Scottish smallpipes? that one could make instruments - they werent just something you bought in shops. My brother John had always been interested in English bagpipes because My standard Scottish smallpipe Im making at the moment is in yew wood. And he was aware, I think by reading Roderick Canons article in the English Folk for the mounts I use Scottish boxwood mostly - sometimes horn. If a customer Song and Dance Journal, that there had been bagpiping in England - apart from wants something a bit more special I use plum. And Ive made them out of Northumbrian piping. So when I came back from my travels in 1981 I arrived boxwood and a variety of different woods - thorn is very nice. All have their back in Scotland with a burning ambition to make English bagpipes, and fell in own special characteristics. love with the band Blowzabella, and they inspired me enormously with their music and playing. That Was Jon Swaynes band which featured two English And your reeds - I believe all your double reeds are made from plastic? bagpipes and two hurdy-gurdy players.

Yes, both chanter and drone reeds. There is only one chanter I make that uses a I bought a lathe and started making bits of pipes and teaching myself, and then cane reed - the high D English Great Pipe. Ive never developed a plastic reed for when Id got so far my brother John had given me the idea of a smallpipe and I that yet. Apart from this I always use plastic reeds. They are very reliable. I came up with what we later called the Leicestershire smallpipe. John and I think the reason I get such a good tone out of them is that I am actually using a played Leicestershire smallpipes in duets, and John started doing the less dense timber. Ive found that I dont like the tone of plastic reeds in the very arrangements. He has a rare ability to write wonderful bagpipe arrangements. dense timbers .... it is a question of balance of materials. With a cane reed in a very dense tropical hardwood you are using soft material for the reed, and a hard In 1985 I moved up to Edinburgh before marrying Sharon and set myself up as a material for the chanter. The way Im doing it is the other way round - the professional maker. I had just one design of pipe at that stage, the Leicestershire chanter is of less dense wood and plastic is a much harder material than cane. smallpipe, but I soon started making an English double pipe based on the James Thats my theory, I dont have any science to back it up. Talbot manuscripts from the 1690s. And it was around this time that I went to the first LBPS meeting at the School of Scottish studies. And that is when I first Was it by chance you went to plastic, or was it a conscious decision? really became aware of Scottish smallpipes.

I started off using bassoon reeds in the smallpipes. That was a very wise And youve been making smallpipes since that time. What woods do you use? decision to start my first couple of years production with, because it meant I wasnt only just coping with designing, but also learning about turning, long Im not going to answer that just yet. Having gone to that first meeting, and hole drilling, leather work - as well as the business side to the business. At least thinking I wanted to make Scottish smallpipes, I then went to the museum and reeds were ready made - I could buy them in a shop. But after a while I wanted took measurements from one in the National Museum. So thats how I got to get something more reliable, and I quickly designed a very stable plastic reed started. OK Ill answer your question. Ive always been committed to using using yoghurt cartons. I was very fortunate in that the local yoghurt British hardwoods. Ive never used imported timber, and that is definitely a stand manufacturer had just ceased production of yoghurt and I was able to buy a box I take, because Im concerned about the use of tropical hardwoods, many of of 1600 yoghurt cartons which I calculate will allow me to make 20 reeds a which are being felled, but not replanted. Im well aware that some of the earliest week until Im 110 years old! After that Ill have to get a new supplier. pipes surviving - probably the earliest chanter surviving - is made out of tropical imported timber. Even in the 17th Century they were making pipes from

26 25 imported timber, but I find the British timbers very satisfactory. I have a vacuum I believe you re also making Border pipes. pressure system for injecting oil very, very deep into the woods. I source much of the wood myself and can often supply customers with a photo of the tree from Yes Ive been making Border pipes for a long time now. Before I moved (or which their pipe is made. One of the challenges of using British hardwood from even thought of moving) to Peebles I went to Hugh Cheape at the Royal Scottish a pipe-making point of view is they are very difficult to turn. They flex a lot Museum who directed me to a set that was donated in the early 1920s, by a more, they bend a lot more than many of the far more dense woods. So when family that had a strong connection to Peebles. I measured them, copied them you are turning an A chanter in the lathe it can bow all over the place. So its a and theyve been my basic design ever since for Border pipes. I then moved to challenge - its a challenge. The only exception to the use of British woods that I Peebles, where I now have a workshop at the bottom of Elcho Street Brae. On am likely to make is for copies of 18th century highland chanters. I have bought reading back copies of Common Stock (Dec 1997) I found that the last Toun a large roller made of Lignum Vitae from a 19th century mill ... Piper of Peebles was called James Ritchie. He was appointed in 1741 and died in 1807. And there is an account by Robert Chambers about going to see James What sort of choice of woods would you offer for a set of Scottish smallpipes? Ritchie when he [Chambers] was a little boy. They lived four or five doors away from each other. And he describes how he played these pipes with the bellows My standard Scottish smallpipe Im making at the moment is in yew wood. And under the left arm. Now the reason this interests me is because when I read this - for the mounts I use Scottish boxwood mostly - sometimes horn. If a customer re-read this - I suddenly remembered that the original pipes that I had measured wants something a bit more special I use plum. And Ive made them out of were made to play left handed. And the house where Robert Chambers was boxwood and a variety of different woods - thorn is very nice. All have their brought up in is less than sixty yards away from my present workshop. So its own special characteristics. quite possible Im making a copy of a pipe that was played by James Ritchie who may have lived only yards away from where my workshop is! It is a nice And your reeds - I believe all your double reeds are made from plastic? tantalising thought.

Yes, both chanter and drone reeds. There is only one chanter I make that uses a So what proportion in say a hundred pipes going out from your workshop cane reed - the high D English Great Pipe. Ive never developed a plastic reed for would be Scottish smallpipes, Border pipes etc.? that yet. Apart from this I always use plastic reeds. They are very reliable. I think the reason I get such a good tone out of them is that I am actually using a I would say about 35% of my production is probably Scottish. I make Highland less dense timber. Ive found that I dont like the tone of plastic reeds in the very pipes as well: we havent touched on the Highland pipes, have we? So I would dense timbers .... it is a question of balance of materials. With a cane reed in a say 35% would be Scottish smallpipes and Border pipes. And I would say that very dense tropical hardwood you are using soft material for the reed, and a hard for every five sets of smallpipes I make one set of Border pipes - something like material for the chanter. The way Im doing it is the other way round - the that. Orders come in as they come in, and I tend to get pipes made up in batches, chanter is of less dense wood and plastic is a much harder material than cane. because it suits my way of working. I have Jon Redpath who has been with me Thats my theory, I dont have any science to back it up. for 10 years, now, and he does nearly all my turning - he is very, very consistent, and hes a superb turner. It works much better to make them in batches rather Was it by chance you went to plastic, or was it a conscious decision? than ones and twos.

