Fred Morrison was voted “Best Instrumentalist” in the 2004 Scots Trad Music Awards. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Scottish pipers alive today. His performances on the Highland, bellows blown and uilleann pipes and on the low whistle have taken the world music scene by storm. Fred’s approach is firmly rooted in the musical tradition of the Hebridean islands of Scotland but he constantly pushes the boundaries, creating a fresh new sound that is forever evolving. He began taking lessons from his father at the age of nine. His father, a noted piper, was from the small remote island of South Uist - which is to be found off the north-west coast of Scotland - a wild, beautiful place with a particularly rich tradition in piping. He taught using cainntearachd, a unique singing style where notes and rhythms are given particular sounds. Before long, Fred had won most of the top international prizes of the piping world.
The immense technical expertise required to compete in such events was to provide the foundation to allow him to experiment musically and he began to develop his own sound
Fred was soon playing support, solo, to Capercaillie and Runrig - two of Scotland’s best known bands. Before long, he was touring celtic Europe – especially Spain and Brittany - where he earned the name ‘The King of the ‘Pipes’.
He went on to play with Clan Alba and spent 3 years touring and recording with Capercaillie. He also appeared in and was involved in arranging music for the Hollywood blockbuster, Rob Roy.
At this time, Morrison began to play the bellows-blown Border pipes. (pitch – in the key of A – easier to play with other instruments – slightly softer, sweeter sound). He has since performed on the Border pipes on the major stages across the world and can be credited with popularizing this instrument which is played by so many contemporary pipers.
More recently, he joined forces with master of the bouzouki, Jamie McMenemy (Battlefield Band, Kornog). The duo released an album last year, Up South, which has received exceptional reviews, as have their live performances. Most of the pieces played by the duo were composed by Fred Morrison.
This year Fred returned again to the competitive piping scene and won the coveted Macallan Trophy, Lorient, France for a record-breaking 7th time.
Paracas, Rhapsody of the Gael, a new work by Fred Morrison, was commissioned by Celtic Connections 2005, Glasgow, to open the festival. The performance involved many of Scotland's best known traditional musicians including pipers Simon McKerrell, Rory Campbell and Finlay MacDonald, fiddlers Alasdair Fraser, Anna-Wendy Stevenson, Adam Sutherland and Deirdre Morrison, cellists Wendy Wetherby and Natalie Haas, Patsy Seddon and Mary McMaster on harp, singer Alasdair Codona, the Orchestra and Chorus of the Scottish Opera and full Gaelic choir and took place at the Royal Concert Hall.
Check out Fred Morrison & Jamie McMenemy CD Up South
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