Nan Avant

The Compositional Evolution of Tributum

The following article was written in 2022 for the online music magazine in Barcelona, Spain, Sonograma Magaine. I have an upcoming performance in Virginia Beach, VA by y the Symphonicity Orchestra conducted by Daniel W. Boothe and I  wanted to share my process of writing Tributum.

Tributum for Celtic Bagpipes and Orchestra appears on the Legends and Light v.2 album, a Navona Recording, PARMA Records Label performed by The Royal Scottish National Orchestra with Lorne MacDougall on the Great Highland Bagpipes and Ryan Murphy on Uilleann Pipes. I welcome this opportunity by Sonagrama Magazine to elucidate my experience and findings in composing music. The following writing is the history of Tributum, my research into Bagpipes, creating themes, decisions I arrived at, recording Tributum, in Seattle, under normal conditions and in Glasgow, during the pandemic lockdown of 2021 and concludes with a view from the vantage point of the piper on the Great Highland Bagpipes, Lorne MacDougall. Nanavant.com

Historical Overview of Tributum:

 Tributum for Celtic Bagpipes and Orchestra was originally created for Celtic Bagpipes and Chamber Orchestra for the Celebrate World Music concert, a Burmer Music LLC production, and appears in a CD compilation recorded at Studio X in Seattle, in the U.S.  Tributum was later recorded for full orchestra with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow, Scotland on March 24, 2021.

I had been asked to compose a new work for the Celebrate World Music concert with eight composers, each invited to create an orchestral piece representing world music and the instruments aligned with the country of choice. I chose Scotland and Ireland mainly because I love the music of these countries and the dramatic tone of the drones. I was familiar with the Great Highland Bagpipes of Scotland, GHB or Scottish Pipes, having listened to my husband who had been taking bagpipe lessons for several years.  I had heard recordings of the Uilleann Pipe, UP or Irish Pipes, and I was not as familiar with this instrument from Ireland, but I knew that I was drawn to the music of Ireland, the lyrical folk tunes and their heartfelt storytelling.  As I began the composing process, I researched these instruments and learned from experts in their field.  The scales were very important, with a limited range for the Scottish Pipes contrasting to the unlimited options of the Irish Pipes. The differences in timbre and volume were significant, the first being a powerful robust instrument in contrast to the gentle sound of the latter. Each instrument has its own range and complexities to consider and it took creativity to combine these two varied instruments into one cohesive, seamless orchestral work, Tributum.

The following is a brief overview of these two instruments and my journey in composing Tributum.

The Scottish Highland Bagpipes:

The Scottish Pipes are a considered a woodwind and double reed instrument. These pipes include a leather bag, which the piper fills with air by blowing, a chanter, similar to a recorder that carries the tune and three drones, two tenor drones and a bass drone, tuned an octave apart and sound the low tone that is sustained throughout a piece, much like a pedal tone in classical music

Early in my composing process I met with a bagpipe teacher Kevin Auld form Seattle who explained and demonstrated (with the chanter) the idiomatic characteristics of the instrument, the scales, ranges and the varying styles of music such as the Reel, March, Air and Hornpipe. GHB pipers can play difficult and intricate embellishments as well as lyrical slow passages. We typically hear them in military bands playing marches, but their lyrical side is alluring and lovely.  Examples of this lyrical side can be found in the soundtrack from The Last of the Mohicans and a gorgeous piece by Scotland’s own, Gordon MacKenzie, The Sands of Kuwait.

Scale or Mode:

The Scottish Pipes have a scale (mode) of nine notes, the B flat Mixolydian mode, beginning on A flat and ending an octave above on B flat.  The transposed score for the bagpipes is in A Mixolydian, a half step lower then how it sounds.