I started off using bassoon reeds in the smallpipes. That was a very wise What is your philosophy on Border pipes? decision to start my first couple of years production with, because it meant I wasnt only just coping with designing, but also learning about turning, long My philosophy on Border pipes? I made one or two sets I hole drilling, leather work - as well as the business side to the business. At least start with and at first was slightly apologetic about how reeds were ready made - I could buy them in a shop. But after a while I wanted loud they were. I have modified the design of the chanter to get something more reliable, and I quickly designed a very stable plastic reed slightly - Ive extended the chanter, the top of the bore, to using yoghurt cartons. I was very fortunate in that the local yoghurt theallow it to play in concert A (A = 440), because I think manufacturer had just ceased production of yoghurt and I was able to buy a box original was a bit sharper than that. I used to be apologetic about how loud the of 1600 yoghurt cartons which I calculate will allow me to make 20 reeds a drones were, until it dawned on me they were played through the town - they are week until Im 110 years old! After that Ill have to get a new supplier. an out-door instrument. So my approach is to copy the original and enjoy it as a loud instrument. If someone wants a quieter one to play in sessions and bands

26 27 I believe youre also making Border pipes. thats fine, but thats not the type Im making. Im going more for the Early Music approach, of trying to copy the original. Over the past years my Yes Ive been making Border pipes for a long time now. Before I moved (or measuring tools have become more and more accurate, and I intend to go back even thought of moving) to Peebles I went to Hugh Cheape at the Royal Scottish to that original chanter and measure it up with Barnaby Brown and copy it in as Museum who directed me to a set that was donated in the early 1920s, by a great detail as possible to see what pitch it actually wants to play in. Because the family that had a strong connection to Peebles. I measured them, copied them Border pipes, as we all know, historically, were a solo instrument, or were and theyve been my basic design ever since for Border pipes. I then moved to played with a drum, so the pitch is not actually very important. So my approach Peebles, where I now have a workshop at the bottom of Elcho Street Brae. On here is the Early Music approach. Things have developed a lot in the last ten or reading back copies of Common Stock (Dec 1997) I found that the last Toun 15 years. Pipemakers are now making them quieter for indoor use and use with Piper of Peebles was called James Ritchie. He was appointed in 1741 and died groups. And thats fine, thats responding to a modern need, but I want to know in 1807. And there is an account by Robert Chambers about going to see James what those early pipes sounded like rather than changing the design. Ritchie when he [Chambers] was a little boy. They lived four or five doors away With old instruments you can measure them and then copy them in as great from each other. And he describes how he played these pipes with the bellows detail as possible, or you can measure them and then change some of the under the left arm. Now the reason this interests me is because when I read this - measurements to respond to modem needs. And both are quite valid approaches- re-read this - I suddenly remembered that the original pipes that I had measured I use both approaches myself. My initial approach on Scottish smallpipes was to were made to play left handed. And the house where Robert Chambers was measure one in the Museum and then before even copying it in that detail, scale brought up in is less than sixty yards away from my present workshop. So its the whole thing down so that it would play in a lower pitch - responding to quite possible Im making a copy of a pipe that was played by James Ritchie modern needs. Most people dont want one playing in E, they wanted one who may have lived only yards away from where my workshop is! It is a nice playing in D. Both approaches are valid. tantalising thought.

So You were, I think, at one stage working on Border pipes with closed fingering? what proportion in say a hundred pipes going out from your workshop would be Scottish smallpipes, Border pipes etc.? My brother John has always been interested in using what I would call covered fingering, and he actually does play his Border Pipes with that. Yes, on and off I would say about 35% of my production is probably Scottish. I make Highland for years Ive been working on it, and Im very near to finishing the development pipes as well: we havent touched on the Highland pipes, have we? So I would of a chanter that plays this way. It plays in A. Once this has been finalised, it say 35% would be Scottish smallpipes and Border pipes. And I would say that will be an option for my Border pipes, and also the chanter will be available on for every five sets of smallpipes I make one set of Border pipes - something like my English Great pipes and I will use it on the Marwood double pipe, which is a that. Orders come in as they come in, and I tend to get pipes made up in batches, double conical pipe which Ive been working at for quite a while. One chanter because it suits my way of working. I have Jon Redpath who has been with me and reed development can spread out into different types of my pipes! for 10 years, now, and he does nearly all my turning - he is very, very consistent, and hes a superb turner. It works much better to make them in batches rather than ones and twos. And if you get this to the point you like and start producing it, what does the covered fingering do to such options as cross fingering to get C natural - F natural, G sharp high B - the options some people look for in Border pipes? What is your philosophy on Border pipes?

Im not concentrating on those at all with this design of chanter. It has a flattened My philosophy on Border pipes? I made one or two sets to leading note at the top, but with more open fingering you can sharpen your top start with and at first was slightly apologetic about how G. But thats all Im going for. Im not going for anything else at this stage. Its a loud they were. I have modified the design of the chanter different - its a non traditional approach. At the last Collogue we had an slightly - Ive extended the chanter, the top of the bore, to Asturian piper over [see CS Vol 17.2 Dec 2002] who demonstrated the Asturian allow it to play in concert A (A = 440), because I think the style of covered fingering, and it can be a very fiery exciting one. My standard original was a bit sharper than that. I used to be apologetic about how loud the border chanter does play cross fingering well. drones were, until it dawned on me they were played through the town - they are an out-door instrument. So my approach is to copy the original and enjoy it as a Moving to smallpipes, I know youve made some mouth-blown smallpipes. Can loud instrument. If someone wants a quieter one to play in sessions and bands

28 you tell us a little bit about them - for instance, does the fact that it is mouth- thatsthem fine,Eiariy but thats not the type Im making. Im going more tor blown affect the amount of tuning that has to be done? Music approach, of trying to copy the original. Over the past years my measuring tools have become more and more accurate, and I intend to go back I offer all my pipes as bellows or mouth blown. In fact at the to that original chanter and measure it up with Barnaby Brown and copy it in as moment Im making a bellows blown English Great great detail as possible to see what pitch it actually wants to play in. Because the pipe which Ive never done before. Because I use plastic Border pipes, as we all know, historically, were a solo instrument, or were reeds, any of my pipes can be bellows or mouth blown. Thats played with a drum, so the pitch is not actually very important. So my approach not going to affect the tone at all. Weve come in a bit of a here is the Early Music approach. Things have developed a lot in the last ten or circle. The reason why bellows pipes are so stable is because 15 years. Pipemakers are now making them quieter for indoor use and use with one is blowing dry air on to the reeds from the bellows. So that makes them easy groups. And thats fine, thats responding to a modern need, but I want to know to maintain and tune. By using plastic reeds that doesnt apply so much, so it is what those early pipes sounded like rather than changing the design. much easier to play maintain and tune a mouth-blown smallpipe. With old instruments you can measure them and then copy them in as great detail as possible, or you can measure them and then change some of the What youre saying, then, is that because they are plastic reeds - or plastic measurements to respond to modern needs. And both are quite valid approaches- tongues on the drone reeds and plastic double reeds, they dont respond to I use both approaches myself. My initial approach on Scottish smallpipes was to changes in moisture level in the way cane reeds do? measure one in the Museum and then before even copying it in that detail, scale the whole thing down so that it would play in a lower pitch - responding to Yes. But, we have the fact that many of the Scottish smallpipes that have modern needs. Most people dont want one playing in E, they wanted one survived from the eighteenth century are mouth blown. And one way of dealing playing in D. Both approaches are valid. with facts like that is to say "Oh they were obviously converted at a later date to bellows blown." This is an approach which one has to question. When history You were, I think, at one stage working on Border pipes with closed fingering? doesnt quite go the way you want it, when the evidence isnt quite the evidence " you want, you say Oh it has obviously changed at some later stage." Now if My brother John has always been interested in using what I would call covered you do look in all the big collections in Britain - and America actually - I think fingering, and he actually does play his Border Pipes with that. Yes, on and off every one has got a mouth blown Scottish smallpipe. What they were doing in for years Ive been working on it, and Im very near to finishing the development the 18th century with reeds I dont know. Certainly Dick Hensold plays a of a chanter that plays this way. It plays in A. Once this has been finalised, it Montgomery smallpipe of mine, and he has reeded it up entirely with cane will be an option for my Border pipes, and also the chanter will be available on reeds. He is a very dry blower. He actually is the only person I have ever talked my English Great pipes and I will use it on the Marwood double pipe, which is a to who claims he taught himself to be a dry blower. And he claims he can double conical pipe which Ive been working at for quite a while. One chanter actually dry a wet reed by playing it! Barnaby Browns Montgomery smallpipes and reed development can spread out into different types of my pipes! that I made for him were originally reeded up with plastic reeds, and he is now changing to cane reeds. Most of the Montgomery pipes I make are bellows And if you get this to the point you like and start producing it, what does the blown. covered fingering do to such options as cross fingering to get C natural - F natural, G sharp high B - the options some people look for in Border pipes? Why is Barnaby changing over?

