Sanctuary I

Recorded during the week of May 6-12 2007 and completed on the 13th.  Just over 47mins long including the 12sec chill-out gaps at the beginning or end of each track.  I recorded this for my mom for Mother's Day 2007.  Similar to how a book might say in the first few pages "For my beloved So-&-So", this was for my mom but its available to the public.  Recorded by myself using simple gear, burned at home on store-bought blank CDs that get proudly labled with an indellible pen, and comes in a jewel-case or sleeve of some sort with a 2-sided 1/4tr-page flyer functioning as a cover and album-info sheet.

I worked on this for a week -- much with having unusable results, but all results functioning as an invaluable learning experience both in my piping and toward my recording efforts.  It was a lot of work, but I had a great time doing it and look forward to many future projects.

• 06May07, Sunday evening -- worked for a number of hours, pipes had tuning issues, couldn't use any takes
• 07May07, Monday evening -- worked on/off for a number of hours, regardless of pipes having tuning issues, I played too close to my mic, couldn't use any takes
• 08May07, Tuesday evening -- starting to get pretty good at setting-up/taking-down my gear by now, worked for a number of hours, pipes had same tuning issues which I didn't get worked out until just before the last take
• 09May07, Wednesday -- worked from approximately 2PM-8PM, recorded about 2hrs of material, seemed to go pretty well, I figured 2hrs of material would give me the better part of 1hr of usable material, expended a lot of energy and experienced exhaustion for the next two days, came out with approximately 34mins of material
• 12May07, Saturday -- already handled most of the work on the 1/4tr-page flyer for the finished CD, worked on ordering the tracks on the way to/from busking downtown during the day, wanting to bring this project up & over 40mins, romped back over to the church fairly late at night and recoded from 9PM-something to 1030PM'ish with marginal gear, you can hear the differences in these tracks, no more than 3 takes of each set, sometimes as little as 1, got back home & to bed and used every minute the next morning...
• 13May07, Sunday -- finished arranging the CD before visiting with my mom to celebrate Mother's Day

Liner Notes My name is Don Scobie, Thank you for picking up a copy of this CD. I have been playing Highland bagpipes in the Seattle area for nearly 14 years.  I am presently in the middle of making my first album, which my goal is to release Spring 2008 or earlier.  Since starting this venture it seems I have attracted like-minded people, bringing about 3 bands I’ve co-founded and 2 albums I’ve contributed on (international & domestic). While working toward this first album, people who don’t know about my project have asked for a CD of myself playing.  I am both humbled & grateful for their interest & support.  I’ve been thinking for a while of making a simple CD in hopes of sating these folks until this first project is completed – I recorded most of this in 6 hours after 3 days of hard luck, its rough but I think it works.  If you’d like to know more about my recording & performing endeavor, please be sure to get on my mailing list. One of my biggest supporters, both of my music and in my life, is my mom.  She always asks to hear me play, asks what’s new with my different music projects, and asks for copies of the latest work with my bands.  I’ve made this CD for Mother’s Day 2007 in appreciation of my mom’s consummate interest and support of my playing.  Thanks mom! All the Best, Don

Tracks    aprox 0h47m05s total

1) Paddy's Leather Breeches
Recorded 09May07    2:08    6/8 Jig    112 BPM    I believe this is an Irish tune
Comments:  Some of the arranging of this tune is my own, and is how my band John Cunningham Memorial Tartan Pipes & Drums performs the tune.

2) Dawning Of The Day
Recorded 09May07    1:44    4/4 March    90 BPM    Irish
Comments:  I've been recently turned on to this tune through St.Laurence O' Toole Pipe Band's concert album "The Dawning Of The Day".

3) Heights Of Dargai
Recorded 09May07    1:40    9/8 March    70 BPM    Scottish
Comments:  I'm afraid I don't know much about this tune, but that it marks a location and/or historical reference.

4) Loch Rannoch
Recorded 12May07    1:49    6/8 Jig    85 BPM    Scottish
Comments:  I like playing this tune for brides' entrances at wedding ceremonies.

5) Battle Of Waterloo set
Recorded 09May07    2:00    6/8 Jig    76 BPM    Scottish & Irish
Comments:  This track consists of The Battle of Waterloo and The Pikeman's March.  Waterloo I had only learned a week or two before making the recording; Pikeman's I had been playing for a few months.  I quite enjoy both compositions.

6) Scotland The Brave set
Recorded 09May07    3:38    4/4 & 3/4 March    96 BPM    Scottish
Comments:  This track consists of 4/4 Marches The Rowan Tree, Scotland the Brave and 3/4 Retreat Marches The Green Hills of Tyrol and When The Battle's Over.  At present I intend to play this set on my first album along with The Pikeman's March from track 5.

7) Skye Boat Song
Recorded 12May07    1:22    6/8 Slow Air    45 BPM    Scottish
Comments:  A standard Bonnie Prince Charlie tune.

8) Highland Laddie set
Recorded 12May07    1:44    2/4 March    90 BPM    Scottish
Comments:  This track consists of Highland Laddie and Barren Rocks.  I intend to play these tunes along with The Black Bear on my first album.

9) Mist Covered Mountains
Recorded 09May07    2:47    6/8 Slow Air    Played by Feel    Scottish
Comments:  I understand this to be an old tune.  The song that goes with it I believe is a piece from the perspective of a Scottish ex-pat who's missing home.  I intend to play this tune on my first album; I've already made a demo of the set this is slated to a part of and it sounds great.