The photo above showing the range of notes is exactly the range that is available, sounding a half step lower beginning on A. Composers will understand that this is a limited range for an instrument and regardless of these limitations, music composed for the GHB is very interesting, creative and powerful. A major component of this instrument are the Drones, the majestic low register which sustains throughout a piece.  I developed some early writings of a March for the GBH, but I also wanted to compose a flowing, melodic theme and this would require a a larger scale range.  A few ideas that the bagpipe teacher had suggested were the Celtic Wooden Flute or the Uilleann Pipes. I met with a Celtic Flute player and after consulting with her  I determined that a better match for the Scottish Highland Pipes and an orchestral work would be the Uilleann Pipes of Ireland, also called the Irish Pipes or War Pipes.

The Uilleann Pipes or Irish Pipes:

Uilleann Pipes is a partial translation of Gaelic, the language of Ireland, the term, píobaí uilleann means “pipes of the elbow”.
The Uilleann Pipes are a double reed instrument and have the same characteristics of most pipes, utilizing a bag that is filled with air, a chanter and three drones with regulators. The regulators allow the player to add chords in performance.

The bag of the Uilleann Pipes has a different method of inflation then the Great Highland Bagpipes. It is inflated by a small set of bellows strapped around the waist and arm of the piper. This type of bellows not only free the player from needing to blow into a bag to maintain pressure but also allow dry air to power the reeds, minimizing the adverse effects of moisture on tuning.
These Irish pipes, distinguished from the Scottish bagpipes by their tone and wide range of notes, possess a different harmonic structure, sounding sweeter and quieter than many other bagpipes, such as the Great Highland Bagpipes.

The Uilleann pipes have a two-octave range and can play accidentals, sharps, flats and naturals. The scales available consist of D, D major, D minor with related keys such as A minor.

I consulted with an Uilleann Piper from Oregon, Elliot Grasso, who gave me great insight into the Uilleann pipes. Both the instructors I met with while writing Tributum, Kevin Auld and Elliot Grasso, performed in the live concert and CD recording in Seattle. They were a great resource of information and I truly appreciated their advice throughout this creative process.

Tuning, Intonation with an Orchestra and the Great Highland Bagpipes

I recently came across this quote:

 “Few attempts have been made hitherto to combine the bagpipes with classical orchestral instruments, due mainly to conflicts of balance and tuning,”). “A satisfactory balance was achieved in this piece by placing the piper at a distance from the orchestra.” composer Graham Waterhouse about his work Chieftain’s Salute Op. 34a for Great Highland Bagpipe and String Orchestra (2001

The Scottish pipes can be very pitchy, meaning they are not an A440 tuning,  the standard tuning for orchestral instruments and it can be difficult to achieve secure intonation.  For example, if you play a B flat on the piano and the pipes play the same B flat, it is approximately 1/4 step difference in pitch.

The difficulty involved juxtaposing the Great Highland Bagpipe with an orchestra, cannot be underestimated. During the composing process, a question came up several times as to “Is it possible to achieve this pairing of Scottish Bagpipes with an orchestra and will the pipes sound off pitch to the orchestra?”. It is extremely difficult to get these pipes to play in tune with orchestral instruments and it basically depends on the expertise of the piper. The balancing issue is true both in a recording sessions and live performances. Later in this article I discuss the  recording sessions of Tributun in Seattle and Glasgow and concert setting placement.

Fortunately, the Uilleann Pipes do not have the same pitch or balance issue, one reason being that they have bellows and are not blown.

Thematic Writing

Writing distinct themes are a significant element for all of my compositions, in fact, they are the foundation of my writing. I spend time creating a theme that has character and direction working through many drafts of ideas before completing a theme.  Themes need to say something, be musical, heartfelt and tell a story. Shamelessly tonal, I use 3rds, 5ths, 7ths minor, major, diminished intervals, leaps and turns that transition and explore musical ideas leading the listener through a melodic journey.  What develops is a story, not a specific story, but one that an audience can imagine for themselves. Tributum begins with an Introduction to an Air. The Air is one of those “stories” and the Introduction to an Air in Tributum, beckons the listener to lean in closely because a story is unfolding. What follows is that story, the Air.

