138 episodes

This show is (mostly) a bi-weekly podcast that explores the likely repertoire of eighteenth and early nineteenth century bagpipers, using historic music collections (written for bagpipes or not), performed on Uilleann pipes, Highland pipes and whistles. Every episodes notes include links to the historic sheet music when available. For information about my Albums Oyster Wives Rant, and Pay the Pipemaker go here:
https://www.wetootwaag.com/albums
For information about Jeremy and the instruments played on the show go here:
https://www.wetootwaag.com/about

Wetootwaag's Bagpipe and History Podcast Jeremy Kingsbury

    • Music
    • 4.8 • 22 Ratings

This show is (mostly) a bi-weekly podcast that explores the likely repertoire of eighteenth and early nineteenth century bagpipers, using historic music collections (written for bagpipes or not), performed on Uilleann pipes, Highland pipes and whistles. Every episodes notes include links to the historic sheet music when available. For information about my Albums Oyster Wives Rant, and Pay the Pipemaker go here:
https://www.wetootwaag.com/albums
For information about Jeremy and the instruments played on the show go here:
https://www.wetootwaag.com/about

    S 08 E 06 Gathering Of the Clans Revisited a Conversation with Barry Shears

    S 08 E 06 Gathering Of the Clans Revisited a Conversation with Barry Shears

    Tunes:
    Barry Shears: The Hen's March over the Hill, John MacColl's Favourite
    O'Farrell: The Hen's Concert
    Several other tunes played by Barry Shears


    Check out Barry's New Edition of Gathering of the Clans here:


    https://capebretonpiper.com/content/gathering-clans-collection-volume-1-anniversary-edition


    1806: The Hen’s Concert from O’Farrell’s Pocket Companion:
    https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/87780134


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    FIN

    Here are some ways you can support the show:


    You can support the Podcast by joining the Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/wetootwaag
    You can also take a minute to leave a review of the podcast if you listen on Itunes!
    Tell your piping and history friends about the podcast!
    Checkout my Merch Store on Bagpipeswag:
    https://www.bagpipeswag.com/wetootwaag
    You can also support me by Buying my First Album on Bandcamp:
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/oyster-wives-rant-a-year-of-historic-tunes
    or my second album on Bandcamp!
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/pay-the-pipemaker
    or my third album on Bandcamp!
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/bannocks-of-barley-meal
    You can now buy physical CDs of my albums using this Kunaki link: https://kunaki.com/msales.asp?PublisherId=166528&pp=1
    You can just send me an email at wetootwaag@gmail.com letting me know what you thought of the episode! Listener mail keeps me going!
    Finally I have some other support options here: https://www.wetootwaag.com/support
    Thanks!


    Listen on Itunes/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wetootwaags-bagpipe-and-history-podcast/id129776677


    Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QxzqrSm0pu6v8y8pLsv5j?si=QLiG0L1pT1eu7B5_FDmgGA
    Support Wetootwaag's Bagpipe and History Podcast

    • 1 hr 39 min
    S 08 E 05 Thank You Ross Anderson: Tunes from John Sutherland and David Young

    S 08 E 05 Thank You Ross Anderson: Tunes from John Sutherland and David Young

    Tunes:
    John Sutherland Manuscript: The Lady’s Favourite, Paddy Whack, Kiss about the Hay Stacks, Salt Beef and Dumplings, The Peasant’s Dance, The Nosegay, Duncan Davison, Nancy Larson, Balty Horah, Trip it Up Stairs, Cock and the Hen, Fanny’s Fancy, The Witches,
    David Young: Tail Todle, Collar Reel, Macfarlane’s Reel, Inverara Reel, The Wood of Fyvie, Four and twenty Highlandmen, What Meikle Sorrow Ails You, Corby Reel, Wattie Laing, O’er Bogie, Up and Worst them All Willy, Because I was a bonny Lad, Unfortunate Jock, The Confederacy, Kirkcudbright, You’ll Ay be Welcome Back Again, The Old Wife Beyond the Fire, Rob Shore in the Harvest, A Ranting Highlandman, Fettercairn Reel,


