 REVIEW FROM www.livingtradition.co.uk |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS – The Omnibus Northumbrian Pipers’ Society NPSCD01 |
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| This CD sets out to show the breadth of Northumbrian pipe music being played today, with some world renowned players and some less famous. It includes traditional and modern pieces, solos and ensemble playing, French and Irish music, as well as many Northumbrian favourites. Sixteen pipers and various other musicians play over 40 tunes in 19 tracks: well over an hour of music on the Northumbrian smallpipes. Each set of pipes is slightly different, and sometimes this can be clearly heard. The arrangements differ too: pipes and fiddle, pipes and harp, pipes and hurdy-gurdy, pipes and harmonica and of course guitar and keyboard. Familiar names include Kathryn Tickell, Andy May, Chris Ormston, Anthony Robb and Becky Taylor, with Stewart Hardy on fiddle. All the other pipers here are of a very high standard, although some tracks are quite unpolished.With Northumbrian music you expect certain things: hornpipes, rants, slow airs and variations. The Omnibus has all of these in full measure: 3/2 and 4/4 hornpipes by Hill or attributed to Hill or nothing to do with Hill, rants by Pigg or Tickell or neither, plus a whole slew of slow airs, jigs, slip-jigs and marches. There are traditional variations on classics such as Holey Ha’penny and My Dearie Sits Ower Late Up. There are modern virtuoso variations on Grey Bull Hornpipe and Wark Football Team by the inimitable Kathryn Tickell. It’s the unexpected which makes this collection special: a set of French bransles, an air transposed from the Irish pipes, a Swedish waltz and several stunning new slow airs by Northumbrian pipers. Listen to the sweeping beauty of Catcherside, the stately grandeur of Memories Of Wallington, or the heartfelt sadness of Whisky Is Not Enough. If you ever wondered what Northumbrian smallpipes could sound like, here’s your answer.
www.northumbrianpipers.org.uk Alex Monaghan |
Category Archives: News
Greaves Taylor Gillon
Greaves Taylor Gillon brings together three of the region’s most individual talents in a new project rooted in folk traditions. This acoustic trio combines original songs in various genres and traditional folk tunes in a live set that showcases great musicianship without ever losing its sense of fun. Visit our new website here
Greaves Taylor Gillon
Formed in 2014, this trio features:
– Andy Greaves – Singer, songwriter guitarist, mandolinist , poet and noted eccentric who has been at the centre of the Calder Delta music scene since his debut in the 1980s with John Peel favourites the Chinese Gangster Element. Over the last 30 years he has created original music in genres as diverse as punk and country music. Andy currently co-fronts British Bluegrass rebels The Tragics as well as performing widely as a solo artist and poet. 
-Les Gillon – Guitarist, bass-player, singer, composer and arranger, and a highly experienced musician who plays with a wide range or artists regionally and across the country. His alternative rock band Fez recently celebrated their 30 year anniversary and he plays with a variety of other bands including a country rock band, a jazz and blues combo and a group that performs Moroccan trance music.
and
– Becky Taylor contributing her own eclectic mix of Uilleann and Northumbrian pipes, duet concertina, whistles and fiddle to the musical pot.
GTG are taking bookings NOW! Contact us here
Or find us on facebook
Northumbrian Pipers Society Newsletter Article
Last Autumn I was asked to write an article for the Northumbrian Pipers Society quarterly newsletter. An edited version was published in the Autumn edition, but here is the full version…
Waking up on the morning after my birthday this year I realized with some horror that I had now been playing the pipes for 30 years (you would have thought I would have the hang of it by now really wouldn’t you?!..)
Starting back in 1983 with Dave McQuade’s loan sets to schools and moving on to a particularly decrepit Hedworth set which I played for many years, my early NSP playing was unorthodox to say the least, and heavily influenced by the Irish musicians in the area and my passion for Uilleann piping for which I am perhaps better known. The defining moment in my NSP playing career was when, after many years I finally acquired a beautiful boxwood 17key set from Colin Ross in 2008 – it did take a little persuasion it must be said, as he was concerned that the Bb keys may not have been strictly necessary, with me assuring him that them they were, and subsequently playing many Gminor sets just to make sure I got the good use of them! Anyway, on playing this set it was impossible not to fall in love again with the sound of NSP and I returned to regular playing with renewed enthusiasm.
