This video was made during the Taransay 2002 fiddle camp. Buddy is playing along with Alison MacLeod step dancing.
Pipers’ Ceilidh – Live recording of P/M Donald MacLeod’s farewell public performance
Pipers’ Ceilidh – Live recording of P/M Donald MacLeod’s farewell public performance in the Dorchester Hotel, Glasgow November 1977 with Duncan Johnstone as guest piper. You can hear from the reception that the audience obviously had a great affection for PM MacLeod. Duncan Johnstone’s piping on the first half of the CD is stunning! There are also two Gaelic songs sung by Donald Ross and Archie MacTaggart. Recorded with the support of the Scottish Pipers’ Association. £11.25 (£12.50 for first time customers).
http://www.footstompin.com/products/cds/bagpipe/pipers_ceilidh
Donald MacLeod, MBE, was born in Stornoway, on Lewis, in the Scottish Hebridean Islands in 1916. He became a piper for the Seaforth Highlanders in 1937, reaching the level of Pipe Major after only four years.
During World War II, he served in France with the 51st Highland Division, was taken prisoner by the Germans at St. Valery, escaped during a forced march and managed to return to the UK. In 1945, he piped his battalion across the Rhine during an assault crossing – even though he had been forbidden to do this by his commanding officer.
During his army career, he was highly successful in piping competitions. After the war, his genius as a piper brought him every competition honor, winning the Gold Medal in 1947 and many others. MacLeod retired from the army in 1963 and from competition in 1966, but neither marked the completion of his piping career. He continued to give recitals in Scotland and around the world, and he provided instruction to many pipers at all levels of ability. Like all the truly great pipers of the past, ‘Wee’ Donald’ wore his honours lightly and modestly. He was always ready to help those less supremely gifted than himself.
A brilliant and prolific composer, he published six books of light music (marches, airs and dance music) – The Man from Skye, Butterfingers, The Duck, MacLean of Lewis Crossing the Minch were among his many compositions -as well as a book of piobaireachd.
He was awarded the Membership of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1978 for outstanding service to piping. He died suddenly in Glasgow in 1982.
In his memory, The Donald MacLeod Memorial Competition, an annual invitational piping competition held on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland was inaugurated in 1994 by the Lewis & Harris Piping Society.
The Tin-Kin by Eleanor Thom
Eleanor’s brilliant new book.
When her aunt Shirley dies, Dawn finds herself back in her claustrophobic home town in Northern Scotland for the first time in years. She spends her days caring for her small daughter, listening to tapes of old country songs and cleaning Shirley s flat, until one day she comes across the key to a cupboard that she was forbidden to open as a child. Inside she finds an album of photographs, curling with age. A young couple pose on a beach, arms wrapped around each other; little girls in hand-me-down kilts reveal toothless smiles; an old woman rests her hands on her hips, her head thrown back in blurry laughter. But why has her aunt treasured these pictures secretly for so long? Dawn’s need for answers leads her to a group of Travellers on the outskirts of Elgin. There she learns of a young man left to die on the floor of a cell, and realises that the story of her family is about to be rewritten… Weaving between narratives and decades, ‘The Tin Kin’ is a beautiful moving novel about love, hardship and the lies and legends that pass between generations. It is a striking, unforgettable debut.
Publisher: Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd; First Edition edition
Taransay CD Notes Calum Watt.
Taransay CD Notes Calum Watt.
final concert which takes place in July each year in Harris Community
Hall.
Each year Fidhlearein Eilean an Fhraoich (Fiddlers of the Heather
Isles) run the seven day long fiddle based music camp each year on the
wonderfully relaxed and beautifully stunning island of Taransay. The
uninhabited six thousand acre island which was the setting for BBC
Castaway project is home normally to only Red Deer and Sheep.
Taransay hugs the bay on the coast line of the larger island of Harris
in the Outer Hebrides.
Fidlearein Eilean an Fhraoich have been using this unique location
since 2001 as the setting for this innovative traditional music based
project. In 2007 a total of fifty fiddlers of all levels and
abilities came together for a fully music packed week – under the
tuition of some of Scotland’s best fiddlers and musicians Patsy Reid,
Alistair White, Charlie Mackerrion, Alan Henderson,Ian Macfarlane,
Andy Thorbourn and Bridgette Law from USA.