Im not concentrating on those at all with this design of chanter. It has a flattened For authenticity, I think. However he lives in Sardinia and has at-undo donax leading note at the top, but with more open fingering you can sharpen your top growing in his garden. G. But thats all Im going for. Im not going for anything else at this stage. Its a different - its a non traditional approach. At the last Collogue we had an Not for the sound? Asturian piper over [see CS Vol 17.2 Dec 2002] who demonstrated the Asturian style of covered fingering, and it can be a very fiery exciting one. My standard I dont know, well have to talk to him about that. Dick never got plastic reeds. border chanter does play cross fingering well. Barnaby has only recently made the change, so it will be interesting to talk to him about this. I certainly like offering the option of both, so if Barnabys reed- Moving to smallpipes, I know youve made some mouth-blown smallpipes. Can

29 28 maker in Sardinia can come up with the reeds I will offer cane reeds as an Amplifying and Recording Smallpipes option. Gary West has had considerable experience in recording (not only his own You wanted to talk a bit about Montgomery - the Montgomery pipes? album, but also for the School of Scottish Studies at the annual LBPS competitions), and more recently in broadcasting Pipeline for Radio Scotland. Yes. The Scottish smallpipes that we are playing today in keys of D down to A are all pipes that have been developed in the last twenty years. The smallpipes The following comments are based on my own experiences of playing smallpipes that survive in museums, mostly from the 18th century or possibly the beginning within various live and recorded contexts over the past fifteen years or so. of the 19th century, are far smaller. The surviving chanters are all in the range of Although I dont-play Border pipes, I suspect , that most of what I say below eight inches long, with a very small bore - one eighth of an inch. would apply to those also. Im no technical expert - far from it! But Ive fallen into most .of the traps that there are to fall into along the way, so Im only too As opposed to what? aware that playing through a PA system can bring woes as well as joys!

Well my modern D Scottish smallpipe chanters have a minimum bore of three If youre considering amplifying your instrument, the first thing to ask yourself sixteenths of an inch and my A chanters are thirteen sixty fourths of an inch. The is, why? Do you really need to? If your pipes have been set up well and youre smallpipes that survive from the eighteenth century are much more petite than pleased with the sound, its unlikely that a PA system will make them sound any the modern pipes. As I said many that survive are mouth blown. They have three better, only louder. As soon as you introduce amplification equipment (and drones, bass, tenor and a baritone. Its from these surviving pipes that pipe usually a sound engineer to operate it) you are immediately passing on a good makers such as Colin Ross have taken, I think, their inspiration to make small deal of the control of your performance to somebody else. That person has the pipes first of all in D, which are scaled down a little bit from early pipes which power to make or break that performance, so dont automatically reach for the play in E. You should ask them. microphones just because theyre there. Test out the venue by playing acoustically first. Get somebody to stand at various places in the room, especially Over the years pipe makers have developed them in lower and lower pitches. right at the back of course. Can they hear your playing clearly? If so, there may Ive The most popular one is A these days, but I have developed one in G, and I be no need to use the PA. Remember though, that there will hopefully be an done one in F# as well. They play with Scottish Highland fingering with a audience to consider, and clothed human bodies are very good for soaking up flattened leading note top and bottom. My first smallpipe was based on looking sound. They also tend to generate a fair amount of noise themselves (coughing, at one of the early ones and measuring it and scaling it down. After developing blethering, chair scraping and the likes) and so you have to allow for that. Also, my range of smallpipes I then got interested in going back to the originals and what is the likely behaviour of the audience? Will it be a formal, hushed measuring them. Hugh Cheape wrote an article in Common Stock [No 4.1 Jan reception, or is it more of a pub gig, with rattling tills and wagging tongues? 1989] about the Montgomery smallpipe which was then housed in the United Services Museum in Edinburgh Castle. I went up there and measured that and If, all things considered, you decide that you do need to use the PA, then forget copied it with the intention of copying it in as great detail possible, and seeing everything Iv e just said and think positively! Youre going to have to put your how it wanted to play, and what pitch it wanted to play at, rather than imposing trust in them engineer of course, but despite the odd duffer out there (very odd on a key on it which is what Id done previously. There is an article in Dec 1991 occasion) by far the majority of engineers are very good, and will do you proud. Common Stock about that. Whats interesting is the leading note seems to be By now, most of them will probably have dealt with smallpipes at some point sharp at the top and flat at the bottom. With a sharpened leading note at the top anyway, so they should ha\c a fair idea what they re doing. Do make sure they you dont have the problems with the baritone - about what Pitch to tune it at provide two microphones on stands for you, though, one for the chanter and one [see Common Stock June 1999]. I make these for people who are interested in for the drones, as they ll sometimes try to get away with just a chanter one. Dont early repertoire, with the more Early Music approach. It has less appeal to most let them Youll lose the %%hole sonic integrity of the instrument of course, so be Highland pipers, but Barnaby is an enthusiastic player of his! firm on that one.

