Isla St Clair / Gordon Walker / Eric Rigler / Cabar Feidh
Across the Waters
Innovative arrangements, the evocative voice of Scotland's Isla St Clair, the masters of Scottish and Irish bagpipes, Gordon Walker and Eric Rigler, and the inspiring pipes and drums of Cabar Feidh, have united to create a moving and contemporary tribute.
Across the Waters Scotland to America
Performed by the musical talents of Isla St Clair, Eric Rigler, Gordon Walker and the
Cabar Feidh Pipe Band, Across the Waters is an inspiring blend of popular songs and
pipe tunes, classical with the contemporary, that characterize the common links
between Scotland, Ireland and America.
1. Sailing (Isla, Eric, Cabar Feidh) (G. Sutherland, Arr. Lynn/St Clair/King/Weidlich)
Made internationally famous by Rod Stewart in the 1970s, then
adopted by the Royal Navy, the song topped the charts in Scotland for
many weeks.
2. Jacobite Medley (Isla) (Trad. Arr. St Clair/Lynn/King)
Three rousing songs from the Jacobite period that became popular
marches.
Highland Harry / The White Cockade / The Bonnets of Bonnie Dundee
3. Time to be Sleeping (Isla) (Trad. Arr. St Clair/Lynn/King)
This emotive song - to the tune of Mist Covered Mountains - tells the
tragic story of the Highland Clearances in the 19th century.
4. Mist Covered Mountains (Cabar Feidh) (Trad. Arr. Weidlich)
This slow air was reputedly a favorite of President John F. Kennedy
5. Strathspeys/Reels (Gordon) (D. MacLeod/Arr. Walker)
This selection is a tribute to the late Donald MacLeod MBE
Catlodge / Sandy MacPherson / John Garroway / The Cockerel in the Creel
6. The Dear Irish Boy (Eric - Uilleann pipes) (Trad. Arr. Rigler)
Certainly one of the oldest traditional Irish airs, Eric’s rendition
speaks to us through the lyrical tones of his Uilleann pipes.
7. 6/8 Marches (Cabar Feidh Pipe Band) (Trad. Arr. Weidlich)
Continuing our voyage, we pick up the pace with a set of quick marches.
Mist Covered Mountains / Midlothian Pipe Band / Bonnie Dundee
8. The Kesh Jig / Hardiman the Fiddler (Eric - Uilleann pipes) (Trad. Arr. Rigler)
Eric’s arrangements breathe new life into these traditional jigs.
9. Burning Mill at Messines (Gordon - Small Pipes) (J. Spoore)
Played on the Highland Small Pipes the tune commemorates the London
Scottish Regiment in action during WWI, at the Battle of Messines 1914.
10. Hornpipe / Jig Set (Cabar Feidh Pipe Band) (J.A.Barrie/Trad. Arr. Cabar Feidh)
Following Gordon’s tribute to P/M Donald MacLeod, Cabar Feidh opens the
set with a driving hornpipe, and closes with a toe-tapping traditional Irish jig.
Donald MacLeod / Old Hag at the Kiln
11. Slow Air / Jig / Hornpipe / Reel (Gordon) (Trad. Arr. Walker)
Gordon Walker shows us the beauty of the pipes in the slow air, and finishes
with a masterful performance of three variations on the Banjo Breakdown.
Lament for Rory Mor / Banjo Breakdown
12. Amazing Grace (Isla, Cabar Feidh, Choir) (Trad. Arr. St. Clair, Weidlich)
Isla puts her Scottish touch on this timeless classic and along with the pipes
and choir, creates a fitting finale to our musical journey.
ISLA St CLAIR
ISLA’S pure and distinctive voice have made her one of
Scotland’s foremost traditional singers. Her early recordings
of the great ballads are still used as reference at the School
Scottish Studies and recently she was awarded an honorary
degree by Aberdeen University for her contribution to
Scotland’s traditional music. Isla continues to be busy with
her live performances as well as producing music and
documentary films for international broadcasters.
www.islastclair.tv
Pipe Major GORDON WALKER
Gordon J. Walker comes from Cumnock in Ayrshire,
Scotland, and is one of the world’s premier pipers. After
16 years 1st Battalion The Royal Highland Fusiliers he left
the army to become a full time piping instructor. But it’s
Gordon’s success as a solo piper in competitions that have
brought him fame. His long list of achievements include
winning the coveted Gold Medals at both The Northern
Meeting and The Argyllshire Gathering, the two oldest
and most prestigious competitions in the world.
www.highlandclassics.com
ERIC RIGLER
Eric Rigler is known throughout the music industry as “the most
recorded bagpiper of all time” and is constantly in demand in studios
from Hollywood to Nashville to Abbey Road, bringing the timeless,
haunting sonorities of the uilleann pipes, the Great Highland Bagpipe
and the low whistle to film, television and recording audiences around
the world. Eric’s movie credits include Titanic, Million Dollar Baby,
Road to Perdition, Braveheart, Cinderella Man, Robots, Austin Powers:
The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Master and Commander: The Far Side
of the World.
www.badhaggis.com
CABAR FEIDH Wearing the Fraser tartan, the Cabar Feidh Pipe Band is led by Pipe Major Alan Weidlich and Drum Sergeant John Davis. The band, which was formed in 1976, has been an award winning
band throughout its history. In addition to competing at highland games and festivals, Cabar
Feidh is active in producing concerts to further promote public knowledge and awareness of Celtic music.
The band has featured and performed with Eric Rigler and Bad Haggis in An Evening in the Highlands and
Bagpipes at the Beach. The Road to the Isles concert, a musical drama written by P/M Weidlich and D/S
Davis, showcased the talents of the Browne Sisters, Golden Bough, and Silent Planet.
www.pipeband.org
Produced by
PATRICK KING, ISLA St CLAIR and ALAN WEIDLICH
Recorded at Tangmere, Surrey, England; Red Barn, Dundee, Scotland;
Theta Sound Studio, Burbank, California, USA,
St. James United Methodist Church, Pasadena, California, USA
Engineered by IAN LYNN and RANDALL MICHAEL TOBIN
Special thanks to:
Bettie Ross-Blumer (Keyboards)
Church of Scientology Choir of Los Angeles
Karin Koski Huber (Choir Accompanist Organ/Piano)
Jim Warner (Choir Conductor)
Cover/tray photos of Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland
Track 1- Words and Music by Gavin Sutherland Universal/Island Music Limited © 1972 Island Music Limited
Arrangement copyright Westminster King Productions Ltd. / Bagpipe arrangement copyright Cabar Feidh Pipe Band
Tracks 2,3,9,11- Published by Westminster King Productions Ltd.
Track 5 - Arrangements published by Westminster King Productions Ltd.
Tracks 4,7,10 - Bagpipe arrangement copyright Cabar Feidh Pipe Band
Tracks 6, 8 - Arrangements copyright Eric Rigler
Track 12 - Solo vocal arrangement copyright Isla St Clair / Bagpipe arrangement copyright Cabar Feidh Pipe Band
All pipe band drum scores by J. Reid Maxwell. Arrangements copyright John Davis and Cabar Feidh Pipe Band.
www.highlandclassics.com
www.pipeband.org
Copyright © 2007 WESTMINSTER KING PRODUCTIONS / ISLA ST CLAIR / CABAR FEIDH PIPE BAND
World: Pipe band