The opening track from Battlefield Band’s ‘Room Enough For All’ album, ‘Bagpipe Music’ sets to music the words of a famous poem written by Irish born Louis MacNeice in the 1930s after a visit to Scotland’s Western Isles. The superficially ‘nonsense’ poem actually passes deeper comment on what MacNeice perceived as the decline of the indigenous culture of the Highlands, and the “slick urbane culture which is bound to supercede it”. The rhythm of the poem was meant to reflect the music of the Great Highland Bagpipe, hence the title, and the melody is an old 6/8 tune found in various collections, best known as ‘The Maids of Kintail’
This recording of the song was named as the Vox Pop winner in the ‘World Traditional Song’ Category at the 2014 Independent Music Awards in and ‘Room Enough For All’ was awarded ‘Album Of The Year’ at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards in 2013.
‘Room Enough For All’ (Temple Records COMD2106) is available from Temple Records. www.templerecords.co.uk
The words of Bagpipe Music are used by permission of the estate of Louis MacNeice.
Battlefield Band are one of the great institutions of Scottish traditional music. Inspired by their rich heritage and fired by the strength and vibrancy of today’s Scottish cultural scene, which they have done much to create and fuel, their seamless fusion of ancient and contemporary music and song has continually evolved over the decades, confirming their position as vital composers and interpreters at the forefront of a living tradition.
Named after the Glasgow suburb of Battlefield, where the group was formed by four student friends in 1969, they have now been on the world’s roads for over forty five years, distilling their own unique form of the Scottish spirit. They’ve performed in Germany, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Syria, Jordan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, U.S.A., Canada, Uzbekistan, China and the U.K; breaking down barriers and pioneering many new directions which others have followed. Angry, joyful, raucous, contemplative, their music is most importantly – accessible to all.
Artist website: http://www.battlefieldband.co.uk
Single title: Bagpipe Music
Album title:Room Enough For All
Single artist: Battlefield Band
Single duration: 3:32
Record Label: Temple Records
Writers: Words: Louis MacNeice / Music: Trad.Arr. Battlefield Band
Publishers: Kinmore Music
Explicit?: Music
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