Music

On stage at Towersey photo: Daisy Mercedes Jones

Chris Walshaw plays English & French bagpipes, flute and whistles in a number of bands and projects. He has appeared at festival & clubs in Europe and across Britain including at venues as diverse as St Chartier Festival, France; Rudolstadt Tanz & Folk Fest, Germany; Stallet, Stockholm; St Martin-in-the Fields, Trafalgar Square, London; the Purcell Room, South Bank Centre, London; and Liverpool Cathedral. With his bands, he has made 9 CDs and his music occasionally appears on BBC Radio 2, 3 & 4.

Chris is also responsible for abc music notation, now used all over the world, primarily to notate folk & traditional tunes, but also in academic research and as a text based resource for blind musicians. The abc website lists over 50,000 tunes at around 200 websites and has over 100,000 visitors a year.

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Current projects

At Alton Assembly Rooms photo: Frances Walshaw

Angles: music with a twist

Climax Ceilidh Band: orgasmic music for ceilidhs and dances

Five Play, Climax's latest CD, is now available

Come Dancing, Climax's debut CD, is still available

Meridian: ... raw folk energy, laced with finesse ...

Second, Meridian's latest CD, is now available

Prime, Meridian's debut CD, is still available

Zephyrus: - The English Bagpipe Orchestra - Jon Swayne's ensemble performing exquisite drone-based harmony

English Suite, the second of Zephyrus' paired CD release, is now available

Halfe Hannikin, the first of Zephyrus' paired CD release, is now available

Stocai: eclectic English ceilidh music ... direct to your feet

Stocai's latest CD, After the Brawl, is now available

Stocai's debut CD, Champagne Brawl, is still available

A list of forthcoming gigs for these bands can be found on the Gig list

To book one of these bands contact Chris on 01732 849 163 or by .

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Past projects

Some projects are no longer active:

The Chase: a sensual swirl of new music and dance spun from the tangled threads of European traditions.

Cornemusiques: Jean-Pierre Rasle's one man bagpipe extravaganza expanded for occasional special performances.

The Duellists: with hurdy-gurdy players Nigel Eaton and Cliff Stapleton.

The Duellists' CD, English Hurdy-Gurdy Music, is still available.

Stepback: an extravaganza of English and American Traditional Dance interpreted for theatre performances.

Stepback at Chequermead Arts Centre, East Grinstead, 2002

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Discography

In the recording studio
photo: Chris Mitchell

• Climax Ceilidh Band - Five Play
  Beautiful Jo Records (BEJOCD 53), 2008.
• Zephyrus - English Suite
  Rocke Records (ROCCD4), 2007.
• Zephyrus - Halfe Hannikin
  Rocke Records (ROCCD3), 2007.
• Climax Ceilidh Band - Come Dancing
  Beautiful Jo Records (BEJOCD 49), 2006.
• Meridian - Second
  Reiver Records (RVRCD 05), 2005.
• Meridian - Prime
  Harbourtown Records (HARCD 043), 2003.
• Stocai - After the Brawl
  Harbourtown Records (HARCD 042), 2002.
• Stocai - Champagne Brawl
  Harbourtown Records (HARCD 033), 1998.
• The Duellists - English Hurdy-Gurdy Music
  Panic ATC Records (PATCCD 20397 DU), 1997.
  

Guest appearances:

• Julian Goodacre - Some of Me Pipes, White House Musics (WHCD04), 2009.
• Hardcore English, EFDSS, 2007.
• Jenny Newman - Toms Fiddle, Glasshouse Records (GHCD 001), 2000.
• Julian Goodacre - Pipemaker Calls Yer Tunes, White House Musics (WHCD03), 2000.
• Michèle Welborn - Tongue and Groove (MWCD 01), 1998.

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Some handy links

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