The Bagpipe Society

A New Work for Old Pipes

At the end of January this year I was contacted, via Julian Goodacre, by Gina Fergione, a singer and composer. She told me that she was in the process of composing a piece called The Cornish Suite and was scoring it for voice, Cornish Bagpipes and orchestra. The timescale was tight as its premiere was due in May and she was looking for a player to perform it in concert as part of the Stoke Newington Contemporary Music Festival. Whilst never one to shy away from a challenge, I felt that this would be a step too far given my very basic grasp of the instrument! I politely declined the opportunity but took time to explain to Gina the challenge that composing for the double chanter pipes could pose both in terms of restrictions and possibilities.

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