Uilleann pipes and fiddle

Since I moved from London in 2018, I have been really keen to find some players of uilleann pipes in Bristol to play tunes with. But good pipers are really rare!

I have always loved the sound of uilleann pipes (traditional Irish bagpipes); and the combination of uilleann pipes and fiddle is one of my favourites in traditional Irish music.

When I was in London I had the pleasure of playing regularly in sessions with Dominic Henderson; so I was delighted in 2021 to learn that Dominic, one of my favourite players of uilleann pipes, was now in Bristol.

After leading some sessions together at The Star and the Shakespeare, we established a new session at The Red Monkey in Redland in Bristol, playing fiddle and uilleann pipes alongside Marick Baxter on flute and other special guests. A lively session, the tunes at The Red Monkey fairly flew along, often driven by Dom’s skillful pipe playing and booming laugh!

Rediscovering in this session our common love of lively but authentic traditional music played with lift and drive, we started rehearsing together when we could, and our duo Straight from the Jug was the result. We found our sound in a style of playing that is thoroughly rooted in the tradition, respectful of the tunes, with just a subtle injection of personality in the arrangements. Our repertoire includes up-tempo jigs, reels and polkas, but also waltzes, slow airs and traditional songs for two voices. You can see some videos of us playing together here and on my youtube page.

We are available for bookings, for any event where you want the authentic sound of Irish music on fiddle and uilleann pipes; in Bristol, the South West and beyond!

And if you are looking to book a solo uilleann piper for your event, I can’t recommend Dom highly enough – a skilled and sensitive piper and thoroughly nice chap to boot. You can get in touch with him directly here.



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