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    All of the tunes this week come from John Sutherland’s 1780s Manuscript and the Drummond Castle Manuscript from 1737 available on Ross’s Music Page: https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/music/index.html


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    Here are some Obituaries and Tributes to Ross Anderson:
    https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366577932/Obituary-Professor-Ross-Anderson-pioneer-in-security-engineering-and-campaigner
    https://netwars.pelicancrossing.net/2024/03/31/rip-ross-j-anderson/
    https://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2024/03/29/rip-ross-anderson/
    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39864210
    https://memex.naughtons.org/monday-1-april-2024/39303/
    https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk/news/ross-anderson
    https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/03/ross_anderson_obit/


    FIN

    Here are some ways you can support the show:


    You can support the Podcast by joining the Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/wetootwaag
    You can also take a minute to leave a review of the podcast if you listen on Itunes!
    Tell your piping and history friends about the podcast!
    Checkout my Merch Store on Bagpipeswag:
    https://www.bagpipeswag.com/wetootwaag
    You can also support me by Buying my First Album on Bandcamp:
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/oyster-wives-rant-a-year-of-historic-tunes
    or my second album on Bandcamp!
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/pay-the-pipemaker
    or my third album on Bandcamp!
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/bannocks-of-barley-meal
    You can now buy physical CDs of my albums using this Kunaki link: https://kunaki.com/msales.asp?PublisherId=166528&pp=1
    You can just send me an email at wetootwaag@gmail.com letting me know what you thought of the episode! Listener mail keeps me going!
    Finally I have some other support options here: https://www.wetootwaag.com/support
    Thanks!


    Listen on Itunes/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wetootwaags-bagpipe-and-history-podcast/id129776677


    Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QxzqrSm0pu6v8y8pLsv5j?si=QLiG0L1pT1eu7B5_FDmgGA
    Support Wetootwaag's Bagpipe and History Podcast

    • 1 hr 3 min
    S 08 E 04 George MacLeod's 1784 Repertoire part 1 (Patrick MacDonald's North Highland Piper)

    S 08 E 04 George MacLeod's 1784 Repertoire part 1 (Patrick MacDonald's North Highland Piper)

    Tunes:
    Patrick McDonald: Ossian’s soliloquy on the death of all his cotemporary Heroes, North Highland Country Dances tunes 1-6, 24, Màraidh bhàn òg. {Potential/likely titles for tune 1-6: Tune 1: Joseph MacDonald’s Jig, Tune 2: Lady Wemyss’ Jig/Whip her and gird her, Tune 3: Far awa Wedding, Tune 4: maybe Shaggy Grey Buck, Tune 5: Stumpie, Tune 6& 24: Lord Reay’s Jig}
    O’Farrell: Apples in Winter
    Holden: Irish Trott
    Donald MacDonald: LadyWemyss’ Jig
    William Vickers: Cold and Raw


    (Note that Cover Art is Not George MacLeod, but Niel McLean, “Piper to the Highland Society” in 1781:
    https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/34827/neil-maclean-active-about-1781-piper-highland-society


    Order and Thoughts:


    Nearly All the tunes come from Patrick Mac Donald's Collection of Highland Vocal Airs:
    https://books.google.com/books?id=XCvLHYWLkFcC&newbks=0&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false
    The reprinted edition with the tune names in the notes can be found here: https://www.scotlandsmusic.com/Product/SM-V7M9GD/the-patrick-mcdonald-collection


    Patrick MacDonald (Joseph MacDonald Section)

    1784: Ossian’s soliloquy on the death of all his cotemporary Heroes


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    Patrick MacDonald’s North Highland Country Dances (George MacLeod)

    Thanks to Keith Sanger for identifying Patrick MacDonald’s North Highland piper.
    I read some Excerpts from:
    Ian Grimble, The World of Rob Donn (Edinburgh: The Edina Press, 1979).


