Reclaimed

Reclaimed is a compilation CD, which isn’t always a good thing. Too often compilations are mixed bags, a bit of a curate’s egg. This has is a common thread, apart from the pipes, which is the music of William Dixon. This is certainly one for my (long) tune book wish list. Several of the tracks use voice or strings (violin, viola, or cello). There are no banjos or bodhrans, no snare drums, no MSR sets. In short it’s neither folk nor GHB stuff, it is cauld wind pipes (not just Scottish) finding their own level. 

Reclaimed also gives me some additions to the list of things that go well with pipes. This CD gives us pipes and voice, which I already know from Seudan and Fhuair Mi Pog and hadn’t really thought about when I was compiling that five. This isn’t just singing with the pipes, though. Mairi Campbell on Now Westlin Winds, gives us voice used almost like drones, which works really well. And I’ve already said how good pipes sound with more pipes, mostly thinking SSP or GHB with Uilleann pipes, but I think this is the first time I have heard smallpipes played with more smallpipes, (Jack Latin) which is just perfect, actually. It’s a long time since I’ve played with another smallpiper. There aren’t many of us about.

While I'm mentally updating Five Things this CD gives us an extra place to hear Mr MacInnes. He’s on two tracks here, one unaccompanied set of three tunes (The Night Visitor's Song, Willie Stays Lang at the Fair and Well Bobbit Blanch of Middlebie) and with strings and voice on Helen of Kirconnel Lea. 

Eslewhere Mike Katz plays pipes by the Monkey's maker, there is an intriguing narrative piece on border pipes, a track featuring Martyn Bennett, and a rare chance to hear pastoral pipes. The icing on the cake of this CD is the informative sleeve notes.