I Hear Bagpipes!

[KittyWampus]

Coming Through my window... from the North. Someone is playing "Amazing Grace".

I live on eastern Long Island and it's really quiet except for crickets.

And the bagpipe. Haunting sound!

[Maple]

1. Ahhh and such a beautiful piece of music

Altho I also like bagpipes playing raggae and other sorts of music.

[KittyWampus]

4. Bagpipes and Reggae?

Now that's a stereotype smashing concept- for me...

Ever hear House of Pain... Irish rap music....

[Maple]

11. Bagpipes and raggae etc

I had hoped to give you an url for some great pipe music...one called 'Itchy Fingers' and another called 'Carnival Reel' by the Silver Thistle Pipes and Drums on a CD called 'Wake up there, man!'

They used to be samples downloadable from this site....

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/223/silver_thistle_pipes_and_d.html

However, with all the fuss about MP3 and so on...they've rearranged the site...durned if I can find what I want.

The other stuff is the standard marches and so on....but this was to give you an idea about what else bagpipes can do.

I bought the CD...too bad I can't just hold it to the screen eh? :D

[HEyHEY]

2. My favourite pipe place

On Bowen Island BC...snug cove, right by the marina...pipers often come at dusk...

[roguevalley]

3. I love bagpipes.

My cousin Hector Heath instructed and competed as a bagpiper
and my cousin Robbie Bishop played with his group in high
school whenever a big wig would land in Seattle or Portland.
My dad has a sign where he parks his car that says, "Parking
for bagpipers only. All others will be towed."

We used to go see the Black Watch when they would come to
Portland. Edinburgh has the Military Tatoo each year and I
hope to go this next summer. They put the shows out on
cassette. You should see them. Lovely stuff.

[KittyWampus]

5. Ever Notice How Huge Bagpipe Players Seem

When they march down the street in a parade?

Must be the hats.

[FlashHarry]

6. You must have been drinking...

....
100 Pipers Scotch!

[KittyWampus]

7. Nah, But Now I Hear Laughter

Must be a party... or an Irish wake.

[mddemo]

8. bagpipes

I feel sorry for any man who hears the pipes and wisnae born a scot. Man how i love the skirl, but only and i stress only when played by the pipes and drums of the scottish infantry division. I used to love the command to take up the pipes as we advanced, fairly got the blood up, I guess im old fashioned but i hate to see the music played by marching bands etc. and this one will get me flamed, women.

[Maple]

9. No...we're just sorry for you

Because they are played all over the world...in the ME and in Hong Kong, and by everyone....the Scots didn't invent the pipes.

[mddemo]

10. pipes

mayby not invented, but you mention bagpipes and everyone associates them with the scots, like it or not. the reason they are played all over the world is because of the British empire, and the british regiments that served there and trained the locals in the regimental system, a lot of ex empire militarys still employ british army ranks and traditions. ie the jordanians in the middle east, have a real good tradition of the pipes and also have drumhead courts. Real strange to see our old customs being used in a far flung land.

[Maple]

12. The pipes

were invented in the Middle East

You got it from them.

[mddemo]

14. once again

read my post i acknowledged we didnt invent them, once again i said that they are now associated with the scots more than anybody, hell even the jordanians play scottish reels and march with a drum major, and have army pipe bands.

[Maple]

17. And others play

reggae and other such stuff on them

They are played by everyone, everywhere...even women.

Without whom they wouldn't have survived during the time that the pipes and tartans were outlawed in the Empire...and ownership was punishable by death.

[mddemo]

19. women

now explain to me how women kept the pipes alive during the jacobean years. Also the pipes werent banned or the tartan, loyalists could still wear the tartan and play them, also the highland and lowland regiments continued to play them. As to tartan, there was no standard tartans unti the regiments started to standardize them, the clans dyed their clothes with whatever dyes they could get, hence the different tartans for each clan. ie royal stewart, hunting stewart etc.

[Maple]

23. I think you need to be more familiar

with your own history.

Both banned...pain of death...big skirts.

And tartans...were ID for bodies.

[mddemo]

24. history

lol ok so pray tell what did the black watch wear or the argyles during the jacobean wars. hint they wirny nekked.

[Maple]

25. Wow...

have you ever confused your timelines.

You've also confused the military with everyday life.

And originally the Scots actually did fight naked.

[mddemo]

26. scots

actually mate you are confusing the scotti ( a gaelic tribe from ireland who didnt fight naked) and the Picts a celtic peoples from northern scotland who fought naked, painted blue against the old romans. Also the military was everyday life, the regimental system was ensconsed within the civilian populace, hence my family always being argyles.

on edit the scotti invaded the kingdom of strathclyde and eventually absorbed the native picts into their kingdom.

[KittyWampus]

27. Maple, Thanks For The Music Suggestions

Will look for the cd on Amazon.

I didn't know that the bagpipes were from Middle East but then the drone certainly fits in with the Middle Eastern musical sensibility.

I've got alot of old English music on cd so there's alot of hornpipe on them

Here's a bit of history about bagpipes...

I read somewheres that the OUTLAWING OF BAGPIPES is a myth but can't give an informed opinion.


Where does the bagpipe come from?

The earliest ancestor of the Great Highland Bagpipe was developed in the Middle East as the 'Shawm", a simple reed-pipe, blown with the mouth. The bag was a logical development which was added as a replacement for circular breathing.

Reed pipes and bagpipes are found all over the Mid East, Asia, along the Silk Road and beyond. As trading spread, so did the bagpipe. It migrated through Europe, becoming the most popular instrument (in it's many forms) of the middle ages.

The "Hornpