Isle of Easdale (Dipper Baritone Anglo)

[Ciaran OGrady]

Hi Folks - I've posted a first draft of a piece called Isle of Easdale on youtube if you fancy a listen. The beautiful Baritone Concertina (made by Colin and Rosalie and Robin Scard) spent time living on the Isle of Easdale before making its way down to Australia. The concertina was commissioned by Samantha Payn (I'll always be grateful!). I've been thinking about all the Scottish air that must have passed over the reeds and through the bellows. I like to think it holds the memories. I've tried to avoid making the tune have the hallmarks of a typical Scottish folk tune. I wanted the tune to reflect on the history of Easdale which was one of the Slate Islands and had bustling slate quarries in the 17th-19th Centuries  - it even had its own narrow gauge railway to transport the slate to the ships. Slates were exported worldwide including Australia. A massive flood in 1850/51 flooded the quarries and more or less ended the slate industry on the Island. Its quite possible that goldrush-era properties here in Victoria have a bit of Easdale on their roofs.

 

I don't upload videos to youtube that frequently but feel free to subscribe and I might do it a bit more!

 

Hope you enjoy

 

Ciaran

 

[alex_holden]

Very nice. I think this is the video:

 

[Ciaran OGrady]

Thanks Alex and I'm glad you liked it. It would have been helpful if I'd shared the link! Thanks for that! 

[Tiposx]

That Dipper sounds beautiful. Your chord choices work very well on it.

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

A lovely deep tone of sound from the instrument.🌝