What, if any, collections of Christmas tunes on the UP exist? Between Googling and searching here I have found precious little. There must be some good cd’s out there. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Peace!
Reepicheep
Reepicheep,
I found this CD a while back. It was recorded by Eric Rigler (the guy who played for the ‘Braveheart’ movie).
I like and play the Wexford Carol which is on ‘A Chieftains Celebration’ with Nanci Griffiths singing.
well, this seems kind of OT to me in several ways 
but… if you must get your UP fix while the rellies are gathered around the tree, you might check out some of the Bonnie Rideout albums. While they tend to be “Scottish Christmas”-themed, Rigler plays uilleann pipes on most of them.
Geez, you’d think they’d get their own bagpipes over there in Scootland 
Pleasant enough to listen to (ahem, but not piping 
). Still, more to my taste than the annual Enya christmas album
oh yeah, there is a smallpipe track or two. But AFAIR no warpipes…
Reep,
go to your local music store, and check out the sheet music for the classic X-Mas songs. A lot of these tunes fit the pipes fairly well… Joy To The World, for instance, is in D.
Failing that, pick out a few tunes from memory, add a pinch of your own coloring, lightly flavor with a turn, pop and cran or two, and there you have it… X-Mas on the pipes.
Martha Stewart ain’t got nothing on me, baby!
Thanks for the info. I actually found one of the Eric Rigler cd’s in downloadable form. The piping is good, the accompaniment is lacking, but hey, it only cost $2.50 for the d/l.
Not quite to the place where I am playing tunes myself yet. I am trying to avoid the temptation to play a lot of tunes before I have some fundamental playing skills developed.
I do have several good sources for tunes… the Presbyterian and Moravian Hymnals. If the key is wrong I just plug them into Finale NotePad and then change the key.
I just wanted to hear some traditional tunes… shame that there is such a dearth of Christmas music recorded on the UP.
This is a goofy recording, but it gives you an idea.
http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/12-04/ChiffmasChunesJosephS.mp3
tommy coens reel is also called “the christmas reel"and there is a jig published in the breanach collection named"christmas eve”.i have also composed a tune titled"the christmas banana skin",it can be played as a slip jig or even a slide!!!
nadolig llawen,
allan
Some years ago I recorded versions of Don Oiche ud i Mbeithil (That Night in Bethlehem)/ Wexford Carol on one of Target’s “Celtic Christmas” cds. Not sure if it is still available or not. They trot it out at this time of year for some reason.
Sorry about the self promotion (kinda).
Shamelessly,
t
Baloo Lammy which is often played by Jerry O’sullivan
Horslips album “Drive the cold winter away” has lots of christmassy tunes.
Jim Lockhart plays UPS and Charles OConnor plays some Northumbrian pipes on it.
http://www.tuatha.org/horslips/winter.html
I always like stickin on the album when im puttin the tree up!
Holy night in 6/8 rythm is very nice, goes well on the pipes
Rob
Can’t believe nobody has mentioned this yet, but the second part of The Piper in the Meadow Straying (a set dance) has a passage that sounds just like the fa-la-la’s in Deck the Halls.
Quote from the horslips site!! http://www.tuatha.org/horslips/winter.html
“We found the fine hornpipe “The Piper in the Meadow Straying” in Johnny Fean’s repertoire. We’re not sure if whoever wrote it had just heard “Deck the Halls” or vice versa - but it’s a nice Christmassy tune”.
isn’t “I saw three ships” an english tune?
Then again . . . a lot of carols aren’t necessarily Irish 
Has no one thought of Don Oiche Ud I mBeithil? Nice slow air.
dave boling
bump!
See my earlier posting
t
piper in the meadow straying is played as “deck the halls” on Chieftains album “Bells of Dublin”
Rob