The Piobaireachd Society has announced the following pipers for its annual gala concert held each summer in Edinburgh.
The pipers are Iain Speirs, Edinburgh, Dr Jack Taylor, Aboyne, Matt Pantaleoni, St Louis , Missouri, and Cameron May, Dillarburn, Lanarkshire. The venue is Edinburgh University’s beautiful St Cecilia’s Hall just off the Royal Mile. The date is August 11.
Iain is one of the outstanding players of piobaireachd in world piping. He has won all the main events. Dr Taylor is an expert on all aspects of ceòl mòr, a respected tutor and judge, and, though retired from competing, brings a maturity of interpretation to each public performance.
Cameron is one of the rising stars of professional solo piping. His latest successes include the senior piobaireachd competition at the Scottish Pipers’ Association Professional and the B Grade Championship in London. Matt is the current Northern Meeting Silver Medallist and also winner of the coveted Braemar Gold Medal.
Each piper will play two piobaireachd, one short, one long. There are four tunes before the interval and four after. There is no tuning. The pipers enter playing their chosen tune and as they finish the next piper enters playing his. This makes for a unique listener experience, particularly attractive to the non-piper.
Check out this clip from last year…..
There is a printed programme which explains the music and the history behind the tunes. Pipers wear black tie. MC for the evening will be Society President Robert Wallace.
He said: ‘Our St Cecilia’s Concert is always an evening of wonderful music in a perfect acoustical setting. The audience hear our classical pipe music unencumbered by the pressures of competition, each presentation divested of those tiresome periods of unnecessary tuning.’
Timings are 7 for 7.30pm, with a conclusion circa 9.30pm. There then follows a small drinks reception when the audience can meet the pipers and chat.
The concert is recorded on video for upload to the Piobaireachd Society website for members to enjoy at their leisure. ‘This is a great benefit for our overseas members who cannot manage to Edinburgh. But I would urge those who can, to do so,’ added Mr Wallace. ‘There is no substitute for live music.’
Tickets for the concert, part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, are available here priced £12/£10.
