The Vernacular Music Center at the Texas Tech University School of Music is pleased to announce that the Caprock English Bagpipe Consort will have a pair of distinguished Guest Artists in residence from November 1st – 4th: Michael MacNintch and Alex Bartholomew, who are among the finest masters of Breton traditional music in the United States, will be performing and teaching over the four days. Events include visits to School of Music classes; a Breton dance on Sunday, November 3rd in the SUB Ballroom of the Texas Tech Student Union; and a concert on Monday, November 4th in Hance Chapel, 17th & University Ave., on the TTU campus at 8:00pm. The dance and concert are admission free, and the public is welcome.
Caprock English Bagpipe Consort is the only ensemble of its type in North America, that performs, arranges, and composes music for an ensemble of English Border Bagpipes. Based at the Vernacular Music Center at the Texas Tech University School of Music, CEBC was founded in early 2017 by director Roger Landes with two graduate students, but the ensemble has grown to include two alumni and two additional faculty members. CEBC has become an integral part of the VMC and performs annually in the School of Music Ignite! concert (2021-2023), Celtic Solstice Concert (2017-2024), and regularly collaborates with Tech Folk Orchestra and the Historical Performance Ensemble, as well as frequent outreach to the community (St. Christoper’s Episcopal Church, St. John’s United Methodist, Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Lubbock Texas Temple (LDS), et al.
About the Guest Artists:
Alex Bartholomew: Alex grew up playing highland bagpipes in upstate New York with instruction at various music camps in the US and Canada. Alex is a founding member of Bagad New York and has served as the musical director of the ensemble since 2010. In the winter of 2010 Alex traveled to Bretagne to play bagpipes with bagad Kerlenn Pondi from Pontivy and returned in the summer of 2010 to learn and play bombarde with Kerlenn Pondi, becoming the first non-Breton to play bombarde with a Grade 1 bagad in competition. Alex has played bombarde in couple with Mike MacNintch since 2010.
Mike MacNintch: Mike is a well-known piper from the northeastern US, playing and building various types of bagpipes for many decades. Mike has led several pipe bands at multiple grade levels. Mike's love of Breton music and dance goes back to the 1980s and he has played pipes with Bagad Kemperle at multiple competitions in Bretagne. Mike is a founding member of Bagad New York and has served as the main organizer of pipers and musicians for the eastern US tours of the Chieftains for many years. Mike plays highland bagpipes, biniou kozh, and veuze with Alex in couple.
Contact: Dr. Roger Landes, roger.landes@ttu.edu (575) 613-2203