Thank you Julian. Most interesting hearing of your views and developments. Microphones vary enormously in quality, and in general you get what you pay And good luck with all your future projects. for. A cheap mic will give a cheap sound, but Ive rarely come across anything too bad. The provider of the equipment (usually the engineer) also has a 31 reputation to build and protect as well as the musician, and few will risk that by headphones certainly go some way towards compensating for the lack of providing bad equipment. The bog standard micas most often encountered (e.g. audience on the adrenaline front, thats for sure!). Sure SM58 or SM58) are fine and do a very good job for live performance. (You should expect something a bit more luxurious in a recording studio, however - Another requirement in the studio is patience. As your playing is being captured more of that below.) Dont place the one for your drones too close, as most of us for posterity, the engineer and/or producer will not rush into letting you begin move our drones a little when operating the bellows, and this would cause them until they are happy that everything is right. Theyll probably try umpteen to sound irregular, as well as producing horrific banging noises if the drones different mic combinations and positions, and might even move you around actually hit the microphone, causing great offence to audience and engineer alike. different rooms until they get the set up theyre looking for. But make sure youre afford toTwelve to fifteen inches is probably a reasonable compromise. You can happy too. Get them to record a little bit of your playing and then listen back to it get closer in to the chanter mic, however, although not too close. Four to six to make sure that its acceptable from your point of view. In most cases, they will inches would be reasonable in most cases. And one very important point: dont record the sound fairly `dry - that is with virtually no natural reverb as this is do that very annoying thing of thumping or blowing into the microphone to see if easiest to work with when mixing. At the mixing stage, fancy EQ gadgets can its working. Leave that to drunk uncles at weddings. replicate the sound of just about any type of room providing it starts off `dry. (Incidentally, if youre recording has other instruments on it too, its important Ideally, you should be able to sound check with the PA system before the that they all sound like theyre in the same room, otherwise the whole sound will audience arrives. Take advantage of this to make sure youre happy. In most come over as totally false and fabricated). I usually ask for just a touch of reverb cases, youll have the benefit of at least one monitor speaker which is directed at in my headphones while, recording, however, as it feels much more natural to me. The headphones are the equivalent of the monitor speaker at a live concert, you rather than the audienice. If youre not used to this it can a bit off-putting at first, as youre hearing the sound coming towards you rather than going away although theyre also the channel through which the engineer will communicate with you. from you, but you soon get used to it, and if youre playing with other instruments then they are invakable. With more sophisticated PA systems, you If youre playing with other musicians, the producer may well ask you each to can ask the engineer to give you your own `mix in your monitor, which, if record your piece individually rather than all play together `live. This is a skill youre playing with other musicians, need not necessarily be the same as theirs. which some people find very hard to get to grips with. The idea is that one by one You may be able to have your own instrument louder in your own mix, for you record your parts, and that performance will be played back through the example. A monitor also allows you to hear the effect that the PA has on the tone headphones of the next player wholl play along, and so on. In order to give a of your instrument. All these knobs and dials on a mixing desk can actually make common reference point, a `click track or audio metronome is sometimes added a huge difference to the sound, so at the sound check listen carefully to the. to the headphone mix. Again playing to this can feel very unnatural. In fact, it is balance between chanter and drones, and the overall tone thats being produced. very unnatural as it tends to discourage natural tempo shifts. The secret is to learn A common trait is for the chanter to sound rather harsh. If you feel this to be the to keep the click at the back of your mind as a reference, but not to let it get in the case, just say so, and the engineer should be able to make the necessary way of playing naturally and with feeling. If you think that some recordings adjustments. The same goes for a dull, `muddy tone. The important thing is to sound too clinical and rigid, over-reliance on a click track may well be the cause. make sure that youre comfortable with the sound and the set up, so that the PA does not detract in any way from your performance. The reason producers like to work this way is to give them maximum control over the final sound. When recording `live, each players instrument will spill If you find yourself playing for some kind of recording, then most of the points, onto the other microphones, and this makes it very difficult to control e final above still apply, but there are some other issues to consider too. While some mix. It also means that if one player makes a mistake, everyones performance is recordings are made at live events, what I have to say here relates to a studio ruined, and that is a pressure which many of us like to avoid if possible. A context. Here you have no immediate audience to consider, although that can be compromise is to record small groups of two or three together, each partitioned -other strange too. Most of us rely on the feedback of an audience to help build off in a different corner of the room, but ideally within direct sight of each other. the `feels of our performances, and the adrenaline rush that comes from a large This gives the best of both worlds, as it feels a little bit more natural to the -sea of faces listening to your every note can certainly help to concentrate the players, but still gives the technical people the control they need to produce a top mind and the mood. The absence of that feedback, in my experience, is actually quality recording.

he hardest thing about studio , recording, rather than any of the technical issues. Although the red light going on and the words `recording now in your 33

32 pointing towards your left hand index finger. this catches all the sound of the A final point about working in recording studios. Some people are of the opinion chanter whilst making allowances for the fact that the top notes tend to be louder that this kind of piece meal method of making music is false and even `cheating than the bottom ones. You want to get the mic as close to the chanter as you can and that the task of a producer is to capture the live sound of a performer as - though making sure that you wont catch it with your fingers during one of those accurately as possible. Personally I disagree with that view. If you want an more flamboyant moments. accurate reproduction of a live performance then its quite simple - you record a live concert. But a studio recording is a very different entity and gives a very 2 Chanter using two microphones different product. If there is software available to repair performance mistakes Having two microphones allows the sound to be picked up more efficiently and (and there is!) why not use it? If the technology allows you to multi-track your lets the engineer deal with any tonal differences between your top and bottom pipes and make them sound like fifteen sets playing counterpoint and harmony, notes. Bleed is also reduced because the individual mics have a smaller then why not? Nobody accuses film makers of `cheating by using special effects, catchment area. Move the first mica down an inch or so (so that is below your heavy editing and actors who might need a dozen takes to get the scene right hand little finger) and point it towards your right hand index finger. Place absolutely right. And yet these same actors still have to produce a performance the second mic horizontally facing your left hand middle finger. As before, make on demand if appearing in a stage play. that to me is just the same as for sure that they are as close as possible to the chanter without getting in the way. musicians. Live and studio performances are two very different creative processes. 3 Drones mic We often dont get the luxury of a drones mic and, to be honest, dont miss it. to sum up, PA systems and recording equipment are well developed and are very there will always be a bit of bleed from the drones to the chanter mic anyway. useful - indeed essential - in certain circumstances. they bring advantages and However .... if you are blessed with a drones mic then it should be placed in front drawbacks, and for a live performance, always start off by asking yourself of the longest drone, facing backwards and slightly towards the other drones. whether you really need amplification. If you do find yourself using it, then take this will give you the best balance of sound and again ... minimise the amount of advantage of its capabilities, but dont let the equipment get in the way of what bleed and feedback. As before, the mic should be as close to the drones as you want to do. And like anything else, the more you do it, the easier it gets. possible without being in danger of touching them. Check that the normal Hopefully! movements of filling the bellows doesnt wave the drones too close.

4 You and your microphones Having set your mic(s) up the way you want them, you now have the SCOTTISH SMALLPIPES AND MICROPHONES responsibility of keeping yourself in the same position. Due to the way that Vicki Swan Jonny Dyer microphones function, doubling the distance between the sound source and the mic will effectively halve the amount of sound being picked up (and therefore You turn up for a sound check half an hour before a gig - on time and in tune. halving the distance will double the sound). For example, if you were playing the engineer looks blankly at you when you mention Scottish Small Pipes and, into one mic (as described in `1) and you leant forward, the chanter would get after much head scratching and grunting, hands you the mic saying `where do closer and lower to the mic. Your top F - A notes would be deafeningly loud, all you normally have it?. other notes would disappear completely and your playing would be accompanied by clicks and bangs as your fingers started to hit the mic. this volume change So; where do you put the mic? (or mics if you are really really lucky). can be useful if intentional: moving forward half an inch to play slightly louder Individual sets of pipes will have different behaviours and time spent when you have the tune and back again when you have a counter melody etc. experimenting will give you the sound that you want but the following points will Not controlling your movement however will sound appalling and guess what - be a useful guide based upon my experiences over the past few years. there is absolutely nothing the sound engineer can do to help you!

