The Kathryn Tickell Band (1991)

Kathryn Tickell – Northumbrian Smallpipes, fiddle
Ian Carr – guitars
Geoff Lincoln – Bass guitars
Lynn Tocker – piano accordion

1 Holey Ha’penny comes from the playing of Tom Clough, for many years it has been seen as a pipers' competition piece. Kathryn was commissioned to write the Tyne Bridge Hornpipe for the 60th anniversary of the famous bridge in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

2 A set of Irish tunes, the first one is very popular in sessions, the others we learnt from fine players – the second from accordionist Karen Tweed. Coast of Austria was written by whistle player Sean Ryan, and finally one of the many untitled tunes by great young Newcastle flute player Thomas McElvogue.

3 Kathryn recorded this on her first album – this is the new, recycled, version.

4 Written during a particularly difficult rehearsal (hence the name) the Drop Dead Waltz was inspired by American bluegrass band the Dreadful Snakes. Franklin River Reel was written by our good friend Alistair Anderson.

5 Two more of Thomas’s tunes, imaginatively named by the band. Cuckold Come out of the Amrey is a Northumbrian tune from approx 17th century (an amrey is a cupboard or wardrobe).

6 A frantic combination of Ian Stephenson’s Destitution, Kathryn’s Desperation and bits of yet another 17th century Border tune, All the Night I Lay with Jockey.

7 A set of recent tunes from Northumberland. Roly Gentle was written by Kathryn for a friend of that name. Hot Rivets is another Alistair Anderson composition, written about the rivetters when the shipyards were still a major source of employment in the North East. Tartar Frigate was written by Matt Seattle of Blyth, and the last one is by Ian and Kathryn – named after a type of fishing reel.

8 We learnt Nancy’s Waltz from ace fiddle player Rodney Miller. The second tune started its life as the 150th Birthday Jig and was written for 3 characters from the village of Wark – Johnny Davidson, Barty Potts and local accordion hero Henry ‘Roman Wall Rambo’ Robson, who all turned 50 in the same year. The last part however was written for double bass player Danny Thompson, whose subsequent birthday brought the figure up to 200.

9 This air was written by Lynn when she was fourteen, after a boat journey from the Skerry Islands.

10 Dargai is a Highland pipe lament which we learnt from recordings of the celebrated Northumbrian piper Billy Pigg. Elsdon Pool is named after the pool table in the Bird in Bush in Elsdon. Jockey Stays Long at the Fair is one of several pipe tunes written approximately 300 years ago about a character known as Jockey. If the titles of some of the tunes are anything to go by he must have been a bit of a lad!

11 The first tune comes from the Shetland Islands, where Lynn, Ian and Kathryn have all enjoyed playing. Geoff has yet to travel so far north, being more familiar with the London pub rock circuit. The second is our version of the Teetotaller, the third was learnt from fiddle player Chuck Fleming and the Barrowburn Reel was written by Addie Harper from Wick, although our interpretation owes a lot to Cambridge band Pluck This.

12 Another commissioned piece, this time for the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Otterburn. It has been said of the Border people that they were ‘Scottish at will and English when they choose’ so this posed a slight problem for someone with Kathryn’s ancestry as to whose side she was supposed to be on and whether she should write a lament or a happy little victory jig. The tune was eventually written for neither side but is dedicated to the memory of the men and women of both nations.