Introducing… Brìghde Chaimbeul

We are off to wee bonnie Scotland, my father’s homeland, for today’s introducing entry. Brìghde Chaimbeul is a composer, producer, and Scottish smallpipes player. Brìghde grew up on the Isle of Skye and has taken on a unique and at times experimental approach to playing the famous instrument. Smallpipes are similar to Uilleann pipes but are quieter and can have a smaller octave range. If you are about to blast a pipe outdoors for a funeral or wedding – go Uilleann. If playing indoors for a dance or pub jig – go smallpipes.

Brìghde Chaimbeul is gearing up for her third album. Titled ‘Sunrise’, the album will be released on 27th June and will continue Brìghde’s exploration of traditional and experimental tones. The lead single ‘Bog au Lochan’ comes from a traditional Scottish reel which is connected to traditional Gaelic folk dance. Chaimbeul says the track is inspired by the Gaelic belief that there is no Fairyland or other realm for Fairies to live in. Instead, they live underground and come to the Earth’s surface for food and forage.

The track ‘Bog au Lochan’ is a beautiful one. It has a joyous, adventurous tone to it initially, setting the smallpipes as a proud and loud instrument. Over the course of the track, the melody hazes and rounds into a blurry hypnotic drone. This is one of Brìghde Chaimbeul’s unique traits as she balances the more traditional jig against a more textural drone or trance state. It conjures all kinds of imaginative ideas for the listener as we move from the real world to the dream world.

‘Bog au Lochan’ is out now. For more information about the album and Brìghde’s other projects, visit the Brìghde Chaimbeul website.

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