I Chanter using I microphone. 5 Mies in the recording studio. On stage, the objective is to pick up as the sound from the whole chanter without Essentially, the same rules apply as in a `live setting except that the mics do not bleed (bleed is where unwanted sound is picked up by your mic - whether it be need to be in such close proximity to the instrument because bleed can be the guitarist next to you, the sound of your bellows or your foot tapping). the eliminated using physical bar r iers (sound boards / different rooms). Noisy foot simplest arrangement is to place the mic level with your right hand middle finger 35 34 ) away from the mic. If you get carr tapping can be reduced by wearing socks or, failing that, nailing said feet to the (75mm ied away and move a little then you floor. are the only one who gets the pleasure out of the music. By keeping so still it also gives the impression of being totally unemotional to what you are playing. there are two schools of thought as to whether chanter and drones should be recorded simultaneously or separately. the `simultaneous argument is based on My next attempt was three clip-on collar mics. One taped to the top of the drones the premise that the acoustic instrument sounds fine and balanced through design and the other two taped to the chanter - one on the underside about in the middle so why change it. the `separate argument points out that there always be bleed and the other at the lower end. This was because the higher notes seemed to between the two sets of mics which means that post production of the sound reproduce louder than the lower notes, but I think that was down to the mixer and (adding acoustic effects, tuning, changing the harmonic pattern etc.) is limited. amplifier that I used at the time. The biggest problem I had was what the experts the decision is ultimately in the hands of you - the piper. If you want to call `feed-back, which is if you put a microphone near a speaker you get a high considerably process the sound then you will have to record the drones pitched squeal - which deafens even the dead. But apart from nearly breaking my separately. However, if you are looking for a realistic sound - a fair neck with the wires everywhere, it was not a bad sound. representation of your instrument, then it may be easier - and simpler - to record both together. I have tried both ways and much prefer to record the drones and At this stage I started to play with reverberated sounds and this put a whole new the chanter together. dimension to the smallpipes. With the deep echoing noise and high pitched tunnel notes, reverberation gives the player a totally different and modern instrument When playing the pipes it is the pressure on the bag that keeps the drones and with a more natural sound than a keyboard can produce. I found that tunes that chanter in tune. As soon as you take away one, it becomes very hard to keep the sounded pretty ordinary and unnatural became quite exciting when amplified and instrument under control. Even with the drone track being played in your reverberated. headphones it is still extremely hard to keep in tune and indeed, depending on how your pipes are set up, the instrument itself may not cope with the lack of pressure needed to play at pitch. As if recording wasnt stressful enough already!

ELECTRIFYING BAGPIPES John Roy I have been playing bagpipes for about ten years now. I started with the Highland pipes and then the Lowland [small]pipes. How I first got interested in Lowland pipes came about when I sent off for some Highland piping CDs from Shepherds, and they, by mistake, sent me the Gordon Mooney CD Oer the Border. I decided to listen to it. What was this strange sound ? I was hooked. I have since purchased several sets of pipes mainly from Herriot and Allan. My latest attempt at amplification is using a hands free VHF unit from a singing kit I bought my daughter to perform in a karaoke competition. I connect a clip mic with a battery boost to the pocket unit When I play the Highland Pipes in Public I get plenty of noise and plenty of (the transmitter) which I tuck into the pipe bag, and plug the Receiver into the attention. When I play the smallpipes in a public place the sound may be much amplifier/mixer/reverb unit making sure the unit is behind the speakers. I then sweeter but is dissipated to a squeak, subject to the size of room and the number clip the mic to the chanter with a clothes peg fixed to a couple of lollypop sticks. of people in the room. And if you play outside, forget it. Numbers of People or I can then dance around playing and jigging getting the unusual mood sounds I their clothes seem to be the biggest absorbance of sound, and if playing the pipes want and getting all the attention as well. to more than a handful of people, some sort of amplification is needed. All Equipment except the amplifier is of the cheaper variety and is easily My first attempt at amplifying smallpipes was with an ordinary microphone. This available from Marilyn Electronics. Tandy Stores. or any good electronics firm worked to a degree, but you have to stay totally still with the chanter 3 inches

36 Corrigenda to Now wha shall play The Day it Dawis...? CS 18.2 p35 BORDER PIPE SURVEY It is years since any form of reader participation has taken place (In Common Stock vol 18 No 2 December 2002, your editor inadvertently through the pages of this Journal. Any useful outcome relies heavily printed an early draft of this article. The principle difference is that between on the interest and good will of all those who received a questionnaire, so writing the two versions, Pete located the Gavin Douglas quote he mentions. many thanks to all who took part. Jock Agnew. Please delete the sentence in para. 11 which reads "1 have been unable to find ...... any reference to Now the Day Dawis is concerned with the close of day". And the following paragraphs should replace para.14 "However, there is a Sifting through the pages of the LBPS membership book, some 40 members were identified who had registered an interest in, or ownership of, further Day Dawes tune...... And I must home gone.") Border/Lowland pipes. to all these were sent an explanatory letter and a In the additional notes to Tutti Tatti in SMM ((Vol.II, p. 215), C. K. Sharpe single page questionnaire. In the covering letter it was suggested that "In provides a further set of words that seem related to this issue. they are from a the past 10 years a number of pipemakers have been developing and huntin g son g which may date from the early 18th century or before: improving their Border pipes. A lot of players of Scottish smallpipes (and indeed Highland pipes as well) are watching from the wings, wondering the cocks at the crawing Bridekirks hunting the day s at the dawing Bridekirk s hunting whether they too should take up these pipes. It seems to me that it would the cocks at the crawing Bridekirks hunting be a good moment, through the pages of Common Stock, to discover how We re o er lang here The morn an it be fair players up and down the world are enjoying (or otherwise) their Border pipes" Now these words do seem to relate more closely to the Tutti Tatti tune, and to the song which Burns elaborated. (Burns also supplied a song to SMM titled A request for information was also made on the internet, and from these Goodwife Count the Lawin with a chorus closely related to the above but with two sources 38 completed questionnaires were returned. a different tune). they may well have played a part in the process whereby the Tutti Tatti tune became linked to Montgomery s words. However, in his additional notes to the tune in SMM, Sharpe mentions yet another song, one that is referred to by the poet Gavin Douglas. this reference is in Douglass Prologue to his translation of the Thirteenth Book of Virgils Aeneid, written sometime in the late 15th century; (this is the reference that Kidson mentioned as dating from 1513, which seems to be the date of its first printing. Douglas died an old man sometime before 1508.) "tharto, thir byrdis singis in the schawis As menstralis playing, the joly day now dawis (Poetical Works of Gavin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld, 1884 edn, Vol 4, p183) We thus have yet another title for our song, and this or this day day dawes, Seems most closely related to the final tune I want to this gentill day dawes, introduce. this is the song found in the Fayrfax manu this gentill day dawes, scriptaround (BM Ms. Add. 31992), which dates from And I must home gone. 1500. the words are nut into the mouth of a "comely queen" Under the heading any other requirements there were two who wanted As might be expected in such a survey, many of the answers and trends drone switches. were predicable. For instance the pitch of existing pipes was predominantly in A and B b ; 55 and 30 percent respectively. The remaining 15% were In answer to the question "what types of tunes preferred?", a third liked divided equally between G and D. And nearly everyone played their pipes playing Border tunes (half of whom mentioned Dixon), and just over a indoors, with just two individuals who braved the elements sufficiently quarter played Highland tunes, with one player mentioning Piobaireachd. often for it to be remarked upon. And almost exactly 75% of those who Original compositions, dance tunes and foreign (i.e. not Scottish) tunes took part played their pipes either regularly or very frequently, the accounting for the remainder. Of course many played several genres as the remainder seldom or not at all - the latter for the most part were those who mood took them. had experienced problems. More on that below. "Do you ever play along with other instruments?" Two thirds of all who Of those who owned Scottish smallpipes as well as Border pipes (and three- filled in this part of the questionnaire said they played their Border pipes quarters of them did), two-thirds played their smallpipes more often than alone. Of the remainder, the variety of instruments mentioned, whether in their Border pipes. duet or bands, was quite extensive. 1n order of apparent popularity they were:- guitars, fiddles, other bagpipes, boxes (melodeons and accordions), When asked what sort of problems had been encountered with the Border citterns, hurdy-gurdies, mandocellos, flutes, tubas, synthesisers and "loud pipes, the answers started to become complicated. Over half had had some ones!!" sort of problem, and less than a third stated categorically that they had experienced no problems at all. Of the problems listed the most common Finally, sorting through the general comments, a few items are worth were:- reeds (8), tuning/balancing (6), pressure (3), notes breaking up (3), mentioning. Several had made their own pipes, offering comments such as leaking bags/bellows (2). These (and other) problems prevented 21 pipers "chanters hard to tune on the 5th and 6th..." and "bass drone bored with playing their pipes temporarily, and 3 permanently. Fixing the problems three parallel channels in its first part to extend the bore..." One player was carried out more or less in equal numbers between players and makers solved the problem with chanter reed squealing when he dropped from - with the latter having the edge! high to low A by scraping the sides of his reed "which will now make the octave leap 9 times out of 10". There were a couple of mentions of lignum If ordering a new set of Border pipes, two-thirds said they would go back to being a very heavy material, especially when used for the drones. the same maker, the rest wanted a change. And if given a choice of drone arrangements, most opted for bass/tenor/tenor (53%), bass/tenor/alto One piper mentioned that when playing in a group it is important to have attracted 31%, the remainder preferred the bass/tenor/baritone option. It very stable pre-tuned pipes that can be picked up and played without delay should be noted that not quite everyone completed this section. And rather while another suggested that when playing in a group his Border pipes predictably the great majority preferred the key of A (73%), with 16% were too loud. A set made from Cocks and Bryan drawings was found to showing a yearning towards B b , with G and D being the other two keys have drones that were not easy to reed, and their wide bores made them chosen. very loud. However this did make them suitable for playing at weddings and funerals! And where one player remarked that his Border pipes were When looking at cross-fingering requirements the picture started to become suitable both for Highland as well-as Border tunes (Dixon), another warned confused. However (again rather predictably) the majority who filled in this that "everyone should know that they will be disappointed if they want to section wanted to be able to cross-finger C natural, with high B, F natural play Highland tunes on the Border pipes." and G sharp following close behind in popularity. Some 6 pipers wanted no cross-fingering or over-blowing ability at all, while 8 would have liked If anyone wishes to add their own experiences or comments to the above, to overblow up to C sharp, and one to high D. there was no great call for please get in touch. 1f there are enough such additions they will, of course, keys to be fitted, but 3 would have liked a key for high B, one for high G be g iven space in a future edition of Common Stock. sharp and one for two keys below low G.

