Watch documentary on Johnny Doherty, Donegal fiddle legend
Tinsmith, storyteller and legendary traditional fiddler, Johnny Doherty was in the 1970s still traveling the hills of Donegal at an advanced age, playing music and making a living. The documentary below was made in 1972 by Seán O’Haughey of the Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann (Irish Folklore Commission). You can watch it in its entirety, in five parts.
Johnny Doherty (Seán Ó Dochartaigh) was born in Ardara, County Donegal (Ard an Rátha, Co. Thír Chonaill) at an unknown year.
The O’Doherty family were travelers in the culturally rich Gleann Cholm Cille area. Johnny’s father Mickey was a fiddler, and his mother Mary McConnell was a singer. Johnny was the youngest of nine children. As a teenager, Johnny was not allowed to play fiddle in the company of his parents until he had mastered the reel “Bonny Kate.” Johnny’s brother, also called Mickey, was noted for his style after the recording artist Michael Coleman ( Mícheál Ó Clúmháin), and Mickey can be heard play on “The Gravel Walks.”
The classic album The Floating Bow preserves Johnny Doherty music and stories for all time, and is a valuable treasure of the tradition. O’Doherty’s music is noted for its complicated ornamentation, double-stop bowing technique, and the uilleann pipe sound he successfully recreated on the fiddle. His influence on later masters is incalculably and hugely significant.
Pipe band ready for Edinburgh Military Tattoo – Local News – News | Mosman Daily
Pipe band ready for Edinburgh Military Tattoo – Local News – News | Mosman Daily:
“BAGPIPES are cool, insists Mosman’s Claire Niccol, who took up the instrument at a girls’ high school in Perth.
‘There were about 50 girls learning the pipes; it was fun and a cool thing to do,’ she said.
‘There’s a guy in my band (Manly Warringah Pipe Band) at the moment who plays the bagpipes in his rock band.’
As a member of the Manly Warringah Pipe Band, Niccol will perform at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo tonight.”
Banned Scottish Dish Haggis Allowed Back in US
Banned Scottish Dish Haggis Allowed Back in US:
“After being banned for 21 years, haggis will soon be allowed back into the United States.
According to Wikipedia haggis is a Scottish specialty dish that contains sheep’s offal (heart, liver and lungs,) minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal’s stomach for approximately three hours.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to lift restrictions on the import of the dish, according to Reuters .
The news comes as Scots and fans of Robert Burns gather to toast the famous poet’s life. Burns night , which is celebrated on Jan. 25, usually includes a toast of whiskey and a festive dinner with haggis as the main dish, presented with bagpipe fanfare and saluted with Burns poem ‘The Address To A Haggis.’
U.S. authorities prohibited haggis over food safety fears that its main ingredient, sheep’s lungs, could potentially be lethal.
The Guardian reported that during the ban some Scots would smuggle into the U.S. a haggis for their relatives. And butchers in the U.S. have tried to make their own versions of the pudding without using the vital ingredient: sheep.”
Bagpipes: You either love them or hate them
“Ron Rowe says that people either love or hate the sound of bagpipes.
Rowe, who manages and plays for the Galloway Highlanders Pipes and Drums, a group founded in the Top of Utah by his father, is one of the lovers.
So is Clinton Tibbitts, a 17-year-old senior at Ben Lomond High School, home of the proud Scots. A bagpipe player for the school, he first became interested in the instrument when it was used as an alarm clock at summer camp when he was a preteen in Virginia.
‘For some reason, something that was really annoying, and related to waking up no less, caught my attention,’ said Tibbitts. ‘And then we moved to Utah, where it so happens that the high school I was attending offered it.’
For Rowe, of Clearfield, the pipes are a family affair. His father, Albert Rowe, started Galloway in 1992 as a way for family and friends to play together. Albert’s father also played.
‘It’s in the blood, I think,’ said Rowe. ‘Three of my four grandparents were from Scotland. My dad quit after his dad died — too many emotional ties for him. But after my mom died in 1992, we talked him into taking it up again and teaching, to give him something to do. The next thing we knew, we had enough people for a band.’
“
P/M George M Bell 1926-2010
P/M George M Bell 1926-2010 – Bob Dunsire Bagpipe Forums:
“P/M George M Bell 1926-2010
January 16, 2010 – We are sorry to report today that Pipe Major George M. Bell passed awayat age 83, on January 16, 2010, after several years of intermittent illness. P/M Bell was one of the most important piping figures in the North America.
Bell emigrated from Glasgow to New Jersey where he founded the Kenmure Pipe Band in 1953. Under his leadership, the band won the Grade 1 Eastern United States Championships nine times. He was also an active and successful solo competitor.
PM Bell was instrumental in the beginnings of EUSPBA in 1964, and served our association in many capacities, including Chairman of the Judges Committee, where he worked to develop our judging accreditation program.
George Bell may be best known as a teacher, whose students included his sons Jimmy and Duncan, as well as Derek Midgley and Bobby Durning. His sons Gordon and Donald are prominent pipe band drummers.
Our condolences go to the Bell family and many friends at this sad time.
Funeral Arrangements:
Rezem Funeral Home, 457 Cranbury Road East Brunswick, NJ 08816
732-257-1191 or 800-257-1191
Viewing – Thursday 1/21/2010 – 2:00pm-4:00pm, 7:00pm-9:00pm
Funeral – 10:30am Friday 1/22/2010 in South Amboy, NJ”
(Via – Read Full Article.)
Bagpipes take the streets of Chile
Bagpipes take the streets of Chile | Video | Reuters.com:
“Apr. 28 – In front of thousands of spectators, over 100 bagpipers paraded in the Chilean capital of Santiago.”
(Via www.reuters.com – View Video.)
A Spot of Tea vs. a Plea for More Stimulus
A Spot of Tea vs. a Plea for More Stimulus – Wheels Blog – NYTimes.com:
“The Nationwide Tax Day Tea Party, represented by about 20 local residents who marched to a bagpipe’s bleating from General Motors’ headquarters to Cobo Center, carried abstractions of the American flag. Several members donned revolutionary era costumes and carried signs critical of President Obama, including the now-familiar image with a Hitler mustache.”
(Via wheels.blogs.nytimes.com .)
Readers’ Enquiries – Edinburgh Evening News
Readers’ Enquiries – Edinburgh Evening News:
“Readers’ Enquiries
Published Date: 09 January 2010
Q I am writing a biography of John Grant, Edinburgh resident throughout the 1900s-1950s; a tax-collector and composer of bagpipe music, most notably The Pipes of War and The Royal Collection of Piobaireachd. I am hoping a descendant will read this and contact me at mocmus@juno.com. Dr. Alan Armstrong, professor of music, Mount Olive College Mount Olive, North Carolina, USA.”
Free Book on Irish Music
Irish minstrels and musicians: with numerous dissertations on related subjects By Francis O’Neill
Francis O’Neill (1848–1936) was an Irish musician and music collector from Co. Cork who emigrated to the U.S. and eventually became the chief of police of Chicago. He is best known for his seminal tune collection “O’Neill’s Music of Ireland.”
But O’Neill was also a highly prolific and very entertaining prose writer. His “Irish Minstrels and Musicians,” published in 1913, is one of the best sources we have for anecdotal information about Irish piping in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
I just learned that this important work has become available in its entirety on Google books. You can now download it for free here.
“Irish Minstrels and Musicians” is a wonderful read for anyone who is interested in the history of the pipes or in the history of Irish music in general.
O’Neill’s other major prose work, “Irish Folk Music: A Fascinating Hobby,” also recently came back into print and is now available for purchase from Amazon.
