Sometimes it Pays to Be Lazy

That is to say, here is a highly entertaining and informative blog entry for you to read. It just isn't mine. The writer is Norman MacArthur (or Tormod MacArtair), a Gaelic singer and piper, originally from Inverness. He plays with a great band called Meantime*, and writes some of their songs, too. This blog entry is from the band's MySpace page. If you've ever felt like traveling to Oman--here's your chance. It's a long piece, so go put your feet up, and enjoy.

The article mentions meeting the composer of the tune "Sands of Kuwait". Here is a pipes-and-brass arrangement of the same, quite unrelated to anybody in the article. The piper's name is Pete Deneen, and the video came from the YouTube channel of the band playing with him: archipelagomusic.




*Mr. MacArthur is also a member of Na Seòid. His solos on their CD (the link, there) are on tracks 9 and 12. In fact, he wrote Track 12 as an introductory kind of piece for the band. I loaned out my copy of the CD, so I don't have the liner notes to elucidate a bit more, but the words were quite entertaining in translation.