Album Recommendations for Pipe Music, Pls.

[BobsYourUncle]

I'm looking for recommendations as to CDs [or in other album formats] of pipe music [and/or performances of pipe bands, "pipes and drums"]. I have two CDs, both by the 1st Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, one titled "Glengarried Men", the other "Salute from Stirling Castle".

If possible, please break out your recommendations into categories:

1. Ceol beg: marches, strathspeys, reels, jigs, etc.

2. Ceol mor: piobaireachd, laments, etc.

Thank you for any help you may be able to offer. Regards...

[beloitpiper]

Scotland's Great Highland Bagpipes

The Dark Island

Those should have pretty much all the standards.

[4thAWpipeSGT]

Good question!
For #1, I would put down Pipe Sgt Jack Lee, solo from Lismor's World's Greatest Piper Series. Good for ceol mor, too, but not so many selections there.

[BobsYourUncle]

Great recommendations, guys. The Amazon links are great. I should have thought to search "Lismor", as they published "Glengarried Men". I've already ordered based on your recommendations. First, take delivery of the CDs, next rip them into iTunes to get them onto my iPod...

Anyone else got any favorites to recommend? Regards...

[beloitpiper]

Also, Amazon has an awesome collection of electronic downloads. Just seach "mp3 downloads" and you can find a LOT of pipe music on Amazon. Hear a sample, choose your favorite tracks, and it'll download straight to your iTunes!

[cajuncelt]

For Ceol Mor:
Ceol Na Pioba - Piob Mhor: A Concert of Piobaireachid From the 1999 Edinburgh International Festival
It's various pipers playing in way different and varied styles. I love it.

[Scottishpiper]

I'm surprised no-ones suggested any of Gordon Walker's CDs...

[MacKee]

I live in Houston...home of Tartanic and The Rogues.


The Rogues, Off Kilter is my favorite piper cd

[EagleJCS]

Any of the albums from the current and past Grade 1 winners of the World Pipeband Championships: Simon Fraser University, Victoria Police, Shotts and Dykehead, Vale of Atholl, 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band, Boghall and Bathgate, and Field Marshall Montgomery, to name a few.

Also the 48th Highlanders of Canada, the Black Watch, Scots Guards, Gordon Highlanders and Seaforth Highlanders have albums. (AFAIK they never competed at the World's).

A lot of these albums have not only the traditional ceol beag (small music - march strathspey, etc.), they also have a couple of pieces of ceol mor (piobaireachd) and some modern compositions that defy categorization (or at least I can't easily categorize it).

You can also order CD's and/or DVD's of some of the more recent World's competitions. Just look online - a lot of highland outiftters carry the CD's. You'll probably hear a lot of the same tunes over & over, but they'll be played a little differently by each band (different harmonies, emphasis, and drumming).