Helensburgh and Carradale pipers into finals of BBC Young Traditional Musician Award

Two pipers from Argyll have come through tough semi-finals at Coulter in South Lanarkshire, making it to the finals of the 2010 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award.

They are Kyle Warren from Helensburgh and Lorne MacDougall from Carradale in Kintyre.

Currently studying at RSAMD, Kyle Warren should not be too concerned about the big stage of the finals at Celtic Connection. He has been in the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland and is a member of Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, so big public performance occasions are second nature now.

Kyle started playing the pipes aged 8, is a keen composer with two of his tunes making it into Michael Grey’s fifth collection of bagpipe music. His time as Pipe Major of the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland gave him the opportunity to work with some great names including Donald Shaw and Carlos Nunez.

Playing with the ‘boyband on pipes’ – TNT (The New Tradition),  Kyle won a Danny Kyle Open Stage Award at Celtic Connections in 2007.

Lorne MacDougall is a product of the renowned Argyll piping scene and is adept on Highland Pipes, Smallpipes, Border Pipes and Whistle.

He has made frequent radio appearances including live sessions on Travelling Folk and Pipeline as well as playing on Ross Kennedy’s ‘Scottish Voice and Acoustic Guitar’ CD.

His pipe band career has led him to the very top of Grade 1 playing with the cream of Scottish pipe bands, the Scottish Power Pipe Band.

The full list of finalists in the contest for this valued award are:

• Paddy Callaghan – accordion, harp (Glasgow)
• Mairi Chaimbeul – harp (Sleat)
• Lorne MacDougall – pipes (Carradale)
• Hannah Phillips – harp (Glasgow)
• Daniel Thorpe – fiddle (Glasgow)
• Kyle warren – pipes (Helensburgh)

The finals are on the 31st January 2010 at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections Final and are part of Showcase Scotland. This is the biggest collection of promoters from around the world all present in Glasgow to listen and book Scottish musicians. It’s a real opportunity for the young musicians to forge a career in traditional music.

In this 10th year of the Award, the winner will get the chance to perform at an International music festival and make a CD with a leading Trad label.

The BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award exists to encourage young musicians to keep their tradition alive and to maximise their musical potential by the pursuit of a career in traditional music. The winner will be provided with high profile performance opportunities and the necessary tools and advice they require to launch a career in traditional music.

Mark Morpurgo, Folk and Traditional Music Editor