No holiday this – with fiddles blazing each and every day from the
first lessons at 9am – and on into the small wee hours until some
particularly difficult Reel Jig or Strathspey is finally mastered and
sits neatly under the fingers. Accommodation is bring your own tent
or sleep in the bunk houses last inhabited by Ben Fogel and his other
Castaways cronies. The food and hospitality is second to none with
local celebrity cooks Catherine and Isobel dishing out the plentiful
cuisine.
This CD represents the fruits of the Fiddle Camp labours and is a must
for anyone who likes down to earth honest music – presented and
performed in the format of fun, friendship and great “crack”. The CD
captures the moment and gives us, the jealous listener an insight into
the great time the performers must have had during there special week
on Taransay.
The piping of Andy Macyntyre heralds the concert opening, followed by
the MaKerrons Class, Session M8, Alistair White and Patsy Reid,
Bridgette’s Class – Traditional song from Catriona Watt, Duet by Ian
Macfarlane and Charlie Mackerron, Patsy Reid’s Class followed by the
stunning singing of the newly formed Taransay Gaelic Choir!! New
song from Bridgett Law. Closing with the now standard Taransay
Fiddlers Stramash
Tracks
1Andy Macyntre – Dr Ross’s 50 Welcome to the Argyllshire Gathering
2Charlie Mackerrons Class – Patsy Reid’s Trip to Alvie Bothy –
Hangmans Rell
3Session M8 – Da Stockit Licht, Harvest Home, Mrs MacLeod of Rassay
4Alistair White and Patsy Reid – Christie Campbell, Traditional
Strathspey, Munlochy Bridge In and out of the Harbour, Dan Breens
Reel, Roddy Macdonalds fancy
5Bridgette Laws Class – Arkansas Traveller
6Bridgette Law’s Class – Tennesse Waltz
7Catriona Watt – Mo Bhean Coman
8Alistair Whites Class -= J.Gows Hornpipe
9Ian Macfarlane and Charlie Mackerron- Togail curs ar Leodhas, Braes
of Castle Grant, Iron man, Contradiction.
10Patsy Reid – Ferrit on the shore.
11Patsy Reid’s Class – Jacksons Fancy, Come Awa in
12Taransay Gaelic Choir – Mo llann Down Boyach
13Taransay Gaelic Choir – Mile Marabhaisg Air Ghaol
14 Bridgette Law – Land called Taransay
15Taransay Fiddlers – Barroburn Reel, Banshee, Tongadale Reel, Jenny
Dang the Weaver
16Taransay Fiddlers – Kesh Jig, Kenny Gilles of Portnalong
As if there was not enough feel good factor surrounding this CD then
the fact that it was made and produced totally in the Western Isles
and the fact that all proceeds from sales go to funding of next years
camp – is good enough reason for it to be a must for any CD
collection.
THe Chairman
Planet Fidhle (David Attenborough 1 – Taransay 2006)
Planet Fidhle
(David Attenborough 1 – Taransay 2006)
And so here we are among the remote community of Tar-nan-say – a tribe of fidhlers so primitive that they still communicate using carved pieces of wood attached to their chins. We have an example here – (shows a fiddle)
In order to communicate, they scrape lumps of horse hair across the strings
(- demonstrates making screeching sound)
There are lots of communication patterns – sometimes one person on their own will communicate – perhaps to a deity perhaps to themselves. Sometimes this is done in a field away from the other fidhlers. Sometimes, during a “sesh-un” everyone plays at once. This process seems to be very difficult for the fidhlers.
Sometimes the fidhlers huddle around in small groups with a wise tribal elder called a “tew-tor”, who seems to carry the old knowledge called “tewns”
Some of the elders can be described. Dow-lann (the “one of the chairs”) is a mystical figure who floats around the island and is talked about with hushed reverence.
The “Wooden One” is known for sending parcels to distant lands.
The “Kenny One” wears pink tee-shirts and quietly gets things done.
“Wheelie Markree” is a very distinguished elder who has the ability to carry people over water to foreign lands (he uses a special craft known as the Wilmac Ferry) He often makes prophecies in words of four letters. We have observed him become impatient with people who fail to honour his status.
Thene we have the Sisterly Ones – Eesable and Karthrin. People come and pay homage to them three times a day and leave with food to eat. They are often brought to their place in a chariot.
Another tribe are the 4 legged “woollies” who sometimes invade the fidhlers territory and leave mementoes.