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MID ARGYLL PIPE BAND
BLACKWOOD & HICKORY
traditional music with a twist
Robbie Shepherd : The Reel Blend
BBC Radio Scotland : Featured Album of the Week
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DEBUT ALBUM
guest musicians
james mackintosh(Shooglenifty)
drums/percussion
brian mcalpine(Session A9)
keyboards
john saich (Wild Biscuit)
bass/guitar
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A journey of breath-taking beauty with a hint of urban cool, never losing touch with traditional yet relishing the unexpected. Some of the tunes will be familiar, others are native to Argyll, many composed by band members. Like the land of it's origin, Blackwood & Hickory is, quite simply, unforgettable
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© BUY ON-LINE →
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Dunadd : Kilmartin Glen : Argyll
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Duntrune Castle : Kilmartin Glen : Argyll |
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Dunadd : Kilmartin Glen : Argyll
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The Beach:Duntrune:Kilmartin Glen:Argyll |
| Brian McAlpine |
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James Mackintosh
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THEBLACKWOOD & HICKORYPROJECT
In September 2006, the Blackwood & Hickory project began as a workshop programme leading to a special 80th anniversary concert in 2007. From the outset the aim was to set an inspirational challenge and bring a new twist to the piping repertoire.
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The sell-out concert in Ardrishaig, Argyll, proved beyond measure what team work, determination and imagination can do, with some audience members travelling from as far as Inverness to see the show. Even some Canadian holidaymakers took home a very special memory. |
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The Workshop Programme/Concert
The Pipe Band worked over a 12-month period with former Capercaillie guitarist John Saich (Wild Biscuit) as Musical Director. Together, John and the Band worked on innovative arrangements of traditional and original tunes, whilst bringing Band members additional skills on small pipes, percussion and fiddle to an increasingly dynamic programme.
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With ideas and arrangements taking shape, there was still much more to take on board for a live show - learning about set lists and stage cues, speaking on-mic and working through sound checks. The Wild Biscuit team put together a top session band with James Mackintosh (of Shooglenifty) on drums, Brian McAlpine (of Session A9) on keys and John on guitar and programmed beats. Workshops became rehearsals, and rehearsals were about to become the show.
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On September 15th 2007, with the stage built, lights focussed and PA system ready (the same system as would truck north for Franz Ferdinand the following night) Mid Argyll Pipe Band took to the stage and months of carefully planned and dedicated team work delivered results.
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Blackwood & Hickory is still talked about to this day by those that were there (and the many that wished they had been) as a truly amazing concert and a milestone achievement in the Bands 80th year.
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THE ALBUM
Great things continued in 2007 with the Band not only nominated in the Scots Trad Music Awards Scottish Pipe Band of the Year category but also winners of the title. The Band was in peak performance, and it seemed only logical that having put such an accomplished team together for the live show a studio recording of the material should follow. This would also be an opportunity to showcase some of the excellent original tunes composed by Band members that formed such an integral part of the concert.
Clearly this would be no simple undertaking and would introduce a whole new learning experience for many of the members. Pipe Major Tony Higgins worked closely with John Saich, who now took on the role of producer for the CD, to select and fine tune material for the Blackwood & Hickory album. Rehearsal schedules followed and many, many hours of dedicated practice.
Both James and Brian were delighted to return to the project and for James’s drum sessions, Tony Higgins, Rod Buchanan, Anna Halliday, Alan King and Bill Halliday joined the Wild Biscuit team at Glasgow’s CAVA Studios for an intense day of recording to get the album underway. Then it was back to Mid Argyll and over to studio engineer Grant Milne (engineer for albums and sessions for Capercaillie, Karen Matheson, Kate Rusby, Michael McGoldrick, James Grant and many others) for on-location sessions in the grand surroundings of Argyll & Bute Council Chambers at Kilmory. Over three weekends, the team recorded some of Mid Argyll pipe Band’s finest work. Realising the demands of the task at hand, all Band members worked like professionals, taking direction when necessary and meeting the challenges of headphone mixes, overdubs and guide tracks.
John and Grant mixed the album during May 2008. Mastering, photography and design followed over the summer months and in August the Blackwood & Hickory official release was celebrated with a special launch at Kilmartin House. Now in its second pressing, the album has featured on BBC Radio Scotland’s Reel Blend and Iain Anderson Show.
SCOTS MAGAZINE REVIEW
The story continues...
The line up of Mid Argyll Pipe Band continues to evolve and both the drum and pipe corps have new members since the release of the Blackwood & Hickory album. Thanks to a grant from the Clore Duffield Foundation the Band continues its development with classes by visiting tutors, and as of May 2009 is planning a further workshop programme for some special live performances later in the year. There will be more, much more, to report very soon in the story of Mid Argyll pipe Band.
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Go to FILM for pictures from Blackwood & Hickory montage
