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Troy Donockley (born 30 May 1964) is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of
Uilleann pipes The uilleann pipes ( or , ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland. Earlier known in English as "union pipes", their current name is a partial translation of the Irish language terms (literally, "pipes of the elbow"), from their ...
. Having performed with many artists as a session player, he is most notable as a member of Finnish
symphonic metal Symphonic metal is a cross-generic style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guita ...
band
Nightwish Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka N ...
, which he has performed with since 2007 and joined as a full-time member in 2013.


Early life and career

Donockley was born in
Workington Workington is a coastal town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast in the Allerdale borough of Cumbria, England. The town was historically in Cumberland. At the 2011 census it had a population of 25,207. Loca ...
, Cumberland; his parents were members of a band called Travelling Country. At the age of 16, Troy joined them, playing at many venues in West Cumbria. His father's record collection was broad and gave his son a love of classical, rock, country as well as traditional music. He is a multi-instrumentalist and a master of the Uilleann pipes. His ambition as a teenager was to travel the world as a musician, but he hated "empty pop created by cynical twerps". The strangeness of the sound of the Uilleann pipes enabled him to become a session musician with prog-rockers
The Enid The Enid are a British progressive rock band founded by keyboardist and composer Robert John Godfrey. Godfrey received his main musical education from The Royal College of Music. He is previously known for his work with Barclay James Harvest, ...
in 1987 on their album 'The Seed and the Sower'.


Celtic-folk music

In 1987, he formed
Celtic Rock Celtic rock is a genre of folk rock, as well as a form of Celtic fusion which incorporates Celtic music, instrumentation and themes into a rock music context. It has been extremely prolific since the early 1970s and can be seen as a key foundatio ...
band 'You Slosh', recording 'Glorious Racket' with them in 1989. In the following year, he recorded as a session musician with Celtic-folk band
Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though the ...
. This was at the very beginning of the boom in Celtic-folk bands, and both ventures were very successful. Donockley recorded one more album with You Slosh in 1991, plus nine more albums with Iona. He became an official member of the group in 1995 and left the band in 2009.
Máire Brennan Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing pr ...
, a member of the best-known Celtic-folk group,
Clannad Clannad () is an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history, including ...
, called on Donockley to be a session musician on '
Two Horizons ''Two Horizons'' is the fifth solo album by Irish singer Moya Brennan. It is her first full-length release under the name ''Moya Brennan'', as opposed to ''Máire Brennan''. The album was predominantly recorded in her home studio in Dublin and ...
'. In 1999, Donockley recorded 'Our Kate' on the album 'Debatable Lands' by
Kathryn Tickell Kathryn Tickell, OBE, DL (born 8 June 1967) is an English musician, noted for playing the Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle. Music career Early life Kathryn Tickell was born in Walsall, then in Staffordshire, to parents who originated fro ...
, contrasting two types of pipes with her; she plays the
Northumbrian smallpipes The Northumbrian smallpipes (also known as the Northumbrian pipes) are bellows-blown bagpipes from North East England, where they have been an important factor in the local musical culture for more than 250 years. The family of the Duke of Nor ...
. Together with
Adrian Edmondson Adrian Charles Edmondson (born 24 January 1957) is an English actor, comedian, musician, writer and television presenter. He was part of the alternative comedy boom in the early 1980s and had roles in the television series '' The Young Ones'' (1 ...
, Donockley founded the band
The Bad Shepherds The Bad Shepherds were an English folk music, folk band, formed by the comedian Ade Edmondson, Adrian Edmondson in 2008. They played folk punk songs with traditional folk instruments. The band primarily consisted of Edmondson (vocals, mandolin ...
in 2008, performing
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
and new wave classics on folk instruments.


Maddy Prior and Barbara Dickson

Both
Barbara Dickson Barbara Ruth Dickson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish singer and actress whose hits include ' I Know Him So Well', ' Answer Me' and ' January February'. Dickson has placed fifteen albums on the UK Albums Chart from 1977 to date, and had ...
and
Maddy Prior Madelaine Edith Prior MBE (born 14 August 1947) is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span. She was born in Blackpool and moved to St Albans in her teens. Her father, Allan Prior, was co-creator of the police dra ...
lived in the north of England and Donockley met them both. Alongside her easy listening albums, Dickson also recorded folk albums. In 1994, and again in 2004, Donockley was a session musician for Dickson's folk albums and then went on to produce several of her albums including 'Words Unspoken' (2010) and 'To Each & Everyone - The Songs of Gerry Rafferty' (2013) . After recording ''Flesh and Blood'' with Prior in 1997, Donockley also became co-producer of her next four solo albums.