This second O’Neill book contains many interesting anecdotes about O’Neill’s collecting experiences and has more information about old pipers he knew or had heard of. Appendix A contains O’Farrell’s Treatise and Instructions on the Irish Pipes, published circa 1797-1800. Appendix B contains Hints to Amateur Pipers by Patsy Touhey.
vPipes – Hyper-realistic Electronic Bagpipes
vPipes – Hyper-realistic Electronic Bagpipes:
“vPipes-Uilleann is a unique electronic uilleann bagpipes emulator that uses revolutionary technology resulting in a hyper-realistic experience in terms of sound quality, fingering and ornamentations. It thus affords the possibility of practising accurately in a variety of situations that would prove impractical or impossible with a real set of pipes.”
ORDERING CLOSES JAN 15 for FIRST RUN
We are pleased to announce that the vPipes-Uilleann is now available to order.
Many thanks to all for having demonstrated a ‘saintly’ patience.
You are finally able to enter the realm of hyper-realism with the vPipes-Uilleann.
The market price for the vPipes-Uilleann is 1,290 Euros (net of local taxes and delivery).
The special launch price has been maintained at 980 Euros (net of local taxes and delivery).
In order to be included in this launch, orders must placed before the 15th January 2010. Limited to 1 unit per person.
The period during which the vPipes can be reserved opens on 21/12/2009 and closes on 15/01/2010.
Highland bands run out of puff
Highland bands run out of puff – Local News – News – General – The Advertiser:
“A CRITICAL shortage of highland band pipers is affecting several visiting bands and may stop them taking part in the Maryborough Highland Gathering street march on Friday.
Officials are very concerned that a reduction in the number of younger people learning the bagpipes is having a detrimental effect on pipe band numbers.
With the retirement of older members, it has reached a critical stage in the viability of some pipe bands.
It is reliably reported that the Australian Defence Department has disbanded the Australian Army Highland Pipe Band, which is a disappointment for highland pipe band supporters.
An urgent appeal has been put out for volunteer pipers to support the City of Horsham Pipe Band and the St Arnaud (Norman Simpson Memorial) Pipe Band so that the two bands can take part in Friday’s street march.
Band officials are keen to take part in the street parade and in the on-oval presentation, but are short of several pipers.
While highland pipe bands in the local region are strong in Maryborough, Castlemaine and Daylesford, there is continuing pressure on the number of available pipers in St Arnaud and Horsham.”
The Pipes of Christmas Concerts Dec 19-20 NY/NJ
The Pipes of Christmas
Dec. 19-20, 2009
Tickets are now on sale for the 2009 edition of “The Pipes of Christmas.” The Celtic Christmas classic will celebrate its eleventh season with performances in New York and New Jersey this December.
NEW JERSEY CONCERT – SAT. DEC 19
Two concerts are scheduled for 2PM and 8PM on Saturday, December 19 at Central Presbyterian Church located at 70 Maple Street in Summit, NJ.
NYC CONCERT – SUN. DEC 20
The “Pipes” will also return to New York City on Sunday, December 20 at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, located at 921 Madison Avenue (at 73rd Street). The Manhattan concert begins at 2:30 PM.
The concert presents the music of Christmas accompanied by a selection of readings taken from Scripture and the Celtic literature of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Featured performers include Andrew Weir from the film “Braveheart,” uilleann piper Christopher Layer, three-time New Englad fiddle champion Paul Woodiel, the Solid Brass ensemble, Scottish harpist Jennifer Port, and the Grade III Kevin Ray Blandford Memorial Pipe Band of Redlands, CA.
Order Tickets Now
General admission tickets for the NJ concert are $50. Tickets for the NYC concert are $60.
Tickets for all performances are available via mail order. A downloadable ticket order form can be found on the concert’s website at www.pipesofchristmas.com.
Tickets for the NY concert may also be purchased online at www.smarttix.com or by phone at (212) 868-4444 or by mail order.
