Highland Happenings, and a Return to Bonny Scotland!
Y'know, Mortals, it's always a joy bumping unexpectedly into a few auld friends, and Saturday was clearly no execption. Edinburgh's one and only Fettes College Pipes & Drums had come back to Central Park for the first time since their epic East Coast Tour in July 2000, where the Bandsmen (and Bandswomen) also did Boston's Fenway Park, the campus of Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island (they'd been in on the town's annual 4th of July Parade, you see), and finally, Foxboro, Mass. for a halftime soccer routine during a New England Revolution game.
Well, now, seven years later, the Fettes College Pipers are back with a new CD --- Industria. That's Latin for --- well, duh! --- industry, and it's something that was very important to Sir William Fettes, two-time Lord Mayor of Edinburgh, when, in 1870, as per the terms of his Last Will and Testament, he established an elite academy in his own name. Today, under the wise stewardship of Headmaster Mike Spens, Fettes remains committed to delivering the broadest, caring, family-oriented education possible; promoting excellence in every high standard ye can name; fostering the highest expectations in all itsstudents; and ensuring that those who would graduate from the hallowed halls of this 140-year-old plus institution leave its gates as confident and civilized individuals. Huzzah!
One of the tunes featured on Industria is Jonathan Gillespie's cute little Highland jig, Fettes Week in New York City, written in 2000 when the Band was here to plug their debut CD Within a Mile o' Edinburgh Toon, which I think was probably one of the most popular in-school CDs ever recorded. Like the previous album, Industria was recorded at Fettes' venerable Concert Hall over the weekend of March 22nd and 23rd, 2006. The Band's official website hasn't been properly updated, but I imagine that that will change as time wears on.
Would. alas that I could say the same for our sadly minor contigent of bagpipe bands taking part in August 11th's World Pipe Band Championships @ Glasgow Green! A mere seven bands, dearies: From Dunedin, Florida --- The City of Dunedin Pipes & Drums; from Albany and Rochester, NY --- the Oran Mor Pipe Band and the Scotia-Glenville Junior Pipe Band; from Redlands, California --- the Kevin R. Blandford Memorial Pipe Band; from, Mesa, AZ --- the Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band; from Arvada, Colorado --- the Centennial State Pipes & Drums; and from Albuquerque, NM -- the High Desert Pipes & Drums. Seven Pipe Bands out of some 185 gathering there from all over the world --- Canada, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Wales, Germany, Pakistan, Italy, Oman, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Belgium, Holland --- by Merlin's beard, it's all too much for even a Dragonmaster to comprehend!
Luckily, our sister website Uncle Fergus' Bagpipers' Paradise is able to do that for us. (Thank goodness!)
Master Blackwolf
Well, now, seven years later, the Fettes College Pipers are back with a new CD --- Industria. That's Latin for --- well, duh! --- industry, and it's something that was very important to Sir William Fettes, two-time Lord Mayor of Edinburgh, when, in 1870, as per the terms of his Last Will and Testament, he established an elite academy in his own name. Today, under the wise stewardship of Headmaster Mike Spens, Fettes remains committed to delivering the broadest, caring, family-oriented education possible; promoting excellence in every high standard ye can name; fostering the highest expectations in all itsstudents; and ensuring that those who would graduate from the hallowed halls of this 140-year-old plus institution leave its gates as confident and civilized individuals. Huzzah!
One of the tunes featured on Industria is Jonathan Gillespie's cute little Highland jig, Fettes Week in New York City, written in 2000 when the Band was here to plug their debut CD Within a Mile o' Edinburgh Toon, which I think was probably one of the most popular in-school CDs ever recorded. Like the previous album, Industria was recorded at Fettes' venerable Concert Hall over the weekend of March 22nd and 23rd, 2006. The Band's official website hasn't been properly updated, but I imagine that that will change as time wears on.
Would. alas that I could say the same for our sadly minor contigent of bagpipe bands taking part in August 11th's World Pipe Band Championships @ Glasgow Green! A mere seven bands, dearies: From Dunedin, Florida --- The City of Dunedin Pipes & Drums; from Albany and Rochester, NY --- the Oran Mor Pipe Band and the Scotia-Glenville Junior Pipe Band; from Redlands, California --- the Kevin R. Blandford Memorial Pipe Band; from, Mesa, AZ --- the Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band; from Arvada, Colorado --- the Centennial State Pipes & Drums; and from Albuquerque, NM -- the High Desert Pipes & Drums. Seven Pipe Bands out of some 185 gathering there from all over the world --- Canada, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Wales, Germany, Pakistan, Italy, Oman, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Belgium, Holland --- by Merlin's beard, it's all too much for even a Dragonmaster to comprehend!
Luckily, our sister website Uncle Fergus' Bagpipers' Paradise is able to do that for us. (Thank goodness!)
Master Blackwolf
posted by Master Blackwolf | 7:09 AM
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