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CEOL MANAWATU: Fine

You know you’re listening to a truly contemporary Celtic album when the songs are called Home Brew and CDDD – the former inspired by music sessions at a country pub overlooking a valley and the latter by a stuck CD in a Celtic bar in a provincial town. Under the creative wing of Paul Turner, this collective of Manawatu-based musicians have produced an album of 12 original, predominantly Scottish/Celtic songs with bagpipe compositions woven throughout. Three types of pipe are featured—Great Highland bagpipe, Scottish Border pipes and Scottish Smallpipes. In addition low whistle, harmonica, guitar, double and acoustic bass, bouzouki, banjo, mandolin, cello bodhran and cajon all feature. Maori instruments too; the otherworldly sounds of the purerehua and putatara blending seamlessly into the songs. My favourite, Palmerston North, is composed by Glaswegian Bill Barrie who, besides being an accomplished piper and pugilist, had a budgie that would sit on his head and whistle Scotland the Brave. Inspirational.

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