10) Brown Haired Maiden set
Recorded 09May07    3:20    4/4 March    85 BPM    Scottish & Irish (both tunes)
Comments:  This set consists of Brown Haired Maiden (aka Nut Brown Maiden) and The Highroad To Gairloch.  These were the first two tunes I learned to play.  Both tunes can be found in Scotland and Ireland with various sets of lyrics and arrangements.

11) Atholl Highlanders
Recorded 09May07    2:03    6/8 March    75 BPM    Scottish
Comments:  I presume this tune is about the Highlanders of Atholl.  I know nothing more about this tune -- it's hugely standard -- I've learned it in the last 6 or so months.

12) Setting A Course For Lewis
Recorded 09May07    1:48    6/8 Slow Air    Played by Feel    Scottish
Comments:  This is a very old tune also know as "Hasten And Come With Me", and of course by it's Gaelic name "Togall Curs Air Leodhas".  I enjoy playing this at weddings as I understand the lyric to this rowing tune to be that of a young man to his betrothed proposing a trip to their home town on the Isle of Lewis to announce their engagement.  I also just think its a beautiful tune.  I look forward to playing this tune within what promises to be a fun set on my first album.

13) Gravel Walk
Recorded 12May07    1:28    Cut-Time Reel    112 BPM    debated Scottish/Irish
Comments:  Also known as "Gravel Path", I recorded this around 100beats/minute -- which is about 60BPM slower than its supposed to be played.  I recorded this as an addition to the album, as all my work on 09May07 only added up to about 34mins, and I had already busked all day -- playing it as a slow reel was about the best I could do at that point.  I understand this tune to be debated as being a Scottish or Irish tune.  If I had to guess or pick one, I'd say Irish -- don't ask me why.  Scot musicians -- Highland bagpipes more over -- tend to just play the first two parts, I think because the 3rd & 4th parts require C-naturals to be played, which can be done (under certain circumstance) on Highland bagpipes, however the fingering for C-natural and other alternative notes tends to get stressed as improper pitches to be played, so they're not usually taught.  I'm not 100% proper ... so I'm planning to include this on my first album just like this.

14) Minstrel Boy set
Recorded 09May07    3:06   4/4 March    92 BPM    Irish & Scottish
Comments:  This set consists of the Irish tune "The Minstrel Boy" and the Scottish tune "The Blue Bells Of Scotland".  These two tunes seem to interact well together, so I play them as a set.  I understand the lyrics to both tunes to be sad pieces, and in my mind coupling these in a set is representative of hardships faced by both Scots and Irish alike.

15) I See Mull
Recorded 12May07    1:56    4/4 Retreat March    50 BPM    Scottish
Comments:  This tune is known as "I See Mull (Land Of My Youth)".  I don't know much about it.  The arrangement of this tune -- playing fast/slow/fast over the course of the tune -- was something I started doing similar to what a pipe band I had been in did with the arrangement of another tune.  Before this night, I hadn't played it for years -- turned out well considering.

16) Teribus set
Recorded 09May07    1:53    2/4 March    85 BPM    Scottish
Comments:  This set consists of "Teribus" and "Corriechoillie’s Welcome To The Northern Meeting".  Man, I don't know what it is, but some tunes have some incredibly long names, and it seems like everyone has their welcome to the such-&-such.  Had to do my rock finish to this set.

17) Not A Swan On The Lake
Recorded 09May07    1:31    6/8 Slow Air    Played by Feel    Irish
Comments:  I know nothing about this tune.  I stumbled upon the composition accidentally & fell in love with it.  I don't know of anyone else who plays it.  I understand it to be a very old Irish air.  It has some slight arrangement tweaks that my instructor and I did when I decided to use this on my first album.

18) Lord MacPherson of Drumochter
Recorded 09May07    2:11    6/8 March    68 BPM    Scottish, by PM Angus Graham of Edinburgh
Comments:  My instructor and I developed this arrangement 2004/2005 toward a set on my coming first album.

19) Scots Wha Hae
Recorded 12May07    1:48    SOMETHING Slow Air    85 BPM    Scottish
Comments:  This is a patriotic Robert Burns tune about William Wallace (as I understand).

20) Blackbird air/reel set
Recorded 09May07    3:14    Slow Air & Reels    120 BPM    Irish & Scottish
Comments:  This set consists of "The Blackbird" air & reel (Irish), and "Jenny Dang The Weaver" (Scottish, "dang" means "hit").  I lost my jaw somewhere on the pavement the first time I heard the Blackbird set.  I intend to play both Blackbird and Jenny on my first album.

21) Roots Music
Recorded 09May07    4:04   4/4 5/4 & 3/4    Played by Feel    Middle Eastern & American mid-eastern themed
Comments:  Most folks don't know this, but Highland bagpipes were not invented in Scotland -- well, not completely.  The instrument came to Scotland on a path through numerous other countries and more than 4,000 years of history, starting sometime & somewhere in the mid-East.  “Roots Music” is a bit of a modern attempt to reflect on the instrument's origins.  The compositions making up this track come by way of two piper-friends of mine.  The first is the traditional belly dancer tune "Awel Mara" as arranged by Aaron Shaw of the Wicked Tinkers, followed by rounds of Tim McCarthy's composition “Dreaming of Spain” ... or at least as best as I could play these tunes at the time.  Aaron, thanks for helping to bring Awel Mara to Highland pipes.  Tim, I hope I have served the spirit of Dreaming Of Spain well, and will strive to continue to do so.  And both of you guys -- thank you for helping to "break the mold" a bit more in the piping community, keep up the inspiration.

To the best of my knowledge all compositions on this album are in the public domain unless otherwise indicated.
Recorded live in a church, Spring 09May07
© Don P. Scobie/Don P. Scoby 2007