June Newsletter
Meeting Recap
We had a great meeting this month. Several great tunes were played and they’re listed below. I’ve begun tracking which tunes we play and how often, so in time we will have a better idea of “common tunes” played at our meetings.
Honeysuckle. Hornpipe
Off to California. Hornpipe
Rights of Mann. Hornpipe
Behind the haystack. Jig
Donnybrook fair. Jig
Frieze breeches. Jig
Galbally farmer. Jig
Garret Barry. Jig
Kerfunten. Jig
Lilting banshee. Jig
My darling asleep. Jig
Out on the ocean. Jig
Rambling Pitchfork. Jig
Sean bui. Jig
Merry blacksmith(with a spicy Eb). Reel
Mountain road. Reel
Rainy day. Reel
Salamanca. Reel
Temple in the glen. Reel
Drops of brandy. Slip jig
Na Ceanabhain Bhana. Slip jig
Ash grove. Air/piece/waltz…?
Also, per tradition, we will be taking a break from meetings for July and August so we can all enjoy the summer. We’ll resume meetings again in September, hopefully with a BBQ! So stay tuned for details on that
Website News
Several people have been asking about dues and other ways to support the club. I have been working behind the scenes to develop a new members only section of our website that will host archival footage and recordings of concerts and workshops hosted by the club over the years. Access to this section of our website will cost $20 annually and replace the tradition method of “dues.” Signing up as a member will also offer discounts on workshops, concerts, and merchandise. As soon as I’ve finished developing it I will send out a notice, so keep an eye out for that.
In addition, I’ve added a donation section to our site. This will allow anyone to offer support whether or not they want to be a formal member. Please note that donations DO NOT EQUAL membership and will not grant access to the members only section.
We are also aware some some folks have been auto-paying our old paypal account for several years. We plan to offer discounts and/or free memberships to some of those folks, however the logistics are still in the works.
Pipers Review Digitalization Project
I’ve managed to post three more articles from our beloved Pipers Review. You can check them out here:
Making a Hollow Mainstock by Bill Haneman - Originally published in two parts, Fall ‘06 and Winter ‘07
Backstitching By Bill Ochs - Originally published Fall ‘96
Piping Styles by Kevin Rietmann - Originally published Fall ‘96
Merchandise
I’ve also added a hat to our store! This is a classic snapback hat with out new logo front and center. You can further support the club by rockin’ one!
Walsh Tune Book
A little update here. We continue to find more copies of the famous Walsh Tune Books! The ability to reprint remains unknown, but we are looking into it. Either way, get yours while you can! Due to the limitations of our website, International order must be done via email rather than through the website. If you live outside the United States, please contact us at hello@irishpipersclub.com with your address so we can calculate shipping.
Here is a direct to the book in our shop: The Cumann Na bPiobairi Collection of Pipe-Friendly Tunes by John Walsh
Workshops & Concerts
Cascade Irish Music Week is back!
I believe registration for next months Workshop is still open, so it’s not too late! This year is packed full of excellent instructors again, including the legendary Mickey Dunne for uilleann pipes. You can find out more about the workshop here: Cascadia Irish Music Week
Celtic Arts Foundation: Fall Workshop
Tickets for the CAF fall workshop with Fred Morrison are now on sale, but they’re going fast. This year there will be two days of uilleann piping. You can check out all the details on there website here:
https://www.celticarts.org/event/autumnsmallpipes
Bits and Bobs…
My girlfriend recently shared an excellent documentary with me, Mná na bPíobIn. It’s a feature-length documentary film which follows renowned musician Louise Mulcahy on an exciting journey to uncover the neglected stories of a group of incredible female pipers that were airbrushed out of history. Anyone who knows me knows how important diversity and inclusion is to me, so I’ve very happy to share this everyone. I’m unable to embed it here so you can watch on the TG4 website using the link below. There is also an album put out by the NPU on bandcamp of all female pipers which I will link in the Bandcamp section.
Mná na bPíob Documentary - TG4
Bandcamp Finds
A short while ago Jason Rouse released a video highlighting some excellent recordings of pipers. In his video he not only explains why the recordings are significant, but also explains some technique and nuances specific to those pipers and the recordings. I thought I had shared it in a previous newsletter, but perhaps not? So I’m posting it now, along with one of his bandcamp albums, Fieldish Recordings. Jason is an excellent piper and his youtube videos are very informative, so be sure to check him out!
And here is the all female piper album released by the NPU!
Remember, Bandcamp Fridays are the first friday of each month, and on those days the musicians receive 100% of the sales. So if you can, save your albums and purchase them on those days!
Submissions?
If anyone would like to share information in the monthly newsletter, or just stumbled upon something neat you want to share with the club at large, feel free to give us a shout at hello@irishpipersclub.com
That’s it for now. See you all in September!
