Bellows Piping in Newcastleton

Bellows Piping at Newcastleton Folk Club

A post from piper Kevin Tilbury

(see Kevin's blog at http://ethnopiper.blogspot.com/)

Newcastleton Folk Club Night, 23rd December 2014

It is only the 2nd time I have attended the Newcastleton Folk Club, but the piping there is increasing each time, last Tuesday evening there was Irish bellows-blown pipes and 2 sets of Scottish Small pipes. I feel it is important to include the titles of the tunes as we do not often record what we play and this can be of interest to future researchers.

Each person played or sang in turn, when it was my turn I played “Frisky” and later I played a Minuet, both pieces were from the Peacock manuscript, which is a manuscript written especially for the Northumbrian small pipes, dated 1800.


As my time came around again I did a duet with David (who was also playing bellows small pipes) the tune was called “Noble Squire Dacre” with 6 variations and this was followed by the Scottish version of “Buy Broom Besoms” from the manuscript “O’er the Hills and Far Away”, a compilation of tunes from the Scottish Borders. Later I played “Green Bracken” a melody with 3 parts, and later again I played “Kelso Lasses” next to “The Wedding O’Blyth” both tunes are from the “O’er the Hills and Far Away” manuscript.

David played pipes and sang which is something I love to hear. The labouring man' was the pipe song, and he also played Mr. Prestons hornpipe. the Irish piper, Mike, played some beautiful Airs and reels, some I knew but I do not know the titles.

Kevin


NOTE: Eliza will note down titles so that she can post them in future from the next club night on Tuesday 27th January 2015.

Newcastleton Folk Club: first year

Newcastleton Folk Club started in April of this year, 2014, at the Grapes Hotel on the fourth Tuesday of the month where we are hosted in grand fashion by landlord, Peter Atkinson. We decided it was about time there was a folk club in a village which has held a unique annual Music Festival(of which more in a later blog) for decades.
I'll be posting here each month after the club night, with news and pictures (only of those who don’t mind) as well as festival news and links to the festival website.

A few introductions: core members are David on lowland pipes (Scottish small pipes) and singing with the occasional whistle tune, Eliza who sings and Bruce who picks a mean guitar in various styles.
In our first year, while being small and intimate, we have played host to some great singers and instrumentalists from the Brampton, Bewcastle and Carlisle area (many often also to be found at the Brampton Folk Club at the Howard Arms on the third Tuesday of the month).



These include: Katy, Miriam and John, who provide interesting background information to their great repertoire of songs, ballads, carols and whatever suits the occasion, John throwing in an occasional Gaelic piece; Ruth who delves into all manner of publications to find unusual and striking pieces for recitation and singing; Phil and Steve, guitarists, each with a wide repertoire of mainly traditional and mainly contemporary songs respectively; Kevin with tunes from the borders and other far-flung corners of Europe on various smallpipes including Scottish and Northumbrian; Frank and Corrie on diatonic accordion and various smallpipes also with a great knowledge of wonderful tunes, Chris and Mike with some great songs and singing as well as haunting uilleann pipe tunes and Maddy with great songs and singing.
We were visited by three musical families who stayed in the village at various times over the summer. Talented family members included young fiddlers, a whistle player, singers and ukulele players. Thanks for the great playing and songs and we hope to see you again.

Thanks to everyone who turned up in our first year of finding our feet. We will continue to be in the small room on the left as you go into the Grapes for the time being but might transfer to the larger separate room upstairs at some stage. We hope to welcome more of you from the Scottish as well as the English borders and further afield as we go on.

Hope to see you on the 27th January, 2015. More soon.

Eliza.