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The Whistlebinkies were formed during the great surge of interest in traditional and Celtic music and song in the late 1960s and the group quickly evolved into a leading force in the field. The Whistlebinkies led the revival in the use of the bellows-blown bagpipes in Scotland and were the first to combine the three national instruments: the fiddle, bagpipes and clarsach (small Scottish harp) in regular performance. Only authentic traditional instruments are used and where possible, the group prefers to play in an acoustic setting. The Whistlebinkies repertory is drawn from all periods of Scottish music and from all regions of the country. Members contributre new compositions within the tradition and the group is always ready to explore connections with other cultures. Arrangements evolve in a workshop situation with each member contributing his or her own skills and ideas.
The Whistlebinkies have toured extensively taking Scottish music to France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Iceland, Taiwan, Estonia and all the Celtic countries. In 1991 they were the first Scottish music group to tour The Peoples Republic of China.
The Whistlebinkies are: Rab Wallace (Lowland bagpipe, Scottish smallpipes), Eddie McGuire ( flute), Annaliese Dagg (fiddle and viola), Rhona MacKay (clarsach and vocals), Peter Anderson (bodhran, Scottish side drum & percussion), Stuart Eydmann (concertina & fiddle), Mark Hayward (fiddle) & Iain Crawford (double bass). |
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