Premium VIP seats are available at both venues through membership in the “Friends of the Pipes of Christmas.”
About “The Pipes of Christmas”
Since making its debut in 1999, “The Pipes of Christmas” has played to standing room only audiences. Given the popularity of the program, a second concert was added in 2001 to accommodate the high-demand for tickets.
That same year, the concert began an award-winning partnership with HomeTowne Television by broadcasting concert highlights on Christmas Eve to an estimated 40,000 cable subscribers. Four productions have received the prestigious Telly Award for television production excellence.
Now a cherished holiday institution, the concert has provided audiences with a stirring and reverent celebration of the Christmas season and the Celtic spirit. Audience-goers return year after year to experience the program, many reporting that the Pipes of Christmas has become part of their family’s annual holiday traditions.
Piping Scholarships
Proceeds from the concert help fund three annual music scholarships. The Alex Currie Memorial Scholarship for Bagpipe was created in honor of the famed Canadian piper and is administered by the Gaelic College in Nova Scotia. An additional piping scholarship – The Pipe Major Kevin Ray Blandford Scholarship – is awarded annually by the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, Scotland.
A Celtic Christmas – Dec 12 – Redlands, CA
“The Redlands Community Music Association will present ‘A Celtic Christmas’ featuring Highland Way and the
This third Celtic Christmas event will focus on the music of Scotland and will also pay tribute to Scotland’s beloved poet Robert Burns.
Celtic music and dance will ring in the joy of the season for an evening performance at Redlands High School Clock Auditorium on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. and for a matinee performance on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m.
Scotland native Brian Caldwell of Glasgow leads a musical journey through traditional and modern Celtic melodies.
Rounding out the evening will be the Kevin R. Blandford Memorial Pipe Band rousing the audience with soul stirring sounds of the Scottish bagpipes.
Preferred seating is $40 and general seating is $20. Children 12 and under will be admitted free with adults in general seating.
To purchase tickets please visit the RCMA website at www.redlandsbowl.org or call the Bowl Office at 793-7316.”
Soundbytes – Bagpipe and Hurdy Gurdy Plugs
“Soundbytes has announced that version 1.1 updates are available for the entire Soundbytes VST plug-in range. The Update brings major improvements and stability to the VST synthesizers BagPipes, HurdyGurdy and HurdyGurdyLE as well as to the VST effect plugins Sympathizer and StringVerb.
Bagpipe Plugin:
The Soundbytes BagPipes is a sample based VST plugin instrument for the windows platform. Its elaborately crafted control engine makes it easy to play authentic sounding bagpipe styles and techniques.
This can be done using nothing but a simple MIDI keyboard with just basic modulator input through pitch bender and modulation wheel.
Use the BagPipes to play authentic parts with convincingly sounding ornaments, cuts, taps and staccato runs. A specially designed pipe filter adds yet another layer of realism to vibrato, fades and pitch slides.
Hurdy Gurdy Plugins:
The Soundbytes HurdyGurdy is a sample based VST synthesizer for the windows platform.
It recreates the sound and playing technique of the Hurdy Gurdy.
The very special character of the ancient Hurdy Gurdy sound was until now very difficult to emulate. Many of the instruments peculiarities are not well known and using a sampler it is rather difficult to reproduce the Hurdy Gurdy in a convincing way even to those who are familiar with the instrument.
New NPC Radio with Planetpipe
Planetpipe have teamed up with the National Piping Centre to produce a new NPC Radio show which is available now on the Planetpipe website.
It is hosted by John Mulhearn and features tracks from Fred Morrison, Stuart Liddell and WAPOL pipe band and much more.
So make sure you tune in by going to http://www.planetpipe.com
Bagpipe Tuner HBT1 – Calibration & detection
The HBT1 Highland Bagpipe tuner is the most comprehensive bagpipe tuner available. Featuring 5 modes, including a metronome, the HBT1 tuner correctly displays the pitch of the chanter notes to harmonise with the drones while also displaying the note, frequency, calibration frequency and pitch position on a large LCD screen. It’s easy to use and fit’s in your sporran!
