PIOBAIREACHD 2021 is a new music project undertaken by Fraser Fifield. Beginning in January and continuing through the year, Fraser will let his imagination run free in constructing new music inspired by or referring to the art of piobaireachd.
Please bookmark: https://fraserfifield.com/piobaireachd-2021 - where all output from this exciting new project will be posted on an ongoing basis.
Thanks to Creative Scotland for supporting this endeavour.
Commissioned by raretunes.org Please visit: https://raretunes.org/fraser-fifield/
Composed and performed by Fraser Fifield, on Highland Bagpipes, Saxophone and Whistle.
from 'Fatea':
"For this fascinating album he has teamed up with three very respected and notable musicians from India: Sabir Khan on sarangi ( a bowed instrument), Saresh Lalwani on violin and viola and Navin Sharma on tabla and other percussion......
..... a wonderful demonstration of the mutual respect and appreciation of four musicians for each other to make a unique sound that resonates long after the album has ended".
read in full:
https://www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/reviews/FraserFifield/
Composed and recorded on 3/4 July 2020, released July 5, 2020 composed, performed, recorded by Fraser Fifield. Sheet music for the melody line is included. Named after a local riverside walk called the 'Fife Field of Hope'...cos you gotta!
Pleased to present this new track, recorded at home during this first period of being at home all the time! (April 2020)
The first melody, Breizh, I've played for many years and was written by Fred Morrison, the acclaimed Scottish piper. The second tune I've known for a long time too, a tale of revenge from a age long gone. A Flame of Wrath for Squinting Patrick was composed by Donald Mor Macrimmon.
Hope you enjoy the music!
... 2020 began with the experience of hearing my composition, Secret Histories, performed by the Grit Orchestra, part of the opening concert of Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall. Quite a thing. The orchestra went on to perform at Glasgow's Barrowlands a couple of nights later, reprising the much loved repertoire of the late Martyn Bennett.
A variety of interesting encounters followed: meeting and improvising with Routes Quartet, a day with students at Newcastle University, a run of gigs with the Tannahill Weavers, followed most recently with an enjoyable gigs at the Traverse Theatre with guitarist, Graeme Stephen and in Leith with Don Patterson's Quartet... the journey continues, the music gets better... Hope to see you along the way before too long if you're reading!
p.s. do pop over to the 'music' page and pick up one of the 6 albums of original music available there, perfect to accompany periods of quiet reflection we may encounter...
photo of Grit Ochestra by, ABCassidy Photography
Old Woman's Lullaby, a traditional Scottish melody from the bagpipe piobaireachd tradition, arranged by Fraser and Lolanders, recorded in Rotterdam, June '19.
'Punja B', a composition by Oene Van Geel played by the Lolanders live at Injazz, Rotterdam in June 2019
Excellent comment on one of our recent Lolanders performances in Netherlands, of which more news soon...
http://www.jazzenzo.nl/?e=4232
"Een geslaagde fusie tussen jazz en world vormt het optreden van het sextet Lo-Landers. De bezetting bevat bekende namen als altviolist Oene van Geel, doedelzakspeler Fraser Filield, gitarist Graeme Stephen, basgitarist Mark Haanstra en percussionist Udo Demandt. Het enthousiasme spat van de muziek af en de doedelzak van Fifield – die ook op pennywhistle is te horen -…
Read morepart of our arrangement of 'The Old Woman's Lullaby', a tune I learnt in the Scottish Bagpipe style known as Piobaireachd.
we really enjoyed visiting and performing at Nijmegan Music Festival ... a great setting in the trees, the attentive audiences made us feel very welcome.
We're now looking forward to the next few gigs round England - Bath, Sheffield, Ambleside, Newcastle - and one in Glasgow Jazz Festival, plus Bimhuis, Amsterdam and Rotterdam Injazz Festival. Would be great to see you over the next weeks of June if you're in those areas
CELTIC ROOTS ENSEMBLE are happy to be performing on 3rd June in Bergen International Festival,
while
LOLANDERS are performing extensively in June in the UK and Netherlands and are equally, if not more, happy about this:
7th June: Durham Jazz Festival
https://www.musicdurham.org/djazz-the-durham-city-jazz-festival/
8th June : Nijmigen Music Meeting
19th June: Jazz at The Lescar, Sheffield
http://www.jazzatthelescar.com
20th June: Zefirelli's Jazz Bar, Ambleside
Read moreThe first melody I self-assembled was in 1987, intended for the Highland Bagpipe, it's a reel in four parts named after my maternal Grandfather, John (Ian) Davidson of Garlogie, Skene. The tune's title refers to a nickname given locally on account (hopefully) of his polymath approach to life post WW2 upon returning to Aberdeenshire as self-taught repairer of clocks and watches, maker of off-grid electricity, wine, guns and four children. The title refers also to the local legend of the (Wizard) Laird of…
Read moreLoLanders from nigel slee on Vimeo.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/17379775.keith-bruce-in-praise-of-chamber-music/
"....Two days later, in the neighbouring Strathclyde Suite, came the debut of another new Scots-born chamber ensemble, this one combining musicians supported by Dutch Performing Arts with three locals: Hardeep Deerhe on tabla, jazz guitarist Graeme Stephen and the whistle and pipes of Fraser Fifield. There was groove-aplenty from the LoLanders too – no matter whose composition was on the music stand, these experience…
Read moreImprovising at home:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TntDje0qaZ4
Just to remind, you're very welcome to visit and browse my soundcloud page
many unreleased tracks, some favourite recordings are there
features Fraser on low whistle, an uplifting new song from the Outlander TV series star!
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/dick-lee-and-fraser-fifield-cauld-wind-pipes-and-hot-reeds
'Dick Lee and Fraser Fifield – Cauld Wind Pipes and Hot Reeds'
5.45 pm, Mon - Fri, Aug 13 - 17, at Valvona and Crolla, Elm Row, Top of Leith Walk.
Here's a resulting review published in The Scotsman:
thanks to Conrad Molleson
EDINBURGH SOUNDS: AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO HOMEGROWN LIVE MUSIC
http://roadsandkingdoms.com/2018/where-to-watch-live-music-edinburgh/
GAVIN MARWICK’S JOURNEYMAN PROJECT AND SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE: IMPRESSIONS OF GALLOWAY
A one-off traditional/classical concert featuring new music written by celebrated fiddle player Gavin Marwick and combining the celebrated musicians of both his Journeyman Project and the Scottish Ensemble.
https://www.dgartsfestival.org.uk/event/impressions-of-galloway/
a lovely review of Stereocanto in New Internationalist magazine , which I missed at the time(!), but thanks to the internet ...
https://newint.org/columns/media/music/2010/01/01/stereocanto
Stereocanto 2 January 2010
Ditch your preconceptions with Fraser Fifield.
Prepare to ditch all preconceptions about Scots trad music. Low whistle, hornpipes, kaval (this is a traditional Balkan flute) and practice chanter (and this a part of the Scots bagpiping set-up) are just a few of the…
Read more