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    Tune 1: Joseph MacDonald’s Jig. Likely named for Patrick’s Brother. Somewhat awkward dotting and cutting.


    +X+
    Tune 2: G# Tune, Whip her and Gird her, Note that Patrick annotates every G if there is a sharp in it, not just the first one (unlike other settings in this section).


    +X+X+X+


    Set from Cold and Raw

    1808: Apples in Winter
    From O’Farrell’s Pocket Companion:
    https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/87780458
    1807: Irish Trott from Smollet Holden’s A Collection of Favorite Irish Airs Vol 1
    https://imslp.org/wiki/A_Collection_of_Favorite_Irish_Airs_(Holden%2C_Smollet)


    1828: Lady Wemyss’ Jig from Donald MacDonald’s Collection of Quicksteps, Strathspeys, reels and Jigs
    https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/105682572
    1776: Cold and Raw from William Vickers Manuscript
    http://www.farnearchive.com/farneimages/jpgs/R0305000.jpg


    +X+X+X+


    Patrick MacDonald’s North Highland Country Dances (George MacLeod)

    Tune 3: Far Awa Wedding is how I play this tune most (I think) from Donald MacDonald, not sure I included it but has an f grace note on an f up to a high G.


    +X+X+


    Tune 4: Shaggy Grey Buck? I feel like I’ve seen this tune in Donald MacDonald, note the c grace notes to D, sometimes from a C c grace, D.


    +X+X+


    Tune 5: Stumpie: Similar gracing style, with the e grace note on an E, also like that c sixteenth note as grace note in this tune.


    +X+


    Tune 6: Lord Reay’s Jig…Lord Reay’s Piper possibly, Tune is in A Minor (C Maj) but with the F marked as Sharp. Slightly atypical gracing style from previous (though more conventionally GHB with an E gracenote for transition of C to D. also note the one F being sharp… next one not labeled Natural…


    +X+
    Tune 24: Lord Reay’s Jig (slightly different than 6) the F sharp, F nat seems more clear here because of the repeat of marked f# it’s cool that both tunes use the F sharp F Nat it’s the Double F Dilema for a Wizard!


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    Lord Reay Wizard story from:

    Donald Omand, Caithness: Lore and Legend (Wick: North of Scotland Publishers, 1995).
    https://archive.org/details/caithnessloreleg0000oman/page/42/mode/1up


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    Patrick MacDonald (Joseph MacDonald Section)

    1784: Màraidh bhàn òg


    FIN

    Here are some ways you can support the show:


    You can support the Podcast by joining the Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/wetootwaag
    You can also take a minute to leave a review of the podcast if you listen on Itunes!
    Tell your piping and history fri

    • 1 hr 8 min
    S 08 E 03 My Approach to Music Theory and the Historical Repertoire

    S 08 E 03 My Approach to Music Theory and the Historical Repertoire

    Tunes:
    Bremner: St. Paul/Aberdeen, Bristol
    John Murphy: Miss Boswell’s Jig


    William Dixon: Hacky Honey


    +X+X+X+X+X+


    Here is a link to the music Theory video Rod shared with me about the way white supremacists have used music Theory:
    https://youtu.be/Kr3quGh7pJA?si=GQqtJUc7O6VFbIc6


    I recorded this episode about a month before this article often discussed with some sort of click bait title like “Pythagoras was wrong about music theory” (speaking of clickbait, did you know academics and journalists alike don’t often get a say on the title of their work, so if you see a particularly egregious title, don’t necessarily hold it against the author). The abstract is that our “western musical theory and the idea that there was universal harmonies, and that good music is just about consonance and not dissonance” is obviously a really limited perspective on what good music is, and intrinsically apparent to anyone who plays a drone instrument, or regulators.
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45812-z


    Settings:


