Piobaireachd Weekend – Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th April 2022.

Christopher Bacon has kindly offered to host another piobaireachd on smallpipes weekend in Allendale, Northumbria. This will be an in-person event.

The tutor will again be Allan MacDonald, who will upturn all your preconceptions about piobaireachd and provide a musical experience not to be missed – even if you’re not already familiar with this style of music.

The tunes will be The Bells of Perth, Lament for the Laird of Anapool, The Old Woman's Lullaby and 2 Nameless tunes (40 & 41 in Kilberry).

The booking form is available below. Anyone wishing to attend should book their own accommodation in or near Allendale in plenty of time. Shared transport to and from the venue can be arranged after booking.

Please note: We are aware there is interest in Allan's piobaireachd style from all airts and pairts so we will organise a separate online session event on another date to include as many folk as possible.

This year the group would like to encourage pipers who have not had any previous experience of playing piobaireachd to come and join the group. We will be playing smallpipes in A and even the new long practice chanters which work perfectly along with smallpipes. There is no requirement to be able to play a beautifully rippling crunluath but a good standard of playing will get the best from the weekend; at the moment the course is not for absolute beginners. 

Programme:

Friday evening

The weekend starts with a supper at Christopher’s home and a session of light music.

Saturday:

All the teaching takes place at Christopher’s home with two sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon. On Saturday evening there will be a mini concert/ceilidh with individual performances from the group and tutors, followed by a session including local musicians from Allendale.

Sunday:

There will be two morning sessions and the course officially ends after lunch. In past years several of the group have stayed on and have had a supper together and another playing session in the evening. For your evening meal on Sunday, there is a choice of two pubs in Allendale.

Partners and non-players are also very welcome, and you will find many walks and sightseeing trips in the North Pennines to suit you.

Tuition registration and cost:

Please register for the weekend using the booking form below. The registration fee includes tuition, lunches and evening meals, i.e. Friday supper to Sunday lunch, and teas and coffees. Please register early. There are 8 places for the course with Allan MacDonald and 4 places for players new to piobaireachd.

Please book your own accommodation in or near Allendale. Shared transport to and from the venue can be arranged after booking.

Any queries, please contact Christopher Bacon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please insert the following in the subject line of your email: PIOBAIREACHD WEEKEND 2022

BOOKING FORM