40 20TH ANNUAL COMPETITION 2003 THE NEW GARVIE SESSION PIPES Jim Buchanan At St Annes Community Centre, the Cowgate, Edinburgh 19 th April In April at the Piping Centre in Glasgow Nigel Richard (Garvie Bagpipes) hosted the launch of his new brainchild, Garvie Session Pipes (Patent Pending). these are mouth blown pipes pitched in A (440) designed for the Highland piper who wants Intermediate (6 entries)- the Julian Goodacre trophy - Judge: Ann Sessoms to play in sessions, ceilidhs or folk groups with other instruments without having to master bellows technique. For the launch he recruited, as a quartet, Fraser Fifield, 1st John Easdale - Teribus, The Shirt Off My Back, Minnie Hynd. Stuart Liddell, Simon McKerrell and Finlay Macdonald to play these new pipes 2nd Annie Rutherford - Rowan tree, Eileen Mary Conolly, Clan Alba March before a large and attentive audience. they produced a dazzling harmonic display 3rd Malcolm Maclnnes - By the River Aora, Dornoch Highland Gathering of virtuoso piping demonstrating that the volume and tone of these new pipes is ideal for playing indoors without exceeding the comfort zone of the listeners, which would not have been the case with one GHB let alone a quartet in that room. Pipe and song (3 entries)- the Jimmy Wilson Memorial Cup - Judge: Gary West

Nigel has been developing and testing these pipes combining the best of Border 1st Malcolm Maclnnes - Wad Ye Gang Love pipe and GHB technology at the same time as incorporating some innovations of 2nd Jock Agnew - Georges Grandmama his own. these include a reed protection and moisture control system designed 3rd David Stevenson - If You Cannot Find Osama specifically for low-pressure cane reeds so that they can be expected to have a reasonable operating life. His tests to date have shown that his reeds have already lasted nine months without problems. He cautions that maintenance schedule he New composition (6 entries)- the London trophy - Judge: Hamish Moore has worked out must be adhered to; it involves removing the humidity control tube and canister after playing (for at least an hour) to let them dry out 1st Julian Goodacre - The Flaxen Lass of Always 2nd Alex Barty - Dont Give Up The Day Job the cane chanter reeds have the characteristic rich tone of the Highland pipe 3rd Alan Morley - March of Dreams chanter. the drones are available in two styles, either fully combed and beeded with projection mounts in the Highland style or they can be mounted or part mounted in a simpler Lowland style. they are beautiful examples of the work of Duet for pipes and other instrument (3 entries)- Dunfermline tassies - Judge: Garvie Bagpipes and are currently available in Blackwood with art. ivory mounts Nigel Richard and nickel plated ferrules or in Mopane with boxwood mounts and gold plated ferrules. 1st Eleanor and Annie Rutherford - (+ clarsach) The Atholl Highlanders 2nd Jeannie Campbell and Alejo Rodriguez - (+ guitar) Sodgers Return, Mrs the volume of the instrument is ideal for playing with fiddles, flutes, accordions Hamilton, Forty-Twa and other musical instruments. The pitch is A but a B flat option is coming soon. 3rd Jim Buchanan and David Dunlop - (+ English concertina) John McColls March to Kilbowie Cottage, Donald MacLeans Farewell to Oban Having seen GHB pipers struggling, failing and often giving up on the bellows and then witnessing their restored confidence with a comforting blow stick in their gobs Seasoned pipers (3 entries)- The Nigel Richard trophy - Judge: Gary West I know that Nigel has identified a niche and has filled it with his characteristic painstaking attention to detail and artistry. I predict an upsurge in the number of groups and sessions with pipers attached all playing Nigels Session Pipes. 1st Jim Buchanan - Hoop Her and Gird Her (Dixon) 2nd Alex Barty - Mrs hamilton of Pitcaithlands Go to : www.borderpipes.co.uk or e_mail [email protected] 3rd David Stevenson - hector the Hero, Cradle Song, the Water is Wide, Roslin Castle, Cutting Bracken, Salmon tails up the Water

