XAVIER BODERIOU

Some time later, he joined the Bagad de Landivisiau. He then moved to the south of Finistère and joined Bagad Cap Caval. With this band, he was champion of Brittany on six occasions. But the borders of Brittany are too small for a piper of his talent. So he began experimenting with Scottish pipe bands, including one of the most successful, Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band. Then came the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, with whom he won championships all over the world. It's hard to beat that!

Alongside his work as a luthier (Scottish bagpipes and uilleann pipes), he has also produced two albums. Morenn with Sylvain Barou and Jacques Pellen in 2014, then Liamm in 2020 with the same Sylvain Barou and Antoine Lahay.
He's back at it again in 2025, but solo this time, with Gwrizienn (Roots in Breton), a project centred on the solo Scottish bagpipes. On this third opus, Xavier once again has the opportunity to give us back his vast repertoire of traditional Scottish, Irish and Breton tunes, most of them composed by himself.

The album opens with Saig's Air, a slow tune he wrote in 2016 in the tradition of Scottish slow airs. Or Traditional MSR, a beautiful Scottish suite. Irish music is not left out with Tess's Jigs and Done Deal Reels, a set of three tunes including The Barachois Reel by Chris Armstrong.  There's also The Autumn Gathering, three tunes composed by Xavier. Brittany is also well represented with Gavotenn an Hañv, Son An Aval, Laridé Gavotte and a superb Marche Bigoudène.
Finally, to end on a sensitive note, a lullaby entitled The Robin's Lullaby, also in Xavier's hand, composed one spring morning in 2023.
This excellent solo album showcases the technique, the sound and the many embellishments that enhance the playing of this gifted musician, who demonstrates here his incredible instrumental mastery.
A landmark album.

Autoproduit VOC10775 – www.boderiou.com