Hellos apiece
There is a rather important tale to tell here and Chris is
understandbly reluctant to publicise it but hereas the story, as I have
it. I'm putting in lots of background as I think it helps.
Chris was an amazing player even as a youngster. He came up to the
first Rothbury Festival in Colin Rossas V W camper van, which was
parked for the weekend in Mount Hooley stack-yard. On the Saturday
morning I was in our garden when I heard aI saw my Love Come Passing by
Mea drifting out across the steading. I couldnat work out what was
happening as parts of it sounded like my track on Cut & Dry Dolly, it
was the same version but different somehow. Nevertheless, it was close
enough for me to think that Colin had rigged up a record player in the
van. I rushed to the stack yard to witness a youth standing bolt
upright playing what was my favourite pipes tune of all time. Chris
then came to the advanced pipes class of the weekly sessions at
Wallsend Arts Centre. If people are familiar with the educational gem,
athe pupil should surpass the master otherwise both have faileda, all I
can say is, we didnat fail!
A wee lass, whose party piece was singing Dainty Davy whilst
accompanying herself on piano, also came to the workshops. She soon
progressed via whistle to fiddle (taught by Tony Corcoran at St
Dominicas) and when I had an Archie Dagg set of pipes for sale, her
father Mike said, aIall buy them for Kathryna. Starting in the
beginnersa class with Dennis Ogle she quickly progressed to the
advanced class with Chris. These so called aadvanced classesa were
more shared sessions than classes but were great times and true
learning went on I think.
Times moved on, The Buddle Arts Centre decided to concentrate on
concerts rather than learning. The folk workshops ceased, I stopped
travelling from Whittingham to Tyneside most Saturdays and concentrated
on the amazing music surrounding me up at Mount Hooley. Sounds
wonderful, and that bit was, but I was to suffer under the cosh of
Government curriculum reformers intent on emasculating my subject
(chemistry) almost out of existence. (A move to the Independent sector
helped but eventual relief was only to be found abroad, where IGCSE
chemistry provided a decent springboard to aAa level) - enough!
Chris went off to Liverpool to study geography and Kathryn continued at
Gosforth High School and caused, incredulity, despair and almost
mocking laughter from her teachers when she announced, in year 13,that
she wouldnat be going to university but was setting her sights on a
professional career in Traditional music! Sticking to her guns, that is
exactly what she did!
Here enters the villain of the piece letas call him Cid. We now know
him as an infamous promoter, record producer and distributor who has
trodden over many a talented musicianas career. His antics since buying
out Leader records were the subject of a BBC Radio 4 documentary
(broadcast 12 May 2007). Back in the 80s he seemed a reasonable lad.
Chris signed up for a record contract with him and went on to record
the sets now available for us to download (what a CD they would have
made)! Part of Cidas business interests was the recording studio run by
Geoff Heslop and Mickey Sweeney at Esldon where Kathryn did her early
recordings. For reasons we can all have fun guessing at, Kathrynas CDs
were produced, promoted and went on to wide appeal, Chrisas
masterpiece was put on the shelf to gather dust. Not only did Cid sit
on those recordings, he also put an embargo on the NPS using him on the
aNew Horizonsa album. It was extremely upsetting for all concerned
(the tracks had already been recorded; one of them was a tune Chris
wrote for me aDr Robb of Ellinghama) but devastating for Chris himself
who had to drag around Cidas ball and chain for many a year!
So thatas about the size of it, a cracking yarn but true, and Iam just
full to busting at what these two have achieved. Between them they have
delighted, moved and captivated the full spectrum of pipes lovers
around the world and some would say even the angels too.
As aye
Anthony
--- On Sun, 15/3/09, Chris Ormston <ch...@chrisormston.com> wrote:
From: Chris Ormston <ch...@chrisormston.com>
Subject: [NSP] Re: The Lost Music of Newsham
To: "'Dartmouth NSP'" <nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Date: Sunday, 15 March, 2009, 6:37 PM
The recordings were made in 1987 as part of a plan to release an album
of
the Clough MS. The album never appeared for reasons I cannot disclose
without creating more antagonism, unfortunately! They were recorded on
old-fashioned reel-to-reel tape, and were never fully completed, but
I've
tidied them up as best as I can.
Glad you enjoy them!
Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Greef [mailto:[1]rob...@greef.fsnet.co.uk]
Sent: 15 March 2009 16:25
To: Dartmouth NSP
Subject: [NSP] Re: The Lost Music of Newsham
Hear Hear to that!
Interesting query, too. Trade secrets?
Robert
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Rhodes" <[2]oxpi...@hotmail.com>
To: "Dartmouth NSP" <[3]...@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 2:36 PM
Subject: [NSP] Re: The Lost Music of Newsham
>
> Thank you so much for these super recordings Chris.
>
> It's easy, with all the antagonism that turns up on this forum, to
> forget that most folks who play the Northumbrian Pipes are
> friendly, and generous with their expertise and talents. Good
website
> too.
>
> Out of interest, how did you make the recordings, and what mikes do
you
> use?
>
> all the best,
>
> Paul
>
> > Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:28:27 +0000
> > To: [4]...@cs.dartmouth.edu
> > From: [5]ch...@chrisormston.com
> > Subject: [NSP] The Lost Music of Newsham
> >
> > Hi All,
> >
> > In the new-found spirit of altruism on this list, and for those
of
> you
> > who've not already had a bootleg copy, I've uploaded some tracks
of
> > tunes from the Clough MS here:
> >
> >
> > [1][6]http://chrisormston.com/clough.aspx
> >
> >
> >
> > Chris Ormston
To get on or off this list see list information at
[7]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
--
References
1. http://uk.mc11.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rob...@greef.fsnet.co.uk
2. http://uk.mc11.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=oxpi...@hotmail.com
3. http://uk.mc11.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=...@cs.dartmouth.edu
4. http://uk.mc11.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=...@cs.dartmouth.edu
5. http://uk.mc11.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=ch...@chrisormston.com
6. http://chrisormston.com/clough.aspx
7. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
