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.
Bagpipe Music by Battlefield Band from the album Room Enough For All
Words: Louis MacNeice / Music: Trad.Arr. Battlefield Band
Kinmor Music
