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…

Northumbrian Smallpipes

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’..

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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

Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies

Becky Taylor

Becky Taylor

Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies

Becky Taylor

Jez and Kate

Becky Taylor

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.

Ireland Bridge Review (FolkWorld CD Reviews – by Alex Monaghan)

Becky Taylor “Ireland Bridge”
Label: Own Label; 10 tracks; 38 min
From the North of England, this young uilleann piper combines Irish music with aspects of English, Breton and other traditions. Her second album is aptly named. In a little under forty minutes, Becky Taylor stravagues through a musical landscape from Tyneside to Donegal. Francis Donnellan’s, Rattle the Cash and The Kilkenny Jig sit alongside her own compositions, which often have a slightly English feel. As well as the Irish pipes, Ms Taylor plays Northumbrian smallpipes, concertina, fiddle and whistles. She’s joined by several friends: Dave Wood, David Kosky and Paul Cowham on guitars, Leigh Stothard on drums, and Hugh Bradley on bass. For those who heard her debut CD, Ireland Bridge is a big step forward and presents Becky as a piper to be reckoned with.
The Gift mixes rustic modal melodies with the world music sound of Barely Works or Oyster Band numbers. Smallcoalpiper is a contemporary Northumberland showpiece, full of pops and stops, with a driving topline and a strong beat, finishing on the classic Small Coals. The air Mable strays across the Celtic rim, somewhere along an imaginary line between Callanish and Compostella. When It’s All Over is a little further West, halfway across that Ireland bridge; a pair of breakneck whistle reels a la Finnegan or McGoldrick. Track 6 is firmly on Irish soil, Carolan’s Captain Kane. The traditional jigs Red Haired Polly and Rattle the Cash keep us there, and The Lady’s Cup of Tea adds some very fine Irish piping. Becky’s style is open and uncomplicated, and the melody comes through strongly. The stately air River Rose leads into an impressive whistle solo. Can’t Help Smiling rounds off this recording with a medley of jigs, leaving no doubt as to Becky Taylor’s abilities: a fine command of her instrument, a repertoire as wide as these islands, and a gift for contemporary composition. Ireland Bridge is good solid pipering from start to finish, and should broaden the horizons of most traditional musicians.
Www.beckytaylor.info
Alex Monaghan

This review appeared on the FolkWorld webiste, Issue 36 published  July 2008 Folkworld CD Reviews