‘The Pipes of Christmas’ continues to impress and uplift, in its 26th year

by DAVID GERALD PALLADINO-SINCLAIR
pipes of christmas 2024 review

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This year’s “Pipes of Christmas” shows took place in Summit, Manhattan and Boston.

The power, the glory, and the love of Christmas was experienced Dec. 15 at Central Presbyterian Church in Summit, at the 26th annual “Pipes of Christmas” concert. Through the innovation and vision of executive producer Robert Currie, and under the musical direction of Steve Gibb, “The Pipes of Christmas” is entrenched as a staple in the pantheon of holiday concerts. The concert is Scottish Celtic in nature, but often highlights classic songs and readings from Ireland, America and elsewhere, to create a theme-appropriate concert experience.

Alive, evolving and expanding, the concert was also presented at two other magnificent venues — Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, on Dec. 14, and (for the first time, and to great acclaim) at Old South Church in Boston, on Dec. 12 — creating an even wider, adoring audience.

The consistent appeal of this concert is derived from its ability to tie in the true essence of Christmas. Audiences return yearly to experience the “power and glory” of this wondrous season. That power comes from the small moments, as well as the loud ones. The music reflects the belief of faithful Christians that the all-powerful King of the Universe was made manifest in a modest family, and born to the world from his human mother Mary, in a common manger.

The concert’s magnificent opener was a stately and triumphal processional march of bagpipes, percussion, organ and brass, called “Highland Cathedral,” now a staple at celebratory occasions (including weddings and Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan ceremonies), composed in 1982 by Germans Uli Roever and Michael Korb. The music was inspired by the St. Columba Church in Glasgow, known as the Highland Cathedral, where all the clan chiefs met to pledge to live in peace and stop their feuds during the reign of King James I.

The familiar “Joy to the World” immediately followed, also performed on bagpipes, using some alternate fingering to fit the key of the song. Having a Mixolydian scale with its flat 7th, and only nine notes in total, the Great Highland Bagpipes are quite limited in their ability, but not totally unable to adapt to modern music. It was left to the skill of Scottish piper Cameron Macdougall to perform the re-configured note fingering on the pipe chanter to match the major mode of the song. It is always impressive when one has the ability to coerce the somewhat unwieldy and unruly ancient instrument to do something against its nature, and do it right.

In addition to the aforementioned manipulations of bending certain notes to the modern scale, it is difficult enough just matching pitch to other instruments such as organ and trumpet, timpani and glockenspiel, let alone tuning the four reeds in a screaming loud ancient instrument such as the bagpipes. Tuning is continually elusive due many factors, including the strength of the player’s blowing, temperature and moisture fluctuation, and barometric air pressure. Maybe even the lunar cycle and interest rates! Long story short, the pipes need nothing less than a miracle worker to keep them in tune.

This was the first time the concert has hosted new pipe bands in all its locations to replace the absence of the Kevin R. Blandford Memorial Pipe Band from Redlands, California — a group that had completely mastered the technical and performance challenges of combining bagpipes with modern instruments under the genius of pipe major Blandford and music director emeritus Jeff Rickard.

Macdougall, who led and tuned the Kearny-based St. Columcille United Gaelic Pipe Band, did so with professional aplomb, and further impressed by performing in various ensembles throughout the evening on the Scottish border Pipes and an assortment of wooden and tin whistles.

Musically, the concert is a lesson in dynamics, highlighting the powerful church organ (well played by William Peek) and brass and bagpipes in one set, and the light, ethereal sounds of the harp and varying ensembles of strings and woodwinds in the next.

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Madelyn Monaghan sings at “Pipes of Christmas.”

The intimate “In the Bleak Midwinter,” by singer Madelyn Monaghan was delicately offered in the Gaelic language, segueing into some foot-stomping jigs and 2/4 reels with violin, whistle, harp and Scottish border pipes, stirring the blood in a way only Celtic music can. Musicians included Gibb on guitar, Sarah Hewitt-Roth on cello, Chris Ranney on accordion, harmonium and piano, Mark Verdino on bass, Caitlin Warbelow on fiddle and Rachel Clemente on harp.

A medley of Christmas tunes played by Solid Brass was added into the second act but felt a bit out of place (in a “too mainstream” way) and trite. A new arrangement or a more well thought out selection of tunes might be considered by Solid Brass  to fit in better with the sublime nature of this concert. Still, the tuba and horn players offered up some mighty fine musicianship, taking the prize for accuracy, pitch and timing.

Other concert highlights included a beautifully arranged “Amazing Grace” for bagpipes, organ, brass and percussion, featuring a solo from 13-year-old piper Connor Finni-Tedesco, and an amazing arrangement of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” featuring Vince Janoski leading with beautifully pitched and balanced bagpipes for this big closing piece. No false-fingerings required on the chanter for that great hymn, which works as perfectly as if it were written for the bagpipes themselves.

“Braveheart” actor turned Hallmark movie hunk and longtime friend of the show James Robinson was on hand again to do poetic and biblical readings in authentic broad Scots dialect, adding a serious level of authenticity to the Scottish Celtic roots of the concert. Partnered with him was the illustrious Susan Porterfield Currie, who has long been with clan and concert, providing her sweet, familiar voice to the narration and readings.

“Pipes of Christmas” never lacks a world premiere, and the second act featured a new four-part, 6/8 march pipe tune performed by full pipes and drums. It was composed by Stuart Currie from Dumfries, Scotland, and titled “The March to St. Giles,” to mark the Edinburgh 900 celebrations.

In the run to the finale, Robinson began with reading a traditional text on the birth of Jesus over a tune subtly played on the harp by Clemente. The narration continued as the music slowly transformed into the familiar and beautifully intimate melody of “Silent Night” (“Oidhche Shàmhach” in Scots Gaelic) sung by Monaghan in Scots Gaelic, followed by verses with audience participation.

Robert Currie strongly believes in the mission of the Learned Kindred of Currie organization, and through his role as its Commander of the Kindred, he continues to bring the great traditions of their bardic ancestors to a grateful and ever-expanding public, through sponsorship and performance of traditional and new music in his “Pipes of Christmas” concert.

For more on “Pipes of Christmas,” visit pipesofchristmas.com.

A webcast featuring highlights from this year’s shows can be viewed online from Dec. 20 to Dec. 31. Visit Eventbrite.com.

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