Nightwish

Donockley's first appearance with Nightwish was on their 2007 release, ''
Dark Passion Play ''Dark Passion Play'' is the sixth studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was released on 26 September 2007 by Spinefarm Records in Finland, 28 September by Nuclear Blast in Europe and 2 October 2007 by Roadrunner Records ...
'', as a guest musician, providing some whistles and pipes to the songs " The Islander", "Last of the Wilds", and "Meadows of Heaven". He also joined them on select shows of the subsequent tour and appeared in the music video for "The Islander". In 2011, Donockley appeared as a guest on ''
Imaginaerum ''Imaginaerum'' is the seventh studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was released on 30 November 2011 by Scene Nation Oy and Sony Music in Finland, then on 2 December in Nuclear Blast in the rest of Europe and Roadrunner Re ...
'', providing whistles, pipes, and vocals. He joined Nightwish again on the ''
Imaginaerum World Tour ''Imaginaerum World Tour'' was the fifth world tour by Finns, Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, in support of their seventh studio album, ''Imaginaerum''. The tour started in Los Angeles, USA, on January 21, 2012, and then the band played a ...
'', and also appeared on the band's concert DVD '
Showtime, Storytime ''Showtime, Storytime'' is a video release, released as a double Blu-ray, DVD, CD and LP from Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Nuclear Blast recorded their live performance at Wacken Open Air in Wacken, Germany on 3 August 2013. ''Showt ...
'. He also appears in the ''
Imaginaerum ''Imaginaerum'' is the seventh studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was released on 30 November 2011 by Scene Nation Oy and Sony Music in Finland, then on 2 December in Nuclear Blast in the rest of Europe and Roadrunner Re ...
'' film from 2012 as a stage illusionist. Following the conclusion of the ''Imaginaerum World Tour'', Donockley was made a full-time member of Nightwish in October 2013. He plays various instruments within the band, including the pipes and whistles, as well as
bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...
and electric and acoustic
guitars The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
. He provides the main vocals for Nightwish's single ‘Harvest’, released in 2020, one of only two songs on the album not to feature frontwoman
Floor Jansen Floor Jansen (; born 21 February 1981) is a Dutch singer and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Jansen first became known as a member of symphonic metal band After Forever, standing as their lead voca ...
on lead vocals.


Session work

Donockley has recorded as a
session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
with
Roy Harper Roy Harper may refer to: * Roy Harper (character), DC Comics character *Roy Harper (footballer) (born 1929), Australian footballer *Roy Harper (referee) (died 1969), English football referee * Roy Harper (singer) (born 1941), English musician * Roy ...
,
Midge Ure James Ure (born 10 October 1953) is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim, the diminutive form of his actual name. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980 ...
,
Del Amitri Del Amitri are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Glasgow in 1980. Between 1985 and 2002, the band released six studio albums. Their 1995 single " Roll to Me" reached number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Five Del Amitri albums have ...
,
Alan Stivell Alan Stivell (; born Alan Cochevelou on 6 January 1944) is a French, Breton and Celtic musician and singer, songwriter, recording artist, and master of the Celtic harp. From the early 1970s, he revived global interest in the Celtic (specificall ...
, Status Quo, and
Leah Leah ''La'ya;'' from (; ) appears in the Hebrew Bible as one of the two wives of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. Leah was Jacob's first wife, and the older sister of his second (and favored) wife Rachel. She is the mother of Jacob's first son ...
. Bruce Johnson of
the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
has used him. Eight studio albums by prog-rockers
Mostly Autumn Mostly Autumn are an English rock band. The group formed in 1995 and have built their reputation through constant touring, never signing to a major label. They produce music heavily influenced by 1970s progressive rock. According to the BBC, ...
feature him, as do Welsh prog group
Magenta Magenta () is a color that is variously defined as pinkish- purplish- red, reddish-purplish-pink or mauvish- crimson. On color wheels of the RGB (additive) and CMY (subtractive) color models, it is located exactly midway between red and bl ...
on two albums. He also performed on ''
Etarlis ''Etarlis'' is the second full-length studio album by the British progressive rock band Mermaid Kiss. It is a concept album that tells the story of a journey of two friends, Anna and Gerri, and their adventures in the fantasy land of Etarlis. T ...
'', a 2007 release by
Mermaid Kiss Mermaid Kiss is an English band formed in Kington, Herefordshire, England, in 2000, with influences ranging from contemporary folk music to progressive rock. Biography The initial line up was: Evelyn Downing (voice and flute) Jamie Field (guita ...
. He can be heard on recent movie soundtracks ''
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is de ...
'' (
Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades th ...
, 2010) and ''
Ironclad An ironclad is a steam engine, steam-propelled warship protected by Wrought iron, iron or steel iron armor, armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships ...
'' (
Jonathan English Jonathan English is a British filmmaker who has written, directed, and produced several films. He is known for ''Minotaur'' (2006), ''Ironclad'' (2011) and '' Ironclad: Battle for Blood'' (2014). Career English co-founded Mythic International E ...
, 2011). Notably, he also performed at the Scottish leg of
Live 8 Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland, from 6–8 July 2005 ...
with Midge Ure.


