Two Boats from Ascension to Orkney
Dear friends,
Thank you for being here.
The past year has carried two threads of work into wider public view. One is song-shaped — Two Boats Under the Moon, my debut solo song album, now quietly finding its place. The other is pipe-shaped — the Lindsay System Chanter, an open-source, downloadable and home-3D-printable Scottish smallpipe chanter capable of three full octaves, and still evolving after nearly two decades.
Both are projects of attention, of form, and of voice.
Earlier this month, TRACS published a piece I wrote reflecting on the Lindsay System’s path so far — from early prototypes in Pollok to open-source designs developed on Ascension Island, South Atlantic, and now used by musicians across Europe, North America, and beyond. The article is here if you missed it:
This isn’t a commercial product. It’s a cultural offering — a system for making and remaking an instrument. The core file set is free to download, licensed under Creative Commons, and adaptable for different contexts. In 2026, I’ll mark its 10th anniversary with a handful of teaching and performance events.
Alongside it, Two Boats Under the Moon has been quietly rippling outward. Recorded live in Watercolour Studios in the Scottish Highlands with Roo Geddes, it’s a two-disc album of songs, pipes, and place — original music on the first disc, traditional on the second.
It’s been warmly received:
★★★★ Songlines
“A fine debut indeed… like the best things in life, matured in its patient process.”★★★★ The Scotsman
“Warm, grainy voice… a fond folk nocturne.”Alasdair Roberts:
“Gently questing and unassumingly personal… sure to delight traditional music and song enthusiasts.”Tom Brosseau:
“Dead brilliant, unaffected tremolo… will warm your heart.”
🎧 Listen / buy: Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
💿 CDs: BirnamCD
In coming months, I’ll be sharing new developments — on the bench, on stage, and on paper. This newsletter will carry new instrument designs, writings on method and practice, glimpses into songs-in-progress, and early looks at the work that’s still forming.
If you’re here for the deeper unfolding of the Lindsay System — or for the voice-led path that feeds it — you’re in the right place.
Warm wishes,
Donald WG Lindsay
🎼 donaldwglindsay.com
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This message comes from the evolving cognitive field of Donald WG Lindsay — singer, pipe thinker, and form shaper.
www.donaldwglindsay.com
Bandcamp | YouTube | Instagram