Now for something else. Cape Breton infused highland bagpipes that takes piping to a new place. Well worth a listen. Angus, Kenneth and Calum MacKenzie from Mabou in Cape Breton playing at the Ceolas concert at Celtic Connections 2012. A CD from the band Seudan featuring Calum MacCrimmon, Angus MacKenzie, Fin Moore, and Angus Nicolson …
This composition by Janette Montague, for bagpipe and string quartet is in Primary Piobaireachd Form, and was inspired by a discussion with Bob Rogers (Bob Dunsire Discussion Forums) of South Carolina. The Yellow Jessamine is one of the emblems of that State. Piobaireachd is traditionally played on a solo bagpipe. It is essentially a Theme …
Read more “Bagpipe and string quartet:Song of the Yellow Jessamine”
(Ed. note: The following is a segment of an autobiographical sketch of Joe Peter MacLean, a well known Cape Breton fiddler of the Gaelic tradition. He was born and lives in Cape Breton, immersed in the insulated and uniquely Canadian Scottish culture of North Eastern Nova Scotia. His full sketch can be found here. This …
Read more “A taste of the “old country”: ancient stories, Gaelic & bagpiping”
 “I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.” The words of Prince Edward Island author Lucy Maud Montgomery rang true this past weekend in British Columbia. While it may not be June, May in the Lower Mainland of BC has many comparisons to June in …
Read more “Bagpiping for summer weddings, parades and competitions in Vancouver”
A new bass drum, a new set of Northern Ireland manufactured Andante snare and tenor drums and a new music piece written by Robert Mathieson will be some of the highlights of a 30th anniversary concert May 4 at the home venue of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra by the six-time World Pipe Band Champions …
Read more “Now that’s a drum! SFU preps for NYC Lincoln Centre concert.”
One of the advantages of living in Vancouver is the lack of a real winter. Compared to the rest of British Columbia and most of the country, we have it easy here in the southwest corner of the province. A dusting of snow now and then throughout the winter months, rain that does not need …
Read more “The calendar says May, but where is spring in Vancouver?”
The masses have spoken. The ban on bagpiping on Vancouver city streets has been lifted after a spirited uproar from bagpipers, piping organizations, the general population and a cabinet minister from Scotland. The bylaw banning the excessive noise of bagpipes, drums, bongos and tambourines on city streets was quietly introduced by the city’s engineering department …
Read more “Former mayor Senator Larry Campbell pipes in on Vancouver bagpiper ban”
My former news colleague Ian Bailey, who I’m sure has an ear for traditional music from his reporting days in St. John’s, Newfoundland, has written an interesting story with the discovery that the City of Vancouver engineering department intends to ban the playing of bagpipes (and bongos, drums and tambourines) from the streets of Vancouver. …
Read more “Banning bagpipes, bongos, drums and tambourines on Vancouver streets”