Thomas Manson, University of Basel
Over the last few months, I’ve been speaking with British and Irish societies in and around Basel, getting a sense of the role that British and Irish culture plays here in the city. In this podcast, I talk to Thomas Christen, the Pipe Major of the City of Basel Caledonia Pipe Band, watch the School of Highland Dancing Basel perform as part of Fasnacht bummelsonntag celebrations, and chat to musicians at the Markthalle’s bimonthly Traditional Irish Music Session. I also visit the Basel Tattoo, and even take my search to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where Swiss theatre companies were performing as part of Swiss Selection Edinburgh 2022. Throughout the podcast, I use music and sound more generally as a way of unpacking the deep connections between Britain, Ireland and Switzerland.
The songs you hear at the beginning and the end of this podcast are by Áed, a Swiss-based Celtic folk band (Ilenia Ballacchino, who sings and plays the bodhrán and shruti box in the band, is an alumnus of the English Seminar here in Basel). I am delighted to have their wonderful music on the podcast. You can find out more about them here.
(a version in higher quality can be accessed here)
With special thanks to:
Thomas Christen (City of Basel Caledonia Pipe Band)
Morven Rüesch and the Scottish Country Dance Group, Basel
Carol Jones and the School of Highland Dancing, Basel
Dr. des. Daniela Keller
Áed and Ilenia Ballacchino
Music:
Bring the Cows Out (Áed, 2020)
Tongadale / Mill House / Whistler of Rosslea (Áed, 2020)