Kim Bull is a player and maker of the Northumbrian pipes, a type of bagpipes unique to Northumberland that is small and characteristically sweeter-sounding than the familiar Highland pipes.
For many years, Kim was renowned as a national-level coach in canoeing and kayaking but, having been a recreational piper since acquiring a set for his wedding, he switched career when the pandemic lockdown severely curtailed outdoor sports. He has now built a new reputation as someone who can repair and service other people’s pipes and make his own sets from the raw materials.
In this three-part episode, Kim explains how the Northumbrian pipes evolved from the traditional keyless type into the range of instruments played today, and how this led to different styles of playing. He describes how the pipes are made and talks about his journey from top level sports coach to top level pipe maker.
Kim is featured on the 3tynespodcast jukebox on YouTube playing Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr – go to https://youtu.be/uwADg4znY30.
There is information about the Northumbrian pipes on Kim’s website at https://www.northumbrianpipes.co.uk/, including an illustrated account of their making. You can hear examples of pipe music on his SoundCloud page at https://soundcloud.com/kim-bull and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@kimbull-northumbrianpipema5278.
The tunes Kim plays in today’s episodes are:
In Episode One: Because He Was A Bonny Lad, a traditional tune; Lament of the Border Reiver (played on the Border pipes), composed by Roy M Hugman; Edward the Second, which is from the Dixon Manuscript; and another traditional tune, Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr.
In Episode Two, we also hear Kim play Jacky Layton, a traditional variation set dating to at least the 1700s, and a reprise of Edward The Second.
And in Episode Three, we reprise Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr and Because He Was A Bonny Lad.
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