Well NPU have released two CD’s of excellent older style playing recently (the Doran reissue and the Kearney CD) which I feel is admirable. Besdies NPU doesn’t own every (or even anywhere near a majority) of old piping recordings.
I agree that this stuff (particularly playing as mind-numbingly complex and quirky as Doran’s) could be presented in a way more accesable to those who wish to interpret it and incorporate it into their playing to whatever extent ( we might even create a real travelling style piper!) . It will be discussed, watch this space…
She Ain’t No Human Being! Or do you mean the original?
Ahem…mind you where he got that CD in the first place!
I’d like to see this article of Gay’s; is it as dogmatic as all that, or is he just hoping that no one learning the pipes will go drastically astray from the start?
I’m very keen on reading Pat Mitchell’s Ennis analysis, too; it’s something I’ve picked up on myself, Seamus always has this…rumble of tone under it all. You try and replicate the notes themselves, but there’s something else in there. I’ve tried waggling the fingers as I play, lifting the chanter up at random. It’s quite extraordinary, whatever it was he did.
Be careful, all you pipers! Seamus’s father taught him “exactly how to play that note” in every case. And Patsy Touhey cautions against “Playing Haphazardly.” What the world doesn’t need now, is more bad piping. It’s the only thing, that there’s just, too much of…
(BTW, does anyone know of GH pipers who make their own reeds as a curiosity??)
Not to poke fun at my fellow GHB’ers… but most of them know bugger all about making a reed. And in some cases, even less about adjusting them. I am still trying to explain to some of them that a practice chanter reed, is in fact a reed and it can be adjusted, tweaked etc. quite like any other reed. Many GHB’ers have a “babysitter” on hand at all times to do everything for them, set up, adjustment, tuning. The equipment and pitch we will be playing is all determined at Glasgow Green. Some of us dont have to figure out anything for ourselves, or do much of anything except play the Tunes exactly as written like an {expletive deleted} Robot.
So anyway.. I estimate that there are exactly 48 GHB Pipers that make their own reeds. 24 of those are actively employed as reed makers. Out of those, 6 of them actually had their reeds played at the Worlds (which makes those brands the ‘only’ acceptable option)
I got my start on the UPs from a fellow who played the GHBs most excellently, and had made his own reeds for both for quite a while, which may be one reason why the locals systematically rejected him from their ranks, personality conflicts aside… :roll:
Highland piping is [expletive deleted] up. What a weird subculture! It’s sort of a 1st Battalion/Rennaisance Faire/Civil War re-enactment mindset. Right quick march!
Highland piping is [expletive deleted] up. What a weird subculture! It’s sort of a 1st Battalion/Rennaisance Faire/Civil War re-enactment mindset.
BFH Kevin.. Throwing around the most offensive words to GHB’ers.. “Ren Faire” & “Re-enactors” . Many, if not most have an “a## that is too fancy” for those sorts of lowlife’ted endevours. The way I describe it is “Franchise”.. Some bands act as a franchise of the Queens Own Highlanders, some bands act as a franchise of Simon Fraser University.
Hopefully, the UP tradition doesnt ever reach that level of standardisation.
Having mass produced matching chanters would be nice, more easily aquired reeds for the same would be great too. As horrid as this concept might sound.. the “session chanter” comes out after the session, and back in with the Solo chanter.
Thanks for all the ones you have sent me though … 