The EP Chanter 2 is the first publicly released recording to feature the groundbreaking Lindsay System Scottish smallpipes. The new pipes, featured at time of the single's release (Jan 2018) in the National Piping Centre’s magazine Piping Today (issue 89), were developed by musician Donald WG Lindsay, leading Scottish smallpiper, resident smallpipes tutor at The College of Piping (which has since merged with The National Piping Centre), and at the time also convenor of The Lowland & Border Pipers Society.

The new pipes have met with great enthusiasm amongst pipers, and amongst traditional pipe makers, who recognise the subtlety and innovative nature of the design. Developed at home from 2014-15 using desktop 3D printing, the chanter does what was fairly considered impossible for Scottish pipes of any kind. Without the use of any keywork, it provides the traditional Scottish smallpipes with a musical range comparable to the Irish Uilleann pipes, the Northumbrian pipes, the traditional flute and the low whistle, (although an octave below all of these instruments) while importantly preserving the fingering system and the characteristic Scottish sound & techniques within the core traditional range. The resulting instrument allows the familiar sound and style of Scottish piping to be applied to a much wider range of music.

The music included on the "Chanter 2" CD EP was recorded by Neil McDermott at The College of Piping in Otago Street, Glasgow, on Sunday 1st October 2017. The musicians involved in the recording are :

Donald WG Lindsay : Lindsay System Scottish smallpipes, Low Qwistle

Konrad Wiszniewski : Tenor Saxophone, Low Qwistle

Rachel Hair : Clarsach

Roo Geddes : Fiddle, Viola

The music included on the recording is :

1: Chanter 2

2: Rosie North

3: The Drop of a Hat

A little more about the tunes :

The air at the start of "Chanter 2" happened during the very first playtesting session, of what turned out to be the final prototype of "Version 2" of the chanter, in my kitchen one sunny day in October 2015 ("Version 1" was a Beta test chanter I only shared with 20 test-pipers). The prototype is still my own main instrument, although imminently it may be taking a place in the museum of the College of Piping after that's refurbished (and after I make myself a new one). The air evolved out of a test I was carrying out on the high notes B, C# & D, and was shared in a very basic form the same day to Facebook in an iphone video. The following day, while exploring the lower reaches of the chanter, the main tune "Chanter 2" came together, and I recorded a rough video of that & shared it then too. The final recording for the single was made two years later, in October 2017 at the College of Piping.

The second tune "Rosie North" is written for a lily, that's in turn named by lily grower Madeleine Tinson after Donald and Hannah Lindsay's daughter Rosie. North is Hannah's maiden name, and Rosie North is one of the North Ladies which are a collection of lilies bred to survive the Scottish weather by Hannah's grandpa Chris at the SCRI in Invergowrie & named after the ladies in his family. The Rosie North lily was one Chris hadn't got round to naming, and when Rosie was born Madeleine asked Hannah and Donald if they would like it to be named after her.

Here is a video of "Chanter 2", recorded live during the session at The College of Piping, 1st Oct 2017 :