Promoting the Bagpipe Revival since 1986
The Bagpipe Society
Review: Blowzabella Festival 1986
This edition is from our archives, so it is presented as scanned pages rather than text.
Festival Reviews
The 1986 Blowzabella Festival
For those of you who have never been to one of Blowzabella’s Newbury festivals (shame!), the idea seems to be to open up their music and dance to anyone who wants to try their hand (or foot). Drone music is predominant with bagpipes and hurdy-gurdies of all types very much in evidence. It was splendid to see and hear people droning away in small groups on odd street corners or by the canal. The natives were amused but tolerant and, one can only hope, more than a little intrigued by it all.
But these were merely the commercials between the main programmes; a series of workshops ranging from Bagpipe Maintenance to Border Morris. It would be very easy to eulogise about all the workshops into which I dipped (sadly you can’t do ’em all) so instead I’ll try to stick only to the bagpipey ones.
Saturday morning saw a bagpipe maintenance discussion at which various ideas were traded such as reed and stock tying techniques with demonstrations of the knots used. This was followed by a beginners’ bagpipe workshop enhanced by numerous sets of pipes loaned by Society members so that those new to piping could have a go. Basic styles and techniques were demonstrated and taught but it was, of course, merely a sampling as you can’t do much more in an hour and a half.
In the afternoon, the first rehearsal took place of the Bagpipe Sinfonia. This was organised by Jon Swayne with the intention of achieving a reasonable performing standard of two or three tunes on G and D pipes for the Sunday concert. D pipes present at various times were: three sets of Leicestershire, two of Flemish, a set of Scottish smallpipes and a Hämmelchen. G pipes included three Flemish, a Bécuannet and a Petite Bourbonnaise, the whole lot being led by Jon on his Half-longs in G — oh, and not forgetting a metronomic bass drum and supporting percussion.
There was more rehearsal on the Sunday then the final performance at the afternoon concert. At last year’s event, a competition was held to find a collective noun for bagpipes; the winner was ‘an Approximation of Bagpipes’. At times, the Sinfonia fully lived up to that name but overall the sound was pretty good — no, why be modest? It was bloody good! And all thanks to Jon, for his patience and skill in bringing the ‘approximation’ up to performance standard.
The tunes performed were: Will’s Way, a molly dance/session standard; Lady Diamond, an eerie ballad (with out-of-time pauses, cunningly synchronised by pre-agreed counts of 3) and a beautiful French tune, Bouffard’s Waltz. The arrangements were clever but simple with three-part harmonies, key changes and scope for individual voicings of G and D pipe groups plus solo instruments.
The concerts are becoming an important feature of the Newbury festivals. Friday’s wash heralded by the ubiquitous Blowzabella, not at their most inspired, I thought, but then I didn’t catch the second house (yes, the demand was so great, they needed to put on two concerts!). I’m told things got better after 10 o’clock. Mara! were superb. What a pity they don’t feature a regular bagpiper such as Paul Miller who joined them for their Saturday spot on Macedonian Gajda.
Although not featuring a single bagpipe (as far as I could see), mention must be made here of the Festival Workshop Orchestra who rehearsed, it seemed, all day Saturday to provide the opening set for that evening’s concert/dance. Particularly nice, too, to see so many youngsters involved. Full marks to ‘Sir’ Guy Crayford (monkey suit next year Guy?) and Dave Armitage.
Other concert spots throughout the weekend were filled by organiser Paul James and Nigel Eaton who performed a suite of French dance tunes on bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy that was the best I have ever heard from them, Jean-Pierre Rasle entertained us with his fine playing on a variety of French pipes and, unexpectedly, Dave Shaw gave us an excellent set on Northumbrian small pipes.
Somehow, the organisers even managed to squeeze in a mini-concert featuring the new, enlarged Rosbif who gave us an hour of good solid French music now underpinned by the impeccable cello playing of new member Helen Rockliff.
As well as all of these goodies, we were even treated to a dance tune competition which there were no less than 22 entries. Would you believe bagpipes came second (Staceen Hanningan) and third (Judy Tarry)? First place was taken by a piece for their neat relative, the bombardé (Hannah Barnes).
There’s so much more I could talk about — the delicious vegetarian food, the pub sessions, the friendship, even the weather was good. If you went you’ll know; so why not write to the organiser (Paul James) to tell him how much you enjoyed it? If you didn’t go, make a point of putting it in your diary for next year!
POSTSCRIPT As a result of the success of the Newbury Bagpipe Sinfonia, the Society has decided to form a regular Bagpipe Society Sinfonia to meet, rehearse and perform at events such as Newbury and, hopefully, before the general public — perhaps even on television eventually, if you’d like to know more, contact Judy Tarry, 2 Hillside Close, Shillington, Hitchin, Herts SG5 3NN. Tel: Hitchin 711265. Don’t worry if your pipes are not in G or D. We hope to be able to accommodate all including non-concert pitch instruments (not all playing at the same time of course).
David Van Doorn
52 Chanter 53 Chanter
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