I’ve been playing pipes for about 8 years and guitar for about 20. I remember being very impressed by Davy Spillance “Atlantic Bridge” when he paired up with Bela Fleck on banjo and Jerry Douglas on dobro and produced something completely without precedent.
Since then, I’ve never really be a major fan of the Lone Piper theory (chanter, drones, regs and absolutely nothing else), always preferring another instrument to accompany the pipes. Guitars and bouzukis are the norm, but recently I’ve played with a friend who plays cittern and I’ve come to the conclusion that the mix of tuning and tone of the cittern makes it the best accompanyment for the uilleann pipes.
Has anyone come across interesting collaborations between UPs and other instruments?
This is purely a matter of personal taste. You like Spillane. I can’t stand him. You like guitar-like strumming instruments. I think it ruins the rhythm. Other collaborations with pipes are flute/pipes, fiddle/pipes. Still, all a matter of personal taste.
I spent quite a few years backing up pipes, fiddle, flute, whistles, accordion with guitar and bass. Nowadays, I prefer to hear the pipes unaccompanied, not to say that I don’t like accompaniment, but solo pipes are easier to concentrate on, and have an individual beauty that I find irresistable.
Just an advice what NOT to try: playing bagpipes close to a church organ. At least my experience with this was quite bad. We were playing with two (french) bagpipes for a wedding and suddenly the organ started to sound, even though it was off. The odd thing about this was that the tone the organ produced was half a tone higher than our drones. Shit happens!
Another combination that some people like is box/pipes. Personally, I don’t care for boxes much because of the way their sound swallows up the instruments around them. A good example is “Callan Bridge” with the Vallely bros. You can hardly tell the pipes are there at all.
Perhaps it is the system you play the CD on, but I have no trouble whatsoever hearing Cillian clearly… and I have a 70% loss of hearing in my left ear… too many years playing rock-n-roll parked in front of a monitor speaker.
I have that very Cd I got at the CLW 2005 and it is easily heard. I think that both go well together.
I too play in a group every Tuesday night, here in Montreal that has Lead Banjo( cuts through), mandolin,3 fiddles,whistle, accoustic, and we very seldom have any issues, because we don’t get too negatively wound up if we make a mistake somewhere.
After all, life is too short to be a tight-@#$, know what I mean…
Yes, its there, but as an accompaniment to the box, not as the lead instrument.
As I noted before, this is all a matter of personal taste, so there is no right or wrong answer. Its what each person prefers. I, too, was initially attracted to ITM by the “big band” sound of The Chieftains, Bothy Band, Planxty, Clannad, etc. I was not “born into the tradition”. But the more I listen, the more I find myself attracted to the older style playing, and to solo playing, especially pipes, of course.
Bill Whelan composes and arranges quite a lot for box & pipes, apart from numerous tracks on Riverdances, he does once very nice piece on the Saville Suite (Road to Caraçena) which begins with box & pipes.
I’ve a bunch of Seamus Ennis recordings, as well as exhibition pieces from various “young” pipers. I listen to these from time to time, and they’re great as learning tools. Solo piping can be great, but only in small doses. I suppose that I’m not a hard core piper - I remember being in Hughes one evening and seeing 4 pipers in the corner all playing together with drones and regs. I thought it was impressive, but I don’t think I would manage more than 2 or 3 pieces. On the other hand, just try get me to leave a good session - wild bodhran players couldn’t drag me away.
I love the contrast of the guitar (if played well and complimenting rather than competing) with the pipes. A recent good example IMO, is the Paddy Keenan and Tommy O’Sullivan recordings.
Antaine hi,
What piece are you performing with the orchestra? In my isolated environment, the only pipes/orchestra composition I know of is the Brendan Voyage.
Oh man, I gotta chime in on this one: though I’m fairly new to the scene, I was first drawn in via Brian O Brien playing on the Riverdance video, in which he of course is playing(Lament) against the huge synth thing…Really moving.
I, like another poster, was not “born into” the traditional Irish music scene, though I certainly have immense respect for the mastery of traditional Uilleann piping.
I’m basically an 80’s boy, having grown up with the likes of Boston, Journey, Rush…etc and that I feel would certainly influence how I use the pipes.
I have recorded a little, and find that I really enjoy playing along with either synth, harp, guitar, whatever!
I really like some stuff Davey S. does: also, Lliam O Flynn I find is a master at his craft, especially his work with Galician pipers, elec guitar, etc.
One tune that moves me is Secret Garden’s “Hymn to Hope”.
I am part of a newly forming musical theater here in Maine, and fully intend on using Uilleann pipe in the pit, along with keys, etc.
I say, thank God for the Irish & Uilleann pipes!!!
Apart from the Brendan Voyage, there’s Granuaile, also by Shaun Davey. It features UP in 2 or maybe 3 tracks. Of course there’s the original Riverdance (not the show but the intermission in Eurosong 92) which featured the RTE Concert Orchestre. My personal favourite orchestre/up collaboration is the Saville Suite by Bill Whelan.
Liam O’Flynn has other collaborations with orchestres, such as Bean Dubh an Ghleanna on the Piper’s Call. I love to play that and immediately after listen to Moving Hearts - McBrides. Better than a strong cup of coffee.
mar 2 8pm montclair state university McEachern Recital Hall…free admission and reception to follow…(not my recital…i’m not even a music major, but i will be the only usage of the UP by any composer at MSU to anyone’s knowledge or record
Sorry Dave, I thought you said “where”…I’m playing in the premier of Air: In Sunshine Or In Shadow…i’ts an orchestral piece that i don’t know if it can be considered “A Variation On Danny Boy” but that is certainly how I would describe my part.
