Mackay's Memoirs (album)
Encyclopedia
Mackay's Memoirs is the last recorded work by Scottish
Celtic fusion
artist Martyn Bennett
. It was released on April 15, 2005 by the City of Edinburgh Music School
.
It is the recording of a piece commissioned for the opening of the Scottish Parliament
on 1 July 1999 and is performed by the City of Edinburgh Music School Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Susan Emslie.
The composition for pipes, clarsach and orchestra was written in honour of the late Dr. Kenneth A Mackay of Badenoch after Bennett read Dr Mackay's medical and personal journals written during his post as Free Church of Scotland
missionary general practitioner in Moyobamba, Peru
. The composition is based around the theme and first variation of the piobaireachd 'Lament For Mary MacLeod' and opens with Psalm 121
and features the pipes, voices, clarsach and the classical orchestra.
It was recorded the morning after Martyn's death on the 31st January 2005 by the young people of Broughton High School who were unaware Martyn had died, the news being kept back until recording was over. The record is Bennett's final recorded work.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Celtic fusion
Celtic Fusion
Celtic fusion is an umbrella term for modern music which incorporates influences considered "Celtic," or Celtic music which incorporates modern music. It is a syncretic musical tradition which borrows freely from the perceived "Celtic" musical traditions of all the Celtic nations, as well as from...
artist Martyn Bennett
Martyn Bennett
Martyn Bennett was a Scottish musician who was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada...
. It was released on April 15, 2005 by the City of Edinburgh Music School
City of Edinburgh Music School
The City of Edinburgh Music School is a state-maintained music school in Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded as the Lothian Specialist Music School in 1980, it changed its name in 1996 when Lothian Regional Council was dissolved into four separate unitary councils. It is a non-residential...
.
It is the recording of a piece commissioned for the opening of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
on 1 July 1999 and is performed by the City of Edinburgh Music School Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Susan Emslie.
The composition for pipes, clarsach and orchestra was written in honour of the late Dr. Kenneth A Mackay of Badenoch after Bennett read Dr Mackay's medical and personal journals written during his post as Free Church of Scotland
Free Church of Scotland (post 1900)
Free Church of Scotland is that part of the original Free Church of Scotland that remained outside of the union with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1900...
missionary general practitioner in Moyobamba, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. The composition is based around the theme and first variation of the piobaireachd 'Lament For Mary MacLeod' and opens with Psalm 121
Psalm 121
Psalm 121 is the 121st psalm from the Book of Psalms. It is one of 15 psalms that begins with the words "A song of ascents" .-Judaism:*Is recited following Mincha between Sukkot and Shabbat Hagadol....
and features the pipes, voices, clarsach and the classical orchestra.
It was recorded the morning after Martyn's death on the 31st January 2005 by the young people of Broughton High School who were unaware Martyn had died, the news being kept back until recording was over. The record is Bennett's final recorded work.