    +X+X+X+


    1762: Aberdeen (In G) from Bremner’s Rudiments of Music
    https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/87723589


    +X+X+X+


    1762: Bristol (In G minor) from Bremner’s Rudiments of Music
    https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/87723781


    +X+X+X+


    1810: Miss Boswell’s Jigg from John Murphy
    https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_collection_of_Irish_airs_and_jiggs_wit/_Up5WmARde0C?hl=en


    +X+X+X+


    1733: Hacky Honey from William Dixon’s Manuscript


    +X+X+X+


    FIN

    Here are some ways you can support the show:


    You can support the Podcast by joining the Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/wetootwaag
    You can also take a minute to leave a review of the podcast if you listen on Itunes!
    Tell your piping and history friends about the podcast!
    Checkout my Merch Store on Bagpipeswag:
    https://www.bagpipeswag.com/wetootwaag
    You can also support me by Buying my First Album on Bandcamp:
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/oyster-wives-rant-a-year-of-historic-tunes
    or my second album on Bandcamp!
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/pay-the-pipemaker
    or my third album on Bandcamp!
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/bannocks-of-barley-meal
    You can now buy physical CDs of my albums using this Kunaki link: https://kunaki.com/msales.asp?PublisherId=166528&pp=1
    You can just send me an email at wetootwaag@gmail.com letting me know what you thought of the episode! Listener mail keeps me going!
    Finally I have some other support options here: https://www.wetootwaag.com/support
    Thanks!


    Listen on Itunes/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wetootwaags-bagpipe-and-history-podcast/id129776677


    Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QxzqrSm0pu6v8y8pLsv5j?si=QLiG0L1pT1eu7B5_FDmgGA
    Support Wetootwaag's Bagpipe and History Podcast

    • 1 hr 3 min
    S 08 E 02 UPDATED Robert Bremner's Rudiments of Music

    S 08 E 02 UPDATED Robert Bremner's Rudiments of Music

    Tunes:
    Robert Bremner: French, Elgin, Stilt, Jush of Perth, Blue Britches, Dunfermling


    This episode includes a read through of Robert Bremner’s Rudiments of Music, and several tunes which can be read here:


    https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/87723577


    1760s: Jush of Pert and Blue Britches both come from Robert Bremner’s Country Dance book:
    https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/105003032


    FIN

    Here are some ways you can support the show:


    You can support the Podcast by joining the Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/wetootwaag
    You can also take a minute to leave a review of the podcast if you listen on Itunes!
    Tell your piping and history friends about the podcast!
    Checkout my Merch Store on Bagpipeswag:
    https://www.bagpipeswag.com/wetootwaag
    You can also support me by Buying my First Album on Bandcamp:
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/oyster-wives-rant-a-year-of-historic-tunes
    or my second album on Bandcamp!
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/pay-the-pipemaker
    or my third album on Bandcamp!
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/bannocks-of-barley-meal
    You can now buy physical CDs of my albums using this Kunaki link: https://kunaki.com/msales.asp?PublisherId=166528&pp=1
    You can just send me an email at wetootwaag@gmail.com letting me know what you thought of the episode! Listener mail keeps me going!
    Finally I have some other support options here: https://www.wetootwaag.com/support
    Thanks!


    Listen on Itunes/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wetootwaags-bagpipe-and-history-podcast/id129776677


    Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QxzqrSm0pu6v8y8pLsv5j?si=QLiG0L1pT1eu7B5_FDmgGA
    Support Wetootwaag's Bagpipe and History Podcast

    • 1 hr 3 min
    S08 E 01 My Approach to a Historical Repertoire

    S08 E 01 My Approach to a Historical Repertoire

    Tunes:
    O’Farrell: Humours of Toddy
    Niel Dicke: Patti
    Donald MacDonald: Dunrobin Castle
    Jeremy Kingsbury: The Pretty Sporran
    Angus MacKay: The Pretty Dirk
    Patrick MacDonald: Lord Reay’s Jig
    Straight and Skillern: Miss Fowler’s Delight, The Nabob, Pantheon, The Oak Tree,
    James Aird: Rondo