Classical work

Donockley has composed music for choir and orchestra. He has gone to great lengths to find the right kind of studio production. ''The Unseen Stream'' (1998) and ''The Pursuit of Illusion'' (2003) put the uilleann pipes in a sound mix that had never been heard before. His latest classical work is '' The Madness of Crowds'' (2009).


Personal life

Donockley lives with his wife Terri and daughter Mia in
North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by national parks, including most of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is one of four cou ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
. He is a vegan.


Discography

Studio albums: *''
The Unseen Stream ''The Unseen Stream'' is a progressive classical album by Troy Donockley. This was his first solo outing and was released in 1998. This recording shows Troy as a multi-skilled wood player. His main instrument is the Uilleann Pipes adding also ...
'' (1998) *''The Pursuit of Illusion'' (2003) *'' The Madness of Crowds'' (2009)


Nightwish

Studio albums: *''
Dark Passion Play ''Dark Passion Play'' is the sixth studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was released on 26 September 2007 by Spinefarm Records in Finland, 28 September by Nuclear Blast in Europe and 2 October 2007 by Roadrunner Records ...
'' (2007) *''
Imaginaerum ''Imaginaerum'' is the seventh studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was released on 30 November 2011 by Scene Nation Oy and Sony Music in Finland, then on 2 December in Nuclear Blast in the rest of Europe and Roadrunner Re ...
'' (2011) *'' Endless Forms Most Beautiful'' (2015) *'' Human. :II: Nature.'' (2020) Live albums: *''
Vehicle of Spirit ''Vehicle of Spirit'' is a video and audio release from Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Two shows have been recorded during Endless Forms Most Beautiful World Tour ''Endless Forms Most Beautiful World Tour'' was the sixth world tour ...
'' Live DVD (2016) *'' Decades: Live in Buenos Aires'' Live DVD (2019)


Barbara Dickson

*'' Full Circle'' (2004) *''Time and Tide'' (2008) *''Words Unspoken'' (2011) *''To Each & Everyone - The Songs of Gerry Rafferty'' (2013)


The Bad Shepherds

Studio albums: *''Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera!'' (2009) *''By Hook or By Crook'' (2010) *''Mud Blood & Beer'' (2013)


Iona

Studio albums: *'' Journey Into The Morn'' (1995) *''
Heaven's Bright Sun ''Heaven's Bright Sun'' is a live progressive rock album by Iona, released in 1997. Recordings were made under engineer Nigel Palmer by the B-I-H mobile 'Live' in England during December 1996, at the Irish Centre, Leeds, the Q Club, Birmingh ...
'' (1997) *''
Woven Cord ''Woven Cord'' is a live progressive rock album by Iona with the All Souls Orchestra, released in 1999. It was recorded on 29 May 1999 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, when Iona joined with the All Souls Orchestra for a unique collaboration ...
'' (1999) *''
Open Sky ''Open Sky'' is a progressive rock album by Iona, released in 2000. Recording Recordings were made at various locations during 1999 and 2000, all engineered by Nigel Palmer: * Chapel Studios, Lincolnshire * Visions on Albion, Yorkshire * The S ...
'' (2000) *''
The River Flows Iona was a Progressive rock, progressive Celtic music, Celtic rock music, rock Christian rock band from the United Kingdom, which was formed in the late 1980s by lead vocalist Joanne Hogg and multi-instrumentalists David Fitzgerald and Dave Bain ...
'' (2002) *'' The Circling Hour'' (2006)


Dave Bainbridge

Studio albums: *''When Worlds Collide'' (2005) *''
From Silence ''From Silence'' is a progressive rock album by Troy Donockley and Dave Bainbridge. It is an improvised piece recorded in the setting of the Lincoln Cathedral and released in 2005. Two members of Iona got together in the cathedral to improv ...
'' (2005)


Maddy Prior

Studio albums: *''Flesh and Blood'' (1997) *''
Ravenchild ''Ravenchild'' is the first album recorded by Maddy Prior after she stopped working with the Carnival Band. It has a distinctive flavour that we can now recognise as the influence of Troy Donockley. There are frequent sound effects such as wind, ...
'' (1999) *'' Ballads and Candles'' (2000) *''Arthur The King'' (2001) *''Lionheart'' (2003)


Midge Ure

Studio album: *''Duet'' (2006)


You Slosh

Studio albums *''Glorious Racket'' (1989) *''Lift Me Up'' (1991)


Auri

Studio albums: *'' Auri'' (2018) *''II – Those We Don't Speak Of'' (2021)


References


Bibliography

*


External links


Donockley's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donockley, Troy Citternists English folk musicians Irish uilleann pipers English session musicians Living people 1964 births People from Workington English heavy metal singers Tin whistle players Nightwish members English tenors Auri (band) members