This marvellous CD is, admittedly, not standard musicweb
fare but I have been absolutely bowled over by it and have an overwhelming
desire to share my enthusiasm for it and its creators, the Bagad de
Lann-Bihoué. This stunning performance, captured in state of
the art live sound, is a fitting tribute to the bagad (pipe band)
in its fiftieth anniversary year. Unlike most Breton bagads,
which are based around local communities, that of Lann-Bihoué
is the pipe band of (and named after) the naval airbase in Lorient,
southern Brittany (many highly talented musicians have been able to
undertake their national service in this way!). Like the other bagads,
however, it is a central stream of the musical lifeblood of France's
Celtic outpost, appearing regularly at varied events, local, national
and international (the excellent booklet - notes in French only though
- documents its history, including numerous overseas visits). So why
am I reviewing (and suggesting that you listen to) a pipe band? What
makes it different from, say, a Scottish regimental pipe band (however
good) you may well ask. The answer lies in both the music and the way
in which it is played.
The bagad is a 20th-century creation that utilises
Scottish pipes and drums alongside Breton bombardes (this has been described
as a kind of rustic oboe or shawm), and creates a strong, resonant,
and martial music for marching as well as for dancing. The music on
this CD is either traditional melodies given striking arrangements by
band members, or written by the band members themselves. It is highly
rhythmic and the drums and percussion are some of the tightest, most
razor-sharp I have ever heard, underpinning some magnificent melodies,
often dark and intense but sometimes less severe and more celebratory.
If you haven't heard a bombarde, I would say that it lends a
distinctly medieval sound to the band, very much so on certain tracks
(e.g. the third section of the Dances de Loudeac or the Dans
Keff). Given the intensive and often highly innovative nature of
its rhythmic drive, the music sounds, simultaneously, both ancient and
modern.
After setting the scene with the opening pipe and drum
barrage of Azerty, the Bagad de Lann-Bihoué launches into
a powerful, extended folk dance suite based on tunes from the Loudeac
area, perhaps the most memorable sequence on a disc jam-packed with
great tunes. Big Deal comes on like a pipe-band version of the
music from Ben Hur (if, of course, it had a Celtic setting). Dans
Keff spotlights the bombardes very effectively and then the upbeat,
suitably titled Fest Ar Bragou Bihan swings exuberantly into
earshot. This mood is maintained for the following Hanter Dro Evit
Maelan, before the title track ("Fromveur") puts the drum section
centre stage for a spirited and virtuosic workout.
The Suite Ecossaise, the only non-Breton music
on the CD, succeeds in highlighting the differences between Breton and
British pipe music, the former being less static and more fluid but
also more precise in the use of rhythm and percussion. An interesting
piece and beautifully performed but suffering a little by comparison
with the more energetic works framing it. It is followed by the perhaps
the most British sounding of the remaining pieces, in its emphasis on
the pipes (a piece from the Breton mountains), but still more energised
than you would dare to expect. The briefer Souben Al Leaz closes
the disc in a similar vein.
Audience applause has not been edited out but it is
unintrusive and does not detract significantly from listening pleasure.
Indeed, the presence of an audience no doubt contributed to the charged
atmosphere and therefore the very high standard of performance that
was forthcoming. As mentioned above, the French booklet notes are highly
informative and quite comprehensible even to someone, like myself, with
fairly basic translation skills. The booklet also includes a pictorial
history of Bagad de Lann-Bihoué and the whole packagae does full
justice to a band which really does deserve, on this evidence, much
wider exposure, as does the style of music it champions. One thing that
may strike you, as it did myself in Lorient a few weeks ago(at the Interceltiques
Festival), is the contrast between the white naval uniforms (red pom-pom
berets and all) of the bagad and the intense, often quite radical
sounding music it purveys.
So, if you are craving a slightly different listening
experience, and want to hear some interesting interpretations of Celtic
folk music in a context not normally encountered you could hardly do
better than invest in this forty five minutes (the quality totally outweighs
the quantity or lack of it!) of sheer, intense brilliance. Superb.
Neil Horner
Saint George/Sony France
(SAN 5086512) [46.46]