Composing the Themes: Introduction to an Air, Air and March. 

As I was researching musical styles for the Irish pipes, the Air became the idiom of choice.  An Air is typically associated with a poem or lyrics and I found it inspiring to read poetry as I was composing. I worked through several renditions of an Air and was in contact with the Uilleann Piper at this time.  I asked him to record himself playing an early draft of the Air and after hearing his recording I realized not only was his playing stunning, I realized that instrument had great depth and beauty.  I knew I was on the right track for Tributum. and continued composing the Air, working out details, making changes where it seemed applicable. I created two thematic ideas for an Air, and developed one of these as an Air and the other  as the Introduction to an Air.

 March

After studying Marches and Reels for the Great Highland Bagpipes, listening to various pieces, understanding the harmonic and thematic structure of the March and after several drafts of writing, I wrote a March that I was satisfied with.  I sent an early draft to the GHB piper who recorded himself playing the theme. Again, hearing the music played by a live musician was fantastic and truly helped influence my writing. Simplicity was paramount in Tributum due to these two varied instruments. It was important to make a piece aligned with the idiomatic characteristics of these two bagpipes, thematically based, musical and without complications, nothing too technically difficult due to the pitch issue and the paring of orchestra with pipes, (mainly, the Great Highland Bagpipes and their intonation). Instead, I focused on thematic development.

I made the decision to create two distinct musical forms, an Air in A minor and a March in B flat Major, thus elucidating each instrument’s unique characteristics, the lyrical sweetness of the Irish Pipes contrasted with the grandeur and power of the Scottish Pipes. The next step was to create a seamless transition from one idiom and instrument to the next without interruption.

Transition

In the introduction and first half of Tributum, the Air is played by the Uilleann Pipes is in the key of A minor, a ½ step from B flat Major, the key in the March played by the Great Highland Bagpipes, (the piper reading A mixolydian and sounding in B flat mixolydian).  This transition needed to take place without interrupting the flow of music or surprising the listener with a dramatic change of a new instrument and musical ideas, from a gentle flowing Air into a full-bodied March. I made the decision to transition the musical form, time signature and instrumentation via percussion, utilizing the timpani and snare to introduce this change. The final note of the Air played by the Uilleann Pipes was is an A, the orchestra and timpani supporting with an A minor harmony. The Timpani was then left alone as a solo instrument for 4 measures starting with one measure of tremolo piano (p), with a crescendo and diminuendo on A, followed by 3 measures in the new key and time signature, a 6/8 rhythmic motif on the note F. The snare enters on measure 4 of the new key uniting timpani and snare for 2 measures, preparing the listener for the entrance for the Drones of the Great Highland Bagpipes.  The note F is a third down from the last A played by the Uilleann Pipes and F is the dominant or 5th of B flat. In the premier performance of Tributum in Seattle, the Great Highland Bagpiper was offstage as he began the inflation of the Drones for the entrance to the March. He then walked slowly onstage as the full March began. It was dramatic and I highly recommend this entrance for all future concert performances of Tributum, either entering from the audience seating and walking onstage or enter from offstage and walking towards the front stage or side of the stage by the orchestra.

Tributum Recording x2:

The original recording of Tributum took place in Seattle at Studio X recorded by the NW Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra with bagpipers, Kevin Auld and Elliot Grasso. We recorded the bagpipers separately as they listened to a click track recording of my orchestral Finale midi file. The orchestra was recorded later that day with mixing the sessions the following week. We had “normal” recording conditions at that time in comparison to the following recording in Glasgow.

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra Recording Session, Pandemic Restrictions and Recording in 3 Time Zones. 

The original PARMA recording session of Tributum in Glasgow, Scotland was scheduled for early April 2020 and like much of the world at that time in a lockdown situation, we had to abruptly cancel. We attempted again to re-scheduled for Fall 2020 and at last in Spring of 2021 we were able to record this amazing album. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra would once again be recording live sessions. The orchestra, Bagpipers and recording team were all available.