Over the years my piping career has taken me to some interesting places, most recently in Russia where I was invited to play (Uilleann) pipes as a guest with the legendary Boris Grebenshikov and his (mainly rock based) band Aquarium. After several visits I introduced the smallpipes as my F set very conveniently played in the keys of F and C that my Uilleann sets (being a concert pitched or ‘B’ set) couldn’t, and they were subsequently used on several tracks even making a brief appearance on the (very heavy) album ‘Архангельск’.
Playing NSP in Russia with a (very large) rock band came with its own particular set of challenges, the first of which was getting them there. Travelling through Russian border control with a pipe case containing both Uilleann and NSP is interesting to say the least. The very first word I learnt in Russian was ‘волынка’ pronounced ‘Volinka” and meaning literally ‘bagpipe’ and it is essential information for smoothing the difficult conversation between me (no Russian) and the rather bemused looking immigration staff (little English) when they pointed to my case with a stern ‘open’..
Azimuth P – Zemlya Nol (Азимут Р — Zемля Nоль)
Here’s an interesting album which I had the pleasure to record a couple of tracks for last year in Russia.
The brainchild of Denis Rozov – voice, guitar and mandolin; Boris Rubekin – whistle, flute, piano, keyboards, and Andrew Bayramov – bodhran, djembe, congas, cajon, shaker, tambourine. cymbals.
The Inaugural Sowerby Bridge Arts Festival!
Didikai at Sowerby Bridge Arts Festival 9th December 2013
Didikai are very proud to be part of the First ever Sowerby Bridge Arts Festival! Please come and support us on the 9th December 🙂
DIDIKAI at Frodsham Folk Club, Friday 15th November 2013
DIDIKAI are looking forward to presenting their diverse range of material and intriguing collection of musical instruments to the good folk of Cheshire. We will be guests at Frodsham Folk Club on Friday 15th November when we will be standing in for Grace Notes who have unfortunately had to cancel their booking due to illness. Didikai wish Maggie Boyle and Grace Notes all the very best and a swift recovery. Get Well Soon Maggie x
In the meantime we are looking forward to a great night
Come down and join in the fun – t’would be lovely to see you there!
http://www.frodshamfolkclub.co.uk/
Venue:
The Conservative Club
74 Main Street
Frodsham
WA6 7AU
Here we are enjoying ourselves at Stockton Folk Club earlier this year –
photos taken by Denis Dunning http://www.denisdunning.com/
Apologies for an over enthusiastic spam filter
Apologies to anyone who hasn’t received an e-mail response from me via the contact form. The over-enthusiastic SPAM filter has been filtering website emails to the trash bin and I have only just been made aware of this.
Needless to say the fault has now been rectified and normal service has now been resumed. If you have contacted me recently and not received a timely response please accept my humble apologies and resend if its still relevant.
Sorry for the inconvenience
Becky
Guesting with Jez Lowe & the Bad Pennies!
After a fantastic time guesting with Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies it was really nice to come across some fab phots of the gig at The Bury Met in April.
Please click on the link to display the pictures.
All photos reproduced here with kind permission of Roger Liptrot at www.folkimages.com
Find out more about Jez and the Pennies at www.jezlowe.com
This and many more photos from Roger Liptrot available here http://www.folkimages.com/images2013/pages/jez_lowe.htm All images copyright Roger Liptrot 2013
DIDIKAI at the Friends of Square Chapels fundraising ceilidh
Newsflash!
DIDIKAI will now be doing a cameo spot at the Friends of Square Chapels fundraising ceilidh, TOMORROW night, Saturday the 8th May, at the Square Chapel Halifax.
Full details, including ticket prices and availability can be found here
The Square Chapel Centre for the Arts in Halifax is a thriving venue bringing you the best in live music, theatre, dance, comedy, family shows, musicals, lectures, workshops, art classes, Youth Theatre and the Halifax Festival.
The Forgetting Room (Update)
Special Announcement from the forgetting room (www.theforgettingroom.co.uk)
It is with great sadness that we have to tell you all of the untimely death of Jonathan Taylor.
He was the spark that ignited the Ghost Codes project, the glue that kept it all together. Without his energy, determination, constant badgering and prodding of those involved, along with his composing and musical abilities there would not have been a Ghost Codes album.
I am sure you will all join us in sending our deepest sympathy to his family and close friends and also in being grateful for what he has achieved, not only on this album but also his enormous contribution to the lives of so many people around him.
The world is a dimmer place without him. He will be missed greatly by so many.
The Ghost Codes will be released.