Lindsay Davidson

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Lindsay Davidson (9 April 1973, Scotland) [1]was taught bagpipes by Pipe Major James Inglis of Wallacestone and District Pipe Band from aged nine. He was the last person Inglis taught before his death. Later instructors included Bert Barron MBE, P/M John Matheson, BEM and John Graham. Bands included Boghall and Bathgate and Torphichen and Bathgate (during their highly successful period 1986-1989).

Lindsay was the first person in the world to study for a music degree specifically and exclusively as a piper (1994 Edinburgh University). He later was awarded a postgraduate diploma (1996) in the double specialisation of composition and computer sound synthesis and his PhD (2007) in composition (Napier University, Edinburgh).

Whilst never a particularly dedicated competitor, Lindsay between band and solo competitions has won many of the major prizes in Scotland. Lindsay effectively ceased to compete when he started his studies and later his teaching career. Now he lives in Poland, and is engaged in a wide range professional music activities.

For a period of five years Lindsay ran a school of piping (The Davidson School of Piping) and a bagpipes supply service, The Complete Piping Service[2]. These he closed down when he started to spend more time in Poland. The school handed over the majority of its students to pipe bands which it had established.

Lindsay is one of a very few professional pipers in the world and shares his base between Scotland and Poland, where he regularly performs with his harpist wife, Irena. He is employed as a Court Composer to the Baron of Ardgowan[ and holds honorary positions as Clan Piper (Clan Davidson) and was Town Piper to his home town of Linlithgow, Scotland for nine years.

Many articles about Lindsay Davidson have appeared in a wide range of special interest and mass media publications and broadcast services across the globe such as the BBC,ABC[3], The Guardian[4], Piping Today magazine, The Scots Magazine, The Sunday Herald[5], The Scotsman.

Contents

[edit] Composing

As a composer Lindsay has specialised in uniting the bagpipe and orchestral traditions. His PhD thesis (2007) concerned creation of a new technique of composing of ‘classical’ music, manntaireachd, which unites pibroch and orchestral music. He has written the world’s first ‘bagpipe opera’, Tulsa[6], to a libretto in Scots by Dr Tom Hubbard[7], concerning the Tulsa Race Riots in 1921 and in particular the part played in trying to prevent this by Charles William Kerr, and three other operas. He has also composed a symphony ‘From Beyond’ using manntaireachd and a chamber symphony, likewise using manntaireachd.

[edit] Major Pieces

A partial catalogue can be found on the Scottish Music Centre website[8]

Borderpipe Concerto – the first of its kind, uses both traditional and original material

  • Marimba Concerto[9] - premiered by Ryszard Haba of Krakow, Poland, 2006
  • Tulsa (libretto Dr Tom Hubbard, concert suite for trio[10][11]) commissioned by the Baron of Ardgowan
  • The Ballad of Annie Kerr (libretto Dr Tom Hubbard) commissioned by the Baron of Ardgowan
  • The New Deliverance (libretto S.I. Witkiewicz)
  • Cockroaches (libretto SI Witkiewicz)
  • Symphony Number 1 ‘From Beyond’ commissioned by the Baron of Ardgowan
  • Chamber Symphony Number 1 – dedicated to Stephen and Michael Kerr
  • Solo Bagpipe Music (in the region of 800 pieces) including several collections

[edit] Performing

As a duet with his wife, Irena, Lindsay performs at classical music festivals across Europe and has also been to Venezuela[12][13]. As a trio with harp and soprano (Katarzyna Wiwer-Monita) they form ‘Celtic Triangle’ and have a mixture of music from traditional, to contemporary compositions by Lindsay. He leads a traditional music group,’ The Reivers’[14] comprising bagpipes, harp, violin and percussion, and again they have a mixture of traditional and new music.

A major part of Lindsay’s work is performing with ‘classical’ ensembles ranging from string quartet to orchestras. He has played with some of the most prestigious orchestras in Europe, such as [15] of Polish Radio led by Agnieszka Duczmal[16], and Leopolis Chamber Orchestra of Lviv[17][18], where he was a resident soloist.

Lindsay performs on Highland Bagpipes, Scottish Smallpipes and Borderpipes during his concerts.

[edit] Recordings

  • Philharmonic Bagpipes – bagpipes and string orchestra
  • Celtic Triangle – bagpipes, harp and soprano
  • Teribus – The Irony Board - bagpipe duet with Richard Kean, now unavailable
  • Dances of the World Volume 1 and Volume 2 choir and string orchestra Leopolis (guest performer)
  • Blown (guest performer with Richard Kean[19])

[edit] Teaching

In 1996 a group of piping teachers in Edinburgh, Scotland decided to form a school, originally to be called the Edinburgh School of Piping. However, the name was taken and so they elected to call it after their leader and originator of a their new method, Lindsay Davidson[20]. This method was derived from piano and conducting teaching, and contains elements based upon the Kodaly Method and the New French Method of rhythm. The method is based upon separating the mechanical aspects of playing music from the emotional, learning each area in isolation, programming technique exactly as a computer and then reuniting the aspects. Musicianship is taught alongside these technical processes and links are constantly made during lessons to show how to achieve specific effects.

This method was conceived and broadly established by Lindsay; weekly meetings with his colleagues, particularly Richard Kean, were used to refine, expand and strengthen the method. Currently Lindsay is expanding his ‘teach yourself’ method and site, a free project aimed at giving as many people as possible access to piping.

Six pipe bands were created in central Scotland(for example Barnton Pipe Band[21]) by the school, and several were assisted in USA and Australia. Affiliate branches of the school were opened in USA and Australia and ceased operating when the school itself was wound down.

Lindsay has given and continues to give workshops in various parts of the world, from USA to Australia and even Ukraine.

[edit] External links

  • Lindsay Davidson's website [22]
  • Teach Yourself Bagpipes [23]
  • Kerr of Ardgowan [24]