A DISCOGRAPHY FOR THE NORTHUMBRIAN SMALLPIPES

The earliest known recordings of Northumbrian smallpipes were made in 1928 (both are now available on CD). There was then a long interval, until a burst of interest by folk/traditional music collectors in the 1950's. Once the folk revival started, in the 60's, the number of recordings increased accordingly, and as the interest in pipes has grown, so has the variety of recordings available. Much of the early material is now deleted, and hard to find, though some is now being re-released on CD

A complete discography of the Northumbrian smallpipes to 1987
was compiled by Prof. Burt Feintuch and published in the Northumbrian Pipers Society magazine, Vol 10, 1989.

The list below is of recordings which are currently or readily available, and is almost certainly not complete. A few of the recordings on the historical list are also still available, particularly as CD and cassette reissues. Readers are encouraged to send additions / errors / omissions of which they may be aware to the page maintainer:

Julia.Say@nspipes.co.uk

Currently available recordings of Northumbrian smallpipes

These are all the artists known to have recordings, which do not appear on the historical list, but some of these may also be unavailable. For some of them I am aware that other recordings exist, but the details are not to hand. Any further artists / recordings / details will be gratefully received. Recordings are listed in alphabetical order of artist.

Harry Baird
See Northumbrian Folk

Malcolm Binns
See Northumbrian Folk

Blue Moon Band, now known as The Border Directors (pipers Chris Ormston, Matt Seattle)
Barkers Yarka Cassette only
Border Directors (Laidley Worm Music)1997
See also Chris Ormston, Matt Seattle

Border Minstrels
(Details to follow - this band comprises Jan Bennett, Richard Butler, Tommy Waugh)

Border Spirit (Pauline Cato, Colin Ross, Adrian Schofield)
Hindley Steel (Common Ground, CGR001) 1987

Richard Butler
See also Border Minstrels

Pauline Cato
Wansbeck Piper (Cato recordings, PCMC01, PCCD01) 1992
Changing Tides (Cato recordings, PCMC02, PCCD02) 1994
By Land and Sea (Tomcat recordings, TCCD001) 1996
Bonny at Morn (Dave Mallinson Publications, DMP9605) 1996
Minstrel's Fancy (Dave Mallinson Publications, DMP9606) 1996
The Surprise (Tomcat Recordings, TCCD02) 1999
The Great Northern Roadshow (Tomcat Recordings, TCCD ) 2003
anthologies:
Northumberland Rant (Smithsonian Folkways SFW 40473) 1999
See also Border Spirit

Helen Cook et al
Yuletide Gift. 1995. Cassette only.

Liz Cooke
See Northumbrian Folk

Steve Davidson
In the Pipeline. 1993 Cassette only

Keith Davidson
See Neil Smith

Andrew Davison
Sharing a good tune (FTFCD1 ) 2000

Dishalagie
Berwick Braes. (Rede C002) 1991 Cassette only

Graham Dixon
See Smeddum and Various Artists: Twenty Years On

Ged Foley
See House Band

Dick Hensold
Way Up North CD only 1995

House Band
Word of Mouth (Green Linnet GL 3045)
Stonetown (Green Linnet GL 3060)
Groundwork (Green Linnet GL 1132)
Another Setting (Green Linnet GLCD 1143), 1994

Joe Hutton
Joe Hutton - the Border Piper (Common Ground CGR (with Hannah Hutton) 1991
Joe Hutton - Northumbrian Piper (East Allen recordings EAR 015-2), 1994
anthologies:
From the Humber to the Tweed, (WFW 25) 1991. Cassette only
Ranting and Reeling - Dance Music from the North of England (Topic TSCD 669) 1998. Double CD
Northumberland Rant (Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD40473) 1999

Alan Jones:
anthologies:
Spirit of the Border (Nimbus Recordings NI 5615), 1999

Ian Lawther
'The Empty Trough' Private tape -1998 CD version available. Contact Ian
.Anthologies:
"Apple, Cherries, Hops and Women - Folk Songs from Kent Volume 2" (MATS019CD)
Soundtrack:
"Monk Dawson - original motion picture soundtrack" (DWPCD001)
Accompanist:
"A Zero Ore" (NL001-98) by Ned Ludd

Nick Leeming
See Various Artists: Twenty Years On

Andy May
The Yellow Haired Laddie (Fellside, FECD174 )2003

Dave McQuade
See Northumbrian Folk

Angus McGregor
accompanist:
Monksgate. (Greentrax CDTrax062) 1992

Mike Nelson
See Various Artists: Twenty Years On

Northumbrian Folk
Piping Hot. Cassette only
Piping Hotter (NF3) 1991 Cassette only

Chris Ormston
anthologies:
    Byker Hill Folk (Off -Quay Recordings, OQ3(cassette only)) 1996
    Spirit of the Border (Nimbus Recordings NI 5615), 1999
    Northumberland Rant (Smithsonian Folkways SFW 40473) 1999
See also Blue Moon Band

Anthony Robb
Bonny at Morn (NMR 018) Cassette only. 1992 (with Carole Robb)
Mount Hooley Cottage
anthologies:
Spirit of the Border (Nimbus Recordings NI 5615), 1999
Northumberland Rant (Smithsonian Folkways SFW 40473) 1999

Carole Robb
See Anthony Robb

Colin Ross
anthologies:
Spirit of the Border (Nimbus Recordings NI 5615), 1999
Northumberland Rant (Smithsonian Folkways SFW 40473) 1999
See Border Spirit, High Level Ranters

Adrian Schofield
Jane of Biddlestone (Common Ground, CGR 007) 1993. Cassette only
anthologies:
Spirit of the Border (Nimbus Recordings NI 5615), 1999
See also Border Spirit

Matt Seattle
Out of the Flames (Digital Global Mobile DGM9907), 1999

Ray Sloan
anthologies: Byker Hill Folk Off -Quay Recordings, OQ3(cassette only) 1996

Smeddum
Smeddum . (SMR 029) Cassette only

Neil Smith
Big Men - Small Pipes The Art of Northumbrian Pipe Duets. East Allen recordings EAR 016-2, 1995. CD only

Jock Thompson:
See Various Artists: Twenty Years On

Kathryn Tickell (Band or solo or + friends)
Kathryn Tickell Band (Black Crow CRO 227) 1991
Signs (Black Crow, CROCD 230) 1994
The Gathering (Park Records PRKCD39/PRKMC39) 1997
The Northumberland Collection (Park Records PRKCD42) 1998
The Debateable Lands (Park Records PRK CD50 ) 1999
anthologies:
Northumberland Rant (Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD40473) 1999

Andy Watchorn
See Dishalagie

Various artists
The Northumbrian Smallpipes (Topic TSCD487) 1996 (includes the 1928 tracks of Tom Clough)
Spirit of the Border (Nimbus Recordings NI 5615), 1999
Northumberland Rant (Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD40473) 1999
Twenty Years On (Wallace Music WMCD001), 1999

CD Reissues:
Five of the High Level Ranters LP's, most containing at least one piping track, have been reissued on CD.
The Northumbrian piping tracks from 'Pipes of Three Nations' (1928) may be found on:
'Wor Nanny's a Mazor' (PHCD2K1)

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