HADDINGTON PIPE BAND
The Haddington Turnpike & Other Great Pipe Tunes

CDTRAX 363

5018081036325
Greentrax
UK Regno Unito

 

The Haddington Pipe Band was formed in 1981, very much as a community band, and that ethos, championed by Pipe Major David Leckie and their honorary president Bill Bradford (two of the original founders), remains their guiding principle. The band, based in Haddington, East Lothian, does not take part in competitions but focus on local community and charity events - galas, festivals and such like. 2011 was the 30th Anniversary of the band, which has strong links with Haddington's twin town in France, Aubigny-sur-Nere. What drives the band is a love of pipe band music, so as well as playing, many of the members spend time teaching piping and drumming to youngsters (and others not so young). A feature of the band is the regular introduction of young pipers and drummers into their ranks, many of them sons, daughters and sisters of existing band members. Caitlin Bruce, a drummer in the band, plays clarsach on one track while Coreen Scott (vocals) and Jim Wilson (accordion) guest on other tracks. The Pipe Sergeant is Fraser Wilkinson and the Drum Sergeant is Gavin McDougall. The recording team consisted of Peter Haigh, Richard Werner and Liam Morrison. Gavin McDougall and Richard Werner assisted Peter Haigh with the mastering.



The Haddington Pipe Band was formed in 1981, very much as a community band, and that ethos, championed by Pipe Major David Leckie and their honorary president Bill Bradford (two of the original founders), remains their guiding principle.

The band, based in Haddington, East Lothian, does not take part in competitions but focus on local community and charity events - galas, festivals and such like. 2011 is the 30th Anniversary of the band, which has strong links with Haddington's twin town in France, Aubigny-sur-Nere.

What drives the band is a love of pipe band music, so as well as playing, many of the members spend time teaching piping and drumming to youngsters (and others not so young). A feature of the band is the regular introduction of young pipers and drummers into their ranks, many of them sons, daughters and sisters of existing band members.

In 2009 the band held a competition to find a pipe 'anthem' for East Lothian which Greentrax was involved in. Ian Green was so impressed with the organisation of this project and the community work undertaken by the band that he nominated the Haddington Pipe Band for the 'Pipe Band Of The Year' category of the Scots Trad Music Awards 2009. The band won the category.

Late in 2010 Ian Green was again involved with the band when they launched a 'piping' calendar for 2011. Ian learned the band would celebrate its 30th Anniversary in 2011 and he felt it appropriate to invite the band to record an album. This was achieved in September 2011, when once again the preparation and organisation for the recording by both band and committee was impeccable. The 'Haddington Turnpike', composed by Dr Bruce Thomson, was the winning entry of the 2009 tune-writing competition, assuring its inclusion on the album and in its title.

Caitlin Bruce, a drummer in the band, plays clarsach on one track while Coreen Scott (vocals) and Jim Wilson (accordion) guest on other tracks. The Pipe Sergeant is Fraser Wilkinson and the Drum Sergeant is Gavin McDougall. The recording team consisted of Peter Haigh, Richard Werner and Liam Morrison. Gavin McDougall and Richard Werner assisted Peter Haigh with the mastering.