In March of 2021 Covid guidelines and requirements were in place and there was still a quarantine for U.S. citizens traveling to the U.K. which required a two week stay at a hotel without leaving the premises thus eclipsing the opportunity for me to attend the live recording session. Fortunately, we had all become familiar with Zoom and remote working conditions and PARMA recordings had a session production member of the team in the U.K. onsite in Glasgow. With the PARMA transatlantic production team on the East Coast and myself on the West Coast in Seattle, we were all “good to go” remote with Zoom and Audio Movers, the industry standard for audio engineers to share mixes remotely.  Thankfully the Bagpipers, Lorne MacDougall and Ryan Murphy both living in the U.K., and The Royal Scottish National Orchestra with David Watkin conducting, were all available and Covid free. With the technology in place, I was able to listen to the orchestra session, communicate with the PARMA production team and the conductor in Glasgow, all taking place in real time without delays. The orchestra was onstage in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and for purposes of the recording, the Bagpipers were situated in the concert hall auditorium seating area and not onstage.

I have asked Lorne MacDougall, Great Highland Bagpiper,  to share his experience  recording Tributum, and his handling of the complexities of the Great Highland Bagpipes.

The following is Lorne’s writing:

“As the third attempt to get this gorgeous piece recorded, it was vey exciting and emotional.  I hadn’t done a wedding, ceilidh or pub session in a year – events that I used to do many times a week – never mind a full orchestra performance, so to play with another bagpipe cousin in Ryan and his Uilleann Pipes and the RSNO was a big deal.  I’ve played with Ryan a lot before.  This was also my first experience of the now regular swap up the nose Covid test to be allowed to play!

The drones I use are made by McCallum’s and are a replica of the famous McRae’s brand of pipes and I use a G1 Chanter (where the melody comes from), which is custom made.  I’ve used these in the folk setting for a number of years now as, unlike most modern pipes, they are easy to sit in tune with other instruments.  That is A = 440 or Bb = 466.  There is also the challenge of bagpipe temperament to be aware of – that is that some notes are tuned with unequal intervals between them, unlike most modern western music.  It’s an easy fix and usually more of a compromise to meet in the middle, so the pipes sound good solo and also accompanied.  The most obvious note would be our “High G” or Ab which is tuned significantly flatter.

I think I may be the only person in the world to use a shut-off valve for my chanter.  It was designed and produced in a short run by Ayrshire Bagpipes and intended as a tool for beginners.  It does however mean that I can sound my drones without chanter at their full pressure meaning their intended pitch (which would be 466).  Without the locking stock the chanter would have to sound at this pressure.

I’ve always been very passionate about musical language when playing with an orchestra and being able to understand it.  In traditional music we tend to go by 8 bar parts starting with the A part of a tune which are repeated before moving onto the B part which usually borrows the second and fourth phrase from the A part.  The tune in this piece Tributum is in a classic 6/8 format with the anticipated rhythms – Dotted quaver, semi quaver, quaver being a prominent division.  I have to be honest, it was a pleasant surprise to be given such a well-researched, musical and appropriate piece to perform with the orchestra.

Thanks Nan, for a great welcome back to live performance!”

Tributum Defined and Concluding Thoughts

I typically name my works with a simple title, preferably one word. I researched a few ideas in Latin and found the word Tributum which is derived from the word tribute. Webster defines tribute as “a gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration” Tributum is considered by the composer a gift of gratitude and expresses the emotions I experienced in writing and completing Tributum.

Composing Tributum for Celtic Bagpipes and Orchestra was an inspiring, satisfying and rewarding time. With a great deal of research and study into these unfamiliar instruments, excellent guidance from skilled pipers, the music flowed freely. The melodies are poignant. Tributum is exactly how it was meant to be.