43 Novice (No entries)- the Heriot and Allan Quaich DONT GIVE UP THE DAY JOB Alex Barty

Open solo for Scottish smallpipes (13 entrys)- Colin Ross Trophy - Judge: Gary West

1st Peter McAlister - Heather s Jig, the Lairds Good Brother, the Bagpipe tune, Ae Bow and twa Bellows 2nd Bill Bennett - Slow Air, Jacks Jig, the Road to Pakistan, the Ale is Dear 3rd = Rona Macdonald - townhead takedown, Strathspeys and Reels 3rd = Nigel Bridges - Duncan MacRae of Kintail

Duet for pipes (5 entrys)- Mains Castle Medals - Judge: Nigel Richard

1st Peter McAlister and Scott Forrestt - My Home, Glasgow City Police 2nd Stuart Letford and Bill Bennett - Leaving Lismore, Roxburgh Castle, MARCH OF DREAMS Alan Morley 2002 the Masons Apron 3rd George McKeand and John Easday - Wings, Bluebells of Scotland, Murdo s Wedding, Union Glen

Open solo for lowland/border pipes (3 entrys) - Hamish Moore Cup - Judge: Hamish Moore

1st Matt Seattle - Ill Gang Nae Mair tae Yon toun, Now Westlin Winds 2nd Donald Lindsay - Oer the Moor for a that 3rd Cen Kaighen - the Hut on Staffa Island, strathspey, Paddys trip to Scotland

THE FLAXEN LASS OF ALWAYS Julian Goodacre Have the players behind a screen and the running order not published, in order INVITATION RECITAL COMPETITION to get rid of pre judgment (sic) any prejudices the audience might have, whether Appraisal by Jock Agnew positive or negative. I think it would produce even more interesting results. A carpet for the players feet. annualIt has long been the concern of some LBPS members that while the competition is fun, informative and entertaining, it has failed to attract tilt It is, of course, impossible to convey the music of the evening using only the serious attention of the outside world. And the `outside world means, to many written word. But the atmosphere - ah, the atmosphere. The expectant silence as the Highland piping community. each `competitor prepared his pipes, broken only by the occasional sound of traffic from the night outside. The attentiveness throughout each performance as the committee has done much (and put in a great deal of unsung work) we listened to well tuned pipes playing with grace and precision. The to enthusiastic applause as each player finished his own personal programme - for promote the bellows pipes which we enjoy playing and listening to. Indeed the the rules allowed each player to choose his tunes with the proviso that at least wellpast piping recitals which were put on to include many aspects of piping as one must be a Border tune. Of these last I identified three Dixon tunes, and was andas Border and small pipes has attracted much attention, and been recorded pleased to hear played with the last two strains omitted - nice to made available to a very wide audience by Greentrax. It was following on from Over the Dyke know that others find those particular strains difficult too! upthis line of approach, I suspect, that the committee was prompted to come with the idea of an Invitation Recital Competition. The order of performance was on the drawn-straw principle, and Jon Swayne led the field with tunes played on his distinctive sounding pipes - he used two sets, Each member of the committee was asked to submit a shortlist of players theyd one in A and the other low D (I believe). Fin Moore followed with, would you like to hear, and the final list was picked from those with the most votes. 01 those players invited to take part, some couldnt or wouldnt, and the final list believe, a set of Hamish Moore smallpipes in A. Allan MacDonald also played was influenced accordingly. smallpipes (C I think), and included Piobaireachd and a Gaelic song with pipe accompaniment. John Saunders used both smallpipes and Border pipes, and the event was given a lot of publicity - albeit at fairly short notice. It was held produced some boogey which helped emphasise the relaxed approach of the in St Annes Community Centre, Edinburgh, on the evening of the regular `contestants. Malcolm Robertson played Border pipes and Gary West finished competition; that is, Easter Saturday. Each competitor was introduced by the evening playing his choice of tunes on D smallpipes. Hamish Moore, and a strict time limit of 15 minutes was allotted to each the final audience decision put Gary first, Malcolm second and Fin third. And I performance. Anyone over the limit was penalised. There were no formal find Garys performance all the more impressive since he was (I found out later) judges. Each member of the audience had a voting slip to show who, in their 2nd rd going down with hepatitis. opinion, should be placed 1st, or 3 . there was also a space on the voting slip for suggestions, comments and criticisms. Here are all those received: So did the evening achieve its objectives? I counted 44 in the audience, of which only a handful had not been at the competition during the day. Maybe an Easter they are all winners! weekend is a difficult time to attract a large audience. And it certainly raised several issues, some of which were aired over the internet; like whether an Excellent evening. Very difficult to choose, but competitive element good for audience should or could be a fair judge when monetary reward is involved; and making you really conscious of how the music is affecting you. Conclusion: the whole issue of competition playing - who wins who loses. everyone wins. In my view such an incredible evening should happen again, provided the No competition in future: have recital. At 50 or more for each. Ridiculous to relaxed approach to it can be maintained by audience and competitors alike, but judge. not necessarily as an annual fixture. And I strongly believe that the approach of individuals to such an event is heavily influenced by whether their mind focuses the venue is terrible! A much more professional environment is required. It on the word `Recital or `Competition when they look at the title. feels as though we were in a classroom. the musicians are much too accomplished to be in such a setting. the atmosphere is cold and incredibly rehearsed. truly an embarrassment to those who have practised to be here. A much more relaxed setting is crucial and quite possible!

