This series documents the activities of The Chieftains between the years 1974 and 2002 when Derek Bell was a member of the group. The subseries contains promotional material produced by the group’s record companies, tour schedules and itineraries, performance set-lists, programmes, ephemera, newspaper clippings, reviews, articles, photographs and memorabilia. Also included are a number of awards including a Grammy Award nominee medal (DBE-239678/4/2/9) and platinum, gold and silver discs awarded to the group for achieving exceptional album sales in a number of different jurisdictions.
Letters, rehearsal schedules, performance invitations, concert programmes, reviews, articles, posters and ephemera relating to Bell’s solo and orchestral career. Material dates from Bell’s time performing with the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra and the City of Belfast Orchestra in the 1950s and 1960s. Bell’s successful international solo career performing on a range of musical instruments including the piano, oboe, pedal and Irish harp, cor anglais and cimbalom is also in evidence in this subseries.
This subseries contains seminar notes, letters, articles and religious texts relating to Bell’s interest in Buddhism, Eastern mysticism, Kriya Yoga and the power of music and meditation to counteract evil. Seminar notes and articles are from the teaching of guru, Gideon Fontalba. The second file in this subseries relates to letters and articles which refer to a legal case involving a minister of the Self Realization Fellowship, Swami Kriyanan (born James Donald Walters). Kriyanan was a friend of Derek Bell for many years and collaborated with him on two CDs - Mystical harp and Mystical harp II . Other religious texts are from a distance learning course provided by the Arcane School, London, England. The school provides students with training in meditation and offers a service to develop their spiritual potential.
This subseries contains exam papers, lecture notes, articles, newspaper clippings, concert programmes, music catalogues, photographs, drawings, serials, musical instrument catalogues and letters relating to music education, teaching, music research and musical instruments, most notably the piano, harp, oboe, cimbalom and heckelphone. Bell’s study of musical composition as well as his lifelong interest in ethnic music and musical instruments of other countries including Romania, Bulgaria and Peru is reflected in this subseries. His research into the hammered dulcimer which led to the recreation of the ancient Irish instrument known as the tiompán can also be seen in his papers in this subseries (DBE-239678/2/1/4).
Letters, typescripts, programmes, reviews and newspaper clippings relating to the following compositions by Derek Bell Variations on the IDB theme ‘Come on Northern Ireland’, Symphony No. 2 The violet flame - Comte de Saint Germain , Divertissement for a Kerryman and Three pictures from Ancient Ireland in druid times .
General correspondence from uilleann pipers, other musicians, academic researchers and Irish music enthusiasts from Ireland, United Kingdom, Denmark, France, The Netherlands, Australia and the United States of America. Many of the correspondents request information on membership to Na Píobairí Uilleann, they look for information about piping classes, about where they can buy uilleann pipes and about pipe and reed making classes. Letter writers also requests to buy the society’s publications including tutor books, the journals Ceol & An Píobaire and request to purchase cane, hemp and reeds. They also look for information on contemporary and historical uilleann pipers, sound recordings and sheet music and seek answers to technical questions about chanter and reed making. Many letters contain information about uilleann pipes, pipers, reed making and pipe manufacturing. Some letters compliment Breandán Breathnach on his publications. Regular correspondents include Tom Busby, Martin Cooney, Wilbert Garvin, Robbie Hannan, Robert McMahon, Pat McNulty, Bill Ochs, Theodor Podnos, Ronnie Wathen. There are also some letters relating to the early years of the Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare. Undated letters are filed at the end of the series.
This subseries relates to the various activities carried out by Na Píobairí Uilleann to promote their organisation, as well as, the art of uilleann piping and pipe making. These activities include the publication of it newsletter An Píobaire, exhibitions on uilleann piping, the promotion of the uilleann pipes through participation in music competitions like Feis Ceoil and the establishment of pipe making companies throughout Ireland.
