The 3rd LBPS Pibroch weekend took place in April in Allendale, Northumberland, Iain Allen sent this report:

This is the second time I’ve attended this particular course which is aimed at all levels of playing, you don’t even need to be a piobaireachd player although a working knowledge of the embellishments is an advantage. The tutor for the weekend was Allan MacDonald.
The course was aimed at playing and interpreting the early piobaireachd sources and where appropriate bringing the tunes, cantaireachd and the songs closer together. With this in mind not only have some of the embellishments changed but also the rhythm compared to how we are used to hearing the tunes in competition today. Allan has done a lot of work on this subject and has recorded two excellent albums with singer Margaret Stewart exploring the relationship between the piobaireachd and song.
We began on Friday night with everyone meeting at Chris Bacon’s house for an Indian takeaway followed by a gentle session playing together in his music room.
Saturday was our main study day. Throughout the day we concentrated on four piobaireachds. Allan explained his sources for the tunes and demonstrated the changes to embellishments such as Hiharin and Cadences, before playing and singing the ground, after which we joined in. The day progressed with various breaks for tea and lunch until it was time for the evening meal. We were joined in the evening by a few local musicians playing guitar, dulcimer and singing.

Host Chris Bacon leads the first session on Saturday morning

Sunday was our final day and once again we went through the grounds and variations we had looked at on Saturday, in some cases we continued through the whole tune. As lunchtime approached the pace slowed down as we chatted about some of the music and what we had learned. Allan then introduced another tune which he demonstrated in both modern style and the style in which it was originally written. After hearing this my personal preference is for the earlier style, and I doubt I’ll be playing the modern style much in the future. After lunch photos were taken by Ian MacKay before we all started to disperse.
Chris and his wife Ann deserve special thanks for generously opening their home to everyone on the course and were fantastic hosts, Ann worked throughout the weekend preparing tea, coffee and various meals.
Whether you like piobaireachd or not, Allan has a refreshing approach which may just change your mind about the genre. It was a very enjoyable weekend and well worth taking part, not only did I get to play lots of great music but did so in good company with new friends.

This is the second time I’ve attended this particular course which is aimed at all levels of playing, you don’t even need to be a piobaireachd player although a working knowledge of the embellishments is an advantage. The tutor for the weekend was Allan MacDonald.
The course was aimed at playing and interpreting the early piobaireachd sources and where appropriate bringing the tunes, cantaireachd and the songs closer together. With this in mind not only have some of the embellishments changed but also the rhythm compared to how we are used to hearing the tunes in competition today. Allan has done a lot of work on this subject and has recorded two excellent albums with singer Margaret Stewart exploring the relationship between the piobaireachd and song.
We began on Friday night with everyone meeting at Chris Bacon’s house for an Indian takeaway followed by a gentle session playing together in his music room.
Saturday was our main study day. Throughout the day we concentrated on four piobaireachds. Allan explained his sources for the tunes and demonstrated the changes to embellishments such as Hiharin and Cadences, before playing and singing the ground, after which we joined in. The day progressed with various breaks for tea and lunch until it was time for the evening meal. We were joined in the evening by a few local musicians playing guitar, dulcimer and singing.
Sunday was our final day and once again we went through the grounds and variations we had looked at on Saturday, in some cases we continued through the whole tune. As lunchtime approached the pace slowed down as we chatted about some of the music and what we had learned. Allan then introduced another tune which he demonstrated in both modern style and the style in which it was originally written. After hearing this my personal preference is for the earlier style, and I doubt I’ll be playing the modern style much in the future. After lunch photos were taken by Ian MacKay before we all started to disperse.
Chris and his wife Ann deserve special thanks for generously opening their home to everyone on the course and were fantastic hosts, Ann worked throughout the weekend preparing tea, coffee and various meals.
Whether you like piobaireachd or not, Allan has a refreshing approach which may just change your mind about the genre. It was a very enjoyable weekend and well worth taking part, not only did I get to play lots of great music but did so in good company with new friends.

Iain Allen

As your editor was finalising content for this issue, two further reports on the weekend arrived each of which added other experiences of the event: the first is from Allan Sturrock:
Saturday began with a morning of tuition from Chris who started us on “The Unjust Incarceration” or An Ceapadh Eucorach. This tune had been studied at last year’s event but for most of us it was completely new. Some had never played pibroch before, or even listened to it, while for others it was a long time since.
On Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning we had workshops with Allan who has a very appealing “off-piste” approach to pibroch. Originally this music was never written down but passed on through singing. Canntaireachd is a formalised method of singing tunes to bring out the music, the melody, the timing and the, sometimes intricate, decorations that give pibroch its unique character. Allan has turned away from the printed score (other than as an aide memoire for pupils) and bases his interpretation of tunes on the Campbell Canntaireachd. This is how he was teaching us – first by singing the tunes then by playing along with him. The results seemed to be much smoother and more interesting. The teaching focussed on the “Urlar”, or ground of the tunes, so we were not fighting with the intricacies of crunluath and crunluath a mach fingering.
Other tunes studied included, Siubhal Sheumas, Lament for Donald Duaghal MacKay and Lament for Mary Macleod, the last learned completely by ear with surprisingly tuneful results.
Allan Sturrock
Caroline Barden described herself as a pibroch beginner: she describes some of her experience of the weekend:

When the Friday evening meal was over, our pipes came out and the session began. I enjoyed playing with so many experienced pipers and my fingers soon found the rhythm in many of the tunes, while for the fastest tunes I sat back to listen. The pibroch workshops started on Saturday morning. The first workshop, led by Chris Bacon, was held at a steady pace and involved lots of discussions for experienced players. This was perfect for someone like me who is new to pibroch.
The workshops on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning were led by Allan Macdonald, who inspired us with his knowledge and enthusiasm. The pace picked up; by then I was feeling a little more confident and starting to get some understanding of the form. We played as a group and I gained so much from listening and watching the fingering while I played. . For me the weekend was over all too soon. I had played nearly non-stop for two whole days – so much more than usual – and thoroughly enjoyed it, I came home with a renewed love of my smallpipes.

Caroline Barden

The company gathered for the evenng meal at Wooley Hall, home of Chris and Anne Bacon (photos by Ian Findlay MacKay)