46 album. Being an album confined to this My only criticism or REVIEWS TO THE DRUM OF THE SEA one composer does give it a strong album is that some of the breaks between tunes and tracks seem Donald Lindsay musical continuity but variety is weak. track 8 for example starts THUMB TWIDDLING R2CD 2012 R2/Rel Records possibly lacking. On balance I think Vicki Swan Jonny Dyer Donald has pulled off the challenge with the wonderful 2/4 march of representing one mans tunes and mentioned above and then breaks there has been a lot of hype that is quite a feat. into a strathspey. the strathspey is I have waited with some anticipation surrounding this album, including the accompanying musicians called `The Merry Men of Mey, for this CD. the follow up to one e:mail suggesting that I get in (Keith Easdale on cittern and which is meant to capture the rhythm Serious Kitchen Music would be touch with various radio stations to whistle, Celine Donoghue on fiddle of the foaming waves, but sounds difficult but it has been successfully request one of the tracks, Bays of and vocals and Stuart Glasgow off like `The Limping Men of Mey. achieved with thumb Twiddling. Harris . this alone made me guitar) fit very well with the pipes Track 5 starts with another 2/4 Largely self penned tunes, determined not to buy the CD. I won and this album demonstrates how march `The Lochs of North Uist beautifully crafted with a care that is the CD in the LBPS raffle at the musically sociable smallpipes are. and then breaks into a `jig that is obvious. RtW is easily my favourite Invitation Recital Competition and I these fine musicians should be surely a 6/8 march? (nothing wrong and I caught myself humming it as I have to say that I am rather glad I given more credit in the album notes with it though). Track 4 is beautiful walked through the hills today. the did because this is an album well as they are a very important part of but ends unsatisfactorily (the track is other tune in the set is the Home worth listening to. the CD - they barely get in. the entitled `Friendship and maybe that Coming and they merge superbly It is unusual to have an album whistle playing is skilled and there is is the point). together. Proving she is as good a of one mans music and the listener, really balanced stringed In track 12, Duncansby Head, flautist as a piper, Vicki makes a as well as being exposed to Donald, accompaniment throughout, as on which is definitely my favourite on great job of the Geordie Lad set. will also hear the compositions of track 10. track 6, Carinish is a the album the vocals are strong - just the Guitar work of Jonny reminds Alex Muir, probably for the first sensitive blend of whistle and fiddle. who is singing on this track? - and me very much of Martin Simpson, time. Alex Muir is a former Church Donald is a fine musician and Donalds piping weaves poignantly the basic sound seemingly simple of Scotland Minister and not demonstrates a wide range of skills between verses. The album is worth until you really listen and then it hits surprisingly writes tunes that are as a player, arranger of music and buying for this song alone. Donald you, wonderful (why could I not easy to listen to and contemplative in lyricist. His pipes always sound shows he is a skilled lyricist and the play like this when I was younger). I nature. I really like them and they sit good. He conveys a strong sense that words to the song are poetic, but defy anyone who listens to this well on smallpipes. there are some this music means a lot to him and why he has to break into a retreat album not to want to play at least cracking tunes. My favourite is The there is great feeling evident march, nice though it may be, is one of the tunes. Which brings me Queen Mothers Welcome to the Mey throughout. the playing is laid back beyond me. It seems corny when I round to the dots : they are easily Games which is as good a 2/4 and relaxed with a strong emphasis want to linger on the mood that the downloaded on line. the track info March as you will ever hear. Many on melody. the gracing is not song sets up. for Jesters Waltz says " many of the of the tunes (other than the Psalms) overdone and this enhances the these may seem trivial faults bars are in 8/8" , yes, and in 5/8 6/8 call out for lyrics (the Lochs of listening. there is fine steady but without them you would 2/4 4/4 - pure sadism, its great! The North Uist and the Castle of playing of marches with pleasing definitely be slumped in your whole album has been put together Mey) and there is unfinished phrasing. I particularly like the effect armchair with your whisky in a very well not only by the musicians business here. of the change from slow air to pretty mellow mood by the end of but also by the engineer, who has I did get some sense of catchy hornpipe, The Pentland the CD - if not asleep. recorded an excellent album. Go on, musical Deja Vu. Track 1, with Fishermen , on track 11. this is a Even with these reservations, buy it! Highland Pipes, starts with what hugely nostalgic album that makes I have to say this is an outstanding Jon Redpath seems remarkably like Because he me want to ring Cal-Mac and book a CD and definitely worth buying. was a Bonny Lad played slowly. passage to the islands. Nigel Bridges this happens more than once on this SERIOUS KITCHEN particularly admire the sensitive Vicki Swan others playing and compositions of Jonny Dyer on guitar. I find their own "Tig" is the title of the band `Serious compositions to be more appealing Kitchen (formerly Muckle Flugga) than the traditional tracks which do latest CD. It features Vicki Swan not add significantly to the cannon (LBPS Past Membership Secretary) of traditional ballads, albeit very on Scottish Smallpipes (by Hamish competently sung. Moore) and flute, Nick Hennessy on Serious Kitchens tasty output vocals, harp and concertina and of Celtic music, which began with Jonny Dyer on guitars and low "Fluggary", "Celtic Labyrinth" and whistle with Steafan Hannigan as then "Thumb twiddling" and "On guest percussionist ("egg" and the Mash" and now "Tig" is alive bodhran). the first and very busy with interesting flavours and set is called `the kilt set and textures. the contemporary tracks according to the notes and was on "Tig" are my favourites. inspired one Hogmanay in Scotland Recorded at Oisin Studios, wearing a kilt...... commando style Milton Keynes and manufacture by - the tunes are "Odd Socks, Going Cyclone Productions Ltd. Wetfoot Commando and the Checkered kilt " Music WFM 020831. their website Need I say more? things calm www.seriouskitchen.co.uk is still down after this. under construction. Across:- As with Serious Kitchen s Jim Buchanan 3. Pawky Mr Glen (4) previous CD "On the Mash" many 5. Malcolm who came second at the recital competition (9) of the tracks are traditional `big 8. Hes a gallant fireman (5) 8. Nut Brown girl (6) ballads featuring the distinctive 9. Winner of the recital competition (4) singing of Nick Hennessy. Vicki 11. Animal found in the graveyard (3) 13. A Macdonald glen (3) provides educational and excellent 15. Its eaten with puddings (4) 18. Cam ye by here? (6) backings on smallpipes in A, 19 Ayrshire toon (5) 20. Southern Scottish town (9) 21. Bel march (4) bodhran and flute. there is one track that I have played many times Down:- called "the Silkie of Sule Skerrie" 1. Drochaid or shorten (1, 6 or 8) 2. Royal bodyguards in Scotland (8) on which she achieves some 3. Under the hammer (5) 4. Northern town (6) amazing clarinet-style slides over 5. Description of an old 1 down (6) 6. Our Geordie (4) two whole tones. the sombre and 10. - Roving Robin (8) 11. Robins birthplace (8) mysterious nature of the song is 12. He sits on the stool of repentance (6) 14. Find malts on here (6) augmented by the dark sound of the 16. Airlies was a bonnie (5) 18. Finger movement (4) pipe. there are some fine examples of the use of smallpipes to give atmosphere to the `big ballads. Another favourite track is W.B.Yeates beautiful lyric "Sally Gardens" to which they have expertly fitted to their own tune. I Meetings and Events Galloway Summer School. July 28 th - August 1st. Tutors lain Maclnnes and Jock Agnew - smallpipes and Border pipes, with Richard and Anita Evans on pipe maintenance and reed making. Contact David Hannay 01 557 840 229

8th November. LBPS Annual Collogue and AGM in Melrose, on the connection . between Scottish and English piping traditions. Evening Ceilidh with the Justin Oddgig band. Further information on (www.lbps.net) or from Rona Macdonald 0141 946 8624.

EDINBURGH. Session on 1s t Tuesday of the month - temporarily suspended. For details of ALP smallpipe classes and pipe hire contact Jim Buchanan 0131 440 21 16

GLASGOW. Free smallpipe class Tuesdays contact Rona MacDonald 0141 946 8624

DUNDEE. 2 nd Sunday every month, at the Bay Horse. Contact Paul Boness 01250 876300

NORTHEAST (England). 1s t and 3 rd Thursday of the month at the Swan pub, Greenside. Contact Steve Barwick 0191 286 3545.

NORTHWEST (England). 3rd Friday of every month at St. Lukes Church Hall, Stonegarth, Carlisle, 1900 - 2100. Contact Richard Evans 016974 73799, [email protected]

LONDON. 3rd Thursday of every month (except July August). London Scottish Regimental Headquarters, 95 Horseferry Rd. Contact Jock Agnew 01621 855447

BRISBANE, Queensland. Meeting every month. Contact Malcolm McLaren (07 3820 2902) for details of day and venue.

LBPS ITEMS FOR SALE (obtainable from the membership secretary) Music Books (Members prices) 50 Border Lowland tunes 4.50 + PP (from original tutor) A Collection of Pipe Tunes 5.00 + PP the Master Piper ( from Dixon MS) 15.00 + PP Session Tune hook 5.00 + PP (being reprinted) Other items Tee shirts with LBPS Logo. Pipe box stickers with LBPS Logo