Source: Bakersfield.com
Battle of the Celts – BY ROBBIE BYRNE, Contributing writer
I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold, as the song goes, and as well as finding a heart of gold (we got married), I found three great Bakersfield musicians.
My late wife died of cancer about six years ago. My sister lives in Bakersfield, so I decided to travel from Britain to visit her and met and fell in love with my present wife, DiSheree.
I play bagpipes, Uilleann pipes, penny whistles and am steeped in the Celtic tradition of Irish and Scots music. But my heart was also in creating a more “rocky” Celtic sound.
I met Walter Baldwin, (drums) Dougie Kirk, (bass) and Richard Cheney (vocals, electric guitars) and, to our amazement, a new kind of sound emerged. I call it “Celtic Evolution,” a blend of modern rock and traditional Celtic music whereby the bagpipes sometimes play the “lead” in some of the original songs and tunes.
The Celtic Force – Visit our website: www.thecelticforce.com