Brig o' Blane Engagement
The Brig o' Blane Engagement, 3 octaves, level 2, 1995, Flagstaff, HB 160, optional drum/tambour
Massed ringing selection 3rd Scottish Handbell Festival 1991. Selected for massed ringing at 17th Annual Spring Ring in Sacramento, CA, USA in 2000. The title is a word play on the respective birthplaces of one of my younger brothers and his wife and composed at the time of their engagement to be married. My brother was born in Dunblane in the centre of Scotland (hence Blane, a Celtic missionary and later saint, who founded a hillside monastic community here in the year AD602 - dun meaning fortified hill). My brother's wife was from Bridge of Don near Aberdeen in Scotland (hence brig o'). The piece is reminiscent of Scottish martial airs as both parts of Scotland were the scenes of many battles (engagements) over the centuries hence the drum and plucked grace note and swung notes which simulate the Scottish Highland bagpipe (an instrument which has a unique scale which is suggested by the use of unusual chordal shifts in the piece)
Have you performed this music? Do please write and let me know by clicking here.
