Promoting the Bagpipe Revival since 1986
The Bagpipe Society
Extra Heavy Metal Bagpipes – more on amplification
This edition is from our archives, so it is presented as scanned pages rather than text.
The principal theme for the piping festival was stated by Hugh Cheape in his talk ‘The European Roots of Scottish Piping’, illustrated with diagrams (instead of the musical examples) in the other talks. He is assistant Keeper at the Royal Scottish Museum and is actively campaigning to win for the bagpipe collections in the Edinburgh national museums the recognition of their international importance and the public display that they deserve, In sorting and cataloguing the pipes he has been struck by the variety of types represented and the fact that few of them conform to what we know as the standard Highland pipes. This is not just because pipes to museums are often cast-offs and the ‘real’ pipes remained in use. His researches into old illustrations and publications, types of music and tune names all confirm the pattern: the development of the Scottish pipes must be accounted a nineteenth century movement, part of the re-adoption of a Highland identity for the whole of Scotland. Before then the Scottish pipe music was recognisably part of the European song and dance tradition.
The foundations have been laid for a British piping festival of European scope, in the most appropriate venue in the world. This year it was supported by Scottish, Irish, English, French and Spanish cultural bodies and pipers’ societies. Now it is hoped that EEC support can be obtained via the EEC Cultural Co-operation Committee likewise. Much has been achieved by the Festival Administrator, Marian Ramsay, under the ofbeat festival directorship of Robin Morton and with the enthusiastic help of the others. What is needed is a presiding genius to pursue energetically the ideas that have been thrown around so far. Marsh can hardly be expected to undertake this in addition to the classes and his concert commitments. The whole project is so much in line with the aims of our bagpipe society that the least we can do is to wish success to the new director, Archie Fisher. But there must also be some way in which we can actively show our support and help him and Marian Ramsay continue and develop such good work. Next year the Festival will be from March 25th to April 3rd and the Festival of European Piping will be concentrated on the second weekend, April 1st-3rd. Write for fuller details, which should be ready around Christmas.
RECORD REVIEW by Simon Owers
XORIMA–KORIMA Edigal Bell 70007
This is the first, and only record, by this young Galician group Korima, but one hopes that they make more and very soon. They are a five-piece band who compose most of their own material, which is very strongly rooted in the traditional idiom. The influence of Breton and Scottish music makes itself plain in some of their wholly instrumental items, but it is the Galician traditional influences that shape most of the tunes. In these days of increasing cultural homogenization it is most refreshing to find a group that respects the traditions of its own culture while still being responsive to cultures of others. To me, this is the only way to put a cultural heritage to good use, without a continuous evolutionary process, any culture becomes fossilized and its practitioners risk becoming intolerant of differing philosophies or traditions which consequent disastrous results at either personal or national level. (End of digression.)
While always retaining a keen sense of dynamics and textures, Korima are a very high-energy group which has a great fondness for playing very fast. In the hands of technically unaccomplished groups this approach can result in a chaotic thrash that is infinitely more fun for the player than the bass-would listener. Here, however, the excellent arrangements and playing skills keep such excursions under tight rein.
The band features two gaitas, bombards, recorders, bozouk, guitar, accordion, bass, piano/synthesiser and assorted percussion. The use of piano as an upfront instrument is a salutory reminder of how effective it can be when played thoughtfully (all too rare in most folk bands). The gaita playing is deadly accurate even at high speed (which is not to say that the playing is gratuitously speedy, but only where it is most effective). The bombard playing is also excellent, and really lifts some of the tunes with its clarion tone.
Nearly every tune on this record is a strong one which leaves you whistling it for long afterwards, and the arrangements all leave room for exploration of dynamics and texture. Thankfully, a lot of folk bands are moving away from the all start, all play, all finish approach to tune playing, and Korima’s arrangements are exemplary in bringing out the most in the material. Of all the tracks, I could single out the closing one for special mention. In two parts, the first is a panderiada (named after the dance named after the drum – the pandeiro – used to provide the rythms which motors along very smartly with the two gaitas taking the main part. Following this, the second part is the well-known Up of Slurs which is taken up by the piano and whistle at a pace which makes you wonder how long they can keep it up until the bagpipes make a re-appearance at Warp Factor Nine, leaving you (me anyway) breathless by the time it’s over. The articulation used by the gaitas on this difficult tune is razor sharp, giving clarity to the melody while bundling it along in a way that makes your average jig sound like a slow air. Brilliant!
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