Re-released as Digital Download!

Posted on by Rob

It’s just over two years since Veteran Records release my CD: O’er Lang at the Fair. Traditional music is very much a niche musical audience; physical CDs are still very much the norm and I’ve probably met a fair number of the people who’ve bought the CD (thank you!).

Through the wonders of modern technology and by properly keeping up with music cataloguing standard, John has now made the whole of his catalogue available as digital downloads. All of this means you can now find me on loads of digital download services: play.com, emusic, amazon (and also once the catalogues update: hmv.com, itunes, napster)

John is also distributing the recordings from the sadly short lived Kyloe Records label – on which you can find the marvellous Andrew & Margaret Watchorn (Lecchemede) and the virtuso playing of Mr Chris Ormston on ‘Time Out of Mind’ . Sadly the Kyloe recordings aren’t available just yet – fingers crossed we’ll be able to keep these recordings available.

6th Hexham Piper’s Gathering – May 11th-13th 2012

Posted on by Rob

After visits to Seattle in the US and Blankenheim, Germany time for some more piping back at home:

  • 18th April, Gun Inn, 8pm
  • 26th April, Presentation for the Village Society, Wall Village Hall, 7.30pm
  • 28th April, Hexham Farmer’s Market (morning)
  • 11-13th May, Hexham Piper’s Gathering

The Hexham Piper’s Gathering is now in it’s 6th year and is a regular fixture on the 2nd weekend in May. There’ll be a session in the Abbey undercroft on Friday night, workshops throughout Saturday, informal ceilidh on Saturday evening in the Moot Hall and a follow up session at the Dipton Mill Pub (great food) on the Sunday.

Andrew Davison is organising this one and there’s more details and booking forms over at the Northumbrian Piper’s Society or contact me for for more details.

Concertina – Blankenheim, Germany

Posted on by Rob


Those lovely people in Germany invited me over to the Blankenheim Osterbordunale again this year. It’s a great week with expert tuition in French pipes, Hurdy Gurdy, Song, Button Accordian and Dance. I was there principally to play and teach the smallpipes .. but then they discovered I played Concertina. My good friend Wim Dictus (Button Accordian, Guitarist, Singer and outstandingly good dancer!) managed to capture a couple of the sets from the Friday concert and offered to put them up – so here’s Caller Herrin’.

It’s a tune attributed to Nathaniel Gow and the song incorporates the fish wives calls to buy the fresh fish and the carillon of the bells in town (still working on those!) It’s been around in Northumbrian piping circles for a long time and morphed in to a fine air – some of the other versions on youtube are really quite different.

There’s another excerpt of a set of mine at the same concert which you should be able to get to from this one – thanks Wim!

Old Year’s Night – 30th Dec, Wall

Posted on by Rob
Old Year's Night 2011

Once more Christmas and New Year are almost upon us and we continue with our annual night of entertainment in Wall on the 30th December. It’s Old Year’s Night, being the last full night of the year (And definitely not New Year’s Eve!)

Supper is a Bring and Share affair, the Prize Draw will no doubt prove highly rewarding but the highlight of the night will be the truly talented local performers who have been persuaded to provide the evening’s entertainment:

  • Fiddler Gillan Burnie will be joining us from Elsdon with a fine repetoire of Northumbrian tunes
  • Mike Tickell of Wark will regale us with songs of shepherds and their shenanigans
  • Perenial village favourite Graham Dick will be out with his songs and stories.

We’ve also got a pair of champion clog dancers, a border piper and I’ll be putting in a tune or two. So all in all it’s going to be a busy night. Tickets are just £7 and everything starts at 7.30pm in Wall Village Hall. As ever there is no bar (takes up too much audience space!) – bring your own drinks.

Full Size Poster

Contact me if you’d like more information / tickets. (Advance booking is essential!)