Liam Clancy Brought Ireland and Politics to My Front Door
Liam Clancy Brought Ireland — and Politics — to My Front Door — Politics Daily:
“On Friday word came down that Irish folk singer Liam Clancy, 74 years old, had died. Within minutes Facebook was awash in the news. Radio DJs announced they were planning tributes. Others, including me, posted Clancy Brothers videos.
I found a clip of Liam Clancy singing ‘The Patriot Game,’ the ballad written by Dominic Behan, brother of renowned Irish playwright Brendan Behan. I had not heard the song in years, but even so, I discovered I knew it by heart. Click play below to listen to the song:”
Officially the best Pipe Band
Officially the best – News – Haddington – Articles – East Lothian Courier:
“HADDINGTON Pipe Band was on Sunday named the best pipe band in Scotland, after receiving huge support from all over the world.
The county favourites won various heats and then an online public poll to claim the title of ‘Scottish Pipe Band of the Year’ at the coveted Scottish Traditional Music Awards 2009 in Dumfries.
The band, who took to the streets of Haddington last month to drum up support, beat fellow finalists Boghall & Bathgate, Strathclyde Police, and Inveraray Pipe Bands following the public vote.
re impressive as their final rivals are all ‘competition’ bands while Haddington exists solely to benefit the community.
Pipe Major David Leckie said of the win: ‘This is unbelievable.
‘Just to be nominated alongside such wonderful bands was an honour for us, and to come away with the award really is beyond anything we could have hoped for.”
(Via – Read Full Article.)
Chicago Celtic Pipe band looks for new members
Chicago Celtic Pipe band looks for new members:
“About 12 bagpipers gathered inside the Estelle Sieb Community Center in Norridge Nov. 23 to practice with Pipe Major Chris Boyle.
The Chicago Celtic Pipe Band meets at the Sieb Center at 7:30 p.m. every Monday (except holidays).
The Chicago Celtic Pipe Band had an open house for Ridgewood High School band students at the Sieb Center Nov. 23. Neil Hansen (left) and Paul McHugh play the bagpipes.
The Chicago Celtic Pipe Band had an open house for Ridgewood High School band students at the Sieb Center Nov. 23. Instructor Charles Reece (mirror, right) helps students with a traditional drum rhythm.
The Chicago Celtic Pipe Band had an open house for Ridgewood High School band students at the Sieb Center Nov. 23. Instructor Charles Reece (middle) helps students with a traditional drum rhythm.
‘We just sit at the table, we start walking through all the new tunes, breaking them down, working on it, building them up,’ Boyle said. ‘As we get further and further in the year we spend more time on pipes. We’re working on the technique of playing, blowing, keeping a steady tone with the bagpipe, and then work on the finger execution so that we get it as tight as we possibly can. That’s the ultimate goal is basically to sound like one.
‘Then the drum corps will be working on their thing,’ he added. ‘They write specific scores to the tunes that we’re playing. So we get a nice integrated balance between the two different corps and that we have a nice solid sound.’
Pipe band manager Jim Enright said Ridgewood High School band members were invited to observe the practice in hopes of becoming new members.
“
Christ Church Casino Highland Pipe Band Contest – New Zealand
Saturday 5th December 2009
South Island Major Events | New Zealand Travel Blog:
“A Scottish tradition in Christchurch, this pipe band contest is one on the circuit of regional contests, attracting bands from all over New Zealand. A full day of New Zealand’s finest pipe band performances starts at 8.30am with the solo piping and drumming competition with highland dancing exhibitions. From 12.30pm, the bands compete culminating with the splendid massed bands street march.”
Bagpipe News
Register or log in to contribute news stories and receive email news digest.Listen to Bagpipe Music
