Wendy Stewart has been instrumental in the revival of the traditional harp since the 70s, learning from the great Jean Campbell in Edinburgh and going on to perform in bands playing repertoire as diverse as Irish/French , Cajun/Scandinavian and North West English. On returning to Scotland from a time in Lancaster, Wendy joined the ranks of Ceolbeg and discovered the delights of playing alongside the Highland bagpipes in the very capable hands of Gary West.
She also recorded 3 solo albums and, now resident in Dumfriesshire, teaches and performs widely. Whether helping in the revival of the harp on Lewis, tutoring at the RSAMD in Glasgow or singing in her local choir `Cairn Chorus` all stem from a love of music and strong sense of community.
From Pitlochry, in Perthshire, Gary West learned his piping with the much acclaimed Vale of Atholl pipe band with whom he played for 18 years winning both the Scottish and European Championships. In the late 1980s, he began to play a prominent role in the folk music scene, joining Ceolbeg in 1988, and becoming a founder member of the Scottish ‘supergroup’ Clan Alba in 1991, playing alongside such luminaries as Dick Gaughan and Brian McNeil. He is in regular demand as a recording session player, and has performed on over 20 CDs. Gary is Head of Celtic and Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh. His teaching and research interests include issues of local and national identity; the history of Scottish music, revivals and oral history. Gary also presents BBC Radio Scotland’s weekly specialist piping programme, Pipeline.
Since Ceolbeg days, Gary and Wendy have continued exploring tunes - and more recently, songs , together and their shared knowledge and love of the Scottish tradition performed on two of Scotland’s oldest instruments is the splendid result on their CD `Hinterlands` |
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