    Tunes:
    1804: Humours of Toddy from O’Farrell’s Tutor, available as ABC notation here:
    https://pipers.ie/source/media/?galleryId=53&mediaId=5523


    +X+X+


    1983: Patti from Niel Dickie’s “First Book” available to purchase here and other places:
    https://www.thepipershut.com/First-Book-By-Neil-Dickie_p_700.html


    1828: Dunrobin Castle from Donald MacDonald’s Donald MacDonald's Collection of quicksteps, strathspeys, reels, & jigs:
    https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/105682825


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    1838: The Pretty Dirk from Angus MacKay Collection of Ancient Piobaireachd
    https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/120542141


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    1777: Bagpipe Entry: Encyclopedia Britancia 2nd Edition
    https://digital.nls.uk/encyclopaedia-britannica/archive/188320592#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=257&xywh=3216%2C-242%2C2150%2C1428


    +X+X+X+


    1784: Lord Reay’s Jig from Patrick MacDonald's 1784 Collection of Highland Vocal Airs:
    https://books.google.com/books?id=XCvLHYWLkFcC&newbks=0&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false
    The reprinted edition with the tune names in the notes can be found here: https://www.scotlandsmusic.com/Product/SM-V7M9GD/the-patrick-mcdonald-collection


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    1775: Miss Fowler’s Delight, The Nabob, Pantheon, The Oak Tree. These tunes all come from Straight and Skillern’s 204 Favourite Country Dances, published in London around 1775.
    You can see the notes here:
    https://imslp.org/wiki/204_Favourite_Country_Dances_(Various)


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    1780’s: Rondo and McFarlane’s Strathspey from James Aird’s Collection:
    https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/90484640


    You can pick up Pay The Pipemaker in physical and bandcamp form, links below!


    +X+X+


    FIN

    Here are some ways you can support the show:


    You can support the Podcast by joining the Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/wetootwaag
    You can also take a minute to leave a review of the podcast if you listen on Itunes!
    Tell your piping and history friends about the podcast!
    Checkout my Merch Store on Bagpipeswag:
    https://www.bagpipeswag.com/wetootwaag
    You can also support me by Buying my First Album on Bandcamp:
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/oyster-wives-rant-a-year-of-historic-tunes
    or my second album on Bandcamp!
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/pay-the-pipemaker
    or my third album on Bandcamp!
    https://jeremykingsbury.bandcamp.com/album/bannocks-of-barley-meal
    You can now buy physical CDs of my albums using this Kunaki link: https://kunaki.com/msales.asp?PublisherId=166528&pp=1
    You can just send me an email at wetootwaag@gmail.com letting me know what you thought of the episode! Listener mail keeps me going!
    Finally I have some other support options here: https://www.wetootwaag.com/support
    Thanks!


    Listen on Itunes/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wetootwaags-bagpipe-and-history-podcast/id129776677


    Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QxzqrSm0pu6v8y8pLsv5j?si=QLiG0L1pT1eu7B5_FDmgGA
    Support Wetootwaag's Bagpipe and History Podcast

    • 1 hr 5 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
22 Ratings

22 Ratings

piobplayer ,

Wonderful historical and musical content.

Coming from the GHB side of the coin, Jeremy has opened my eyes to the world of historical music from the border region and bellows blown pipes. He gives great advice and relevance on the tunes he plays and provides insight on where to find those rare pieces to learn for yourself. Highly recommended.

Quietpiper ,

A must for pipers and history aficionados

Very well researched and informative in-depth presentation of historic piping music, as well as music not specifically for pipes but playable. Wonderful, I highly recommend giving it a subscribe if the subject matter is of any interest to you.

evanofjefferson ,

Academic folk at its finest

Excellent research behind every episode. Wonderful storytelling.

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