The Bagpipe Society

In the Bag

Peni started playing pipes in 1995 on a set made by Jonathan Shortland and she was soon the piper of Headmix Collective. She went on to learn Welsh piping with Pibau Pencader lead by Cer Rhy Mathews. In the early 2000’s she was part of the high energy dance band The Mordekkers. Peni has also played in various traditional drum and pipe bands; Pilau Presell, Pilau Planed, Bagad Morganwg. Having then acquired a set of Jon Swayne’s G pipes she accompanied Ann Marie Summers in the medieval band called Mandrake Music.

With Stef Balesi she regularly plays for French and Breton dances she is part of the social dance collective Corelw. She is also in a traditional Celtic/medieval folk band called Rheged with a repertoire that spans a thousand years playing lots of yummy bagpipes harmonies! https://soundcloud.com/anne-marie-summers/sets/rheged-demos-2015 https://www.facebook.com/rhegedmusic/

What pipes do you play?

Anton Varela - gaitas , Jon Swayne - Border Pipes, Yvon Le Coant – Binou, John Glennydd - Pibgorn Pipes, Mike York - Small pipes in D.

What led you to take up piping?

For me a natural progression from the whistle.

Which pipers do you most admire?

Susana Seivane Micheal Mcgoldrick Martyn Bennett

Drum and bass dance beats, Zimbabwe Music, Acapella folk singing

What three albuns are top of your playlist right now?

Maddy Prior and the Carnival band, Formidable Vegetable Sound System, Future Trad Collective.

Name your Favourite music festival:

Lorient Interceltique

What three words describe your piping style?

Party fingers

Bellows or mouth-blown?

Mouth Blown pipes

Cats or Dogs?

Cats

Do you prefer playing, dancing or both?

I prefer playing

Cane or plastic reeds?

I play mostly cane reeds

What is your greatest musical achievement:

Playing at Lorient representing Wales and heading Sark Folk festival

What’s your most embarrassing bagpiping moment?

Opening Knockengorroch Festival and my drone popped out of its new bag making it very hard to play! Had to gaffer-tape them back in on stage!

What’s the most annoying question you get asked about the bagpipes?

Are they Northumbrian pipes or are they Scottish?

What advice would you give a novice?

To get some advice … I knew nothing about pipes and taught myself. I taught myself back to front with my hands the wrong way round as if I’m left handed and I’m not !

I love bagpipes because ..

You either love them or hate them … I love ‘em !

To hear Rheged, visit them at soundcloud.com/anne-marie-summers/sets/rheged-demos-2015 or www.facebook.com/rhegedmusic