I am fairly new to the small pipes and am looking for some slow , haunting airs to play at a couple of concerts for American Tourists in July. Also looking for folk songs that can be accompanied by the pipes. pereferrably not the trypical chouchter tunes. Recommendations would be greatfully received.
The Star Of The County Down can be made to fit the Scottish smallpipes, as far as I see. In the Tunes base here it's in E Minor; to fit the standard Scottish s/pipes it would have to be played in B Minor / D / two sharps / - however you label it!
Also known as Dives And Lazarus, it works well as a slow air. It's an impressive tune, which has been orchestrated by Vaughan Williams.
I'll try and think of some more. A lot of promising ones seem to have an indispensable note just beyond the limits of the bagpipe scale.
Not sure on pipe scale myself, but "Highland Widow's Lament" has always been one of my favorite tunes, particularly to play slow and mournful. Also the air to "Twa' Corbies" is pretty nice, as well as "Roslyn Castle" (hearing that on the Old Blind Dog's "World's Room" album is one of the things that got me into playing traditional music, instead of just enjoying it). If you'd like one of mine, here's an air I wrote to the song "Deirdre's Lamentation" that I usually play slow (though there's a fast version I did for my last Good Neighbors cd)
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Bminor
E | b3 A b2 G2 | b2 d2 e3 f | g3 f g2 e2 | d2 de b4 |
| b3 A b2 G2 | b2 d2 e3 f | d2 bb2 G2 | g2 gf e4 :|
The Wild Hills O' Wannie would go a treat. It's a slowed-down version of the Scottish jig The Hills Of Glenorchy, and a favourite of Northumbrian pipers - Kathryn Tickell has recorded it.
Matt Cunningham does a very neat version of Bathadh Anach Cuain on his recording The Spirit of Ireland -- the cd listing calls it Boys Of Galway / Sailor On The Rocks / Farewell To Erin but itunes downloads the track title as Bathadh Anach Cuain.
sounds great on bbox -- might sound great on pipes --
Here is a site with a bunch of tunes for pipes, with recordings of the melodies played upon some kind of unearthly electronic device. At least you can listen to the melodies and get the symptoms of the tunes.
Many of them lend themselves fairly well to the smalls. Whether they are traditionally "appropriate" for playing on the smalls, I cannot say. Ask an expert.
Mrs. Hamilton Of Pencaitland; I put it in the Tunes database here some time ago. Lovely slow tune - however, its range of notes is too great to fit into the range of the Scottish smallpipes without fairly drastic reworking of the tune. If Hamish Moore is a piper, he must have done this.
It's a bit of a cliche, I know, but you could always play the air & then go straight into the jig! Well, after all, the punters do like that sort of thing ...
Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
I am fairly new to the small pipes and am looking for some slow , haunting airs to play at a couple of concerts for American Tourists in July. Also looking for folk songs that can be accompanied by the pipes. pereferrably not the trypical chouchter tunes. Recommendations would be greatfully received.
Rod, Fort William, Scotland
# Posted on April 13th 2007 by rod johnston
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
The Star Of The County Down can be made to fit the Scottish smallpipes, as far as I see. In the Tunes base here it's in E Minor; to fit the standard Scottish s/pipes it would have to be played in B Minor / D / two sharps / - however you label it!
Also known as Dives And Lazarus, it works well as a slow air. It's an impressive tune, which has been orchestrated by Vaughan Williams.
I'll try and think of some more. A lot of promising ones seem to have an indispensable note just beyond the limits of the bagpipe scale.
# Posted on April 13th 2007 by nicholas
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
Not sure on pipe scale myself, but "Highland Widow's Lament" has always been one of my favorite tunes, particularly to play slow and mournful. Also the air to "Twa' Corbies" is pretty nice, as well as "Roslyn Castle" (hearing that on the Old Blind Dog's "World's Room" album is one of the things that got me into playing traditional music, instead of just enjoying it). If you'd like one of mine, here's an air I wrote to the song "Deirdre's Lamentation" that I usually play slow (though there's a fast version I did for my last Good Neighbors cd)
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Bminor
E | b3 A b2 G2 | b2 d2 e3 f | g3 f g2 e2 | d2 de b4 |
| b3 A b2 G2 | b2 d2 e3 f | d2 bb2 G2 | g2 gf e4 :|
# Posted on April 13th 2007 by gnarphlager
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
The Curragh Of Kildare would fit.
# Posted on April 13th 2007 by nicholas
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
The Wild Hills O' Wannie would go a treat. It's a slowed-down version of the Scottish jig The Hills Of Glenorchy, and a favourite of Northumbrian pipers - Kathryn Tickell has recorded it.
The Dark Island is another possibility.
# Posted on April 13th 2007 by nicholas
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
Hector the Hero.
# Posted on April 14th 2007 by Unseen122
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
Matt Cunningham does a very neat version of Bathadh Anach Cuain on his recording The Spirit of Ireland -- the cd listing calls it Boys Of Galway / Sailor On The Rocks / Farewell To Erin but itunes downloads the track title as Bathadh Anach Cuain.
sounds great on bbox -- might sound great on pipes --
Best,
T
# Posted on April 14th 2007 by Tedrick
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
Thanks all for your suggestions there is plently there to get to grips with.
Rod
# Posted on April 14th 2007 by rod johnston
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
tommy tully's air by terry tully
# Posted on April 14th 2007 by redness1
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
She Moved Through The Fair (slow song / air) - I can't leave that unmentioned.
# Posted on April 14th 2007 by nicholas
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
Here is a site with a bunch of tunes for pipes, with recordings of the melodies played upon some kind of unearthly electronic device. At least you can listen to the melodies and get the symptoms of the tunes.
Many of them lend themselves fairly well to the smalls. Whether they are traditionally "appropriate" for playing on the smalls, I cannot say. Ask an expert.
http://cityofoaks.home.netcom.com/tunes/tunescores.html
Good luck.
# Posted on April 14th 2007 by Rook
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
I know this is a bit late, but try "Mrs Hamilton of Picatland" (or some such name). Hamish Moore recorded it on his "Stepping on the Bridge" album.
# Posted on May 12th 2007 by MartinJongleur
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
Mrs. Hamilton Of Pencaitland; I put it in the Tunes database here some time ago. Lovely slow tune - however, its range of notes is too great to fit into the range of the Scottish smallpipes without fairly drastic reworking of the tune. If Hamish Moore is a piper, he must have done this.
# Posted on May 12th 2007 by nicholas
Re: Haunting, slow airs for small pipes
Aye, 'The Wild Hills O' Wannie', lovely air nicholas. You can listen to a clip of Billy Pig playing it, here Rod - Track 4:
http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1196005/a/Northumbrian+Small+Pipes.htm
It's a bit of a cliche, I know, but you could always play the air & then go straight into the jig! Well, after all, the punters do like that sort of thing ...
# Posted on May 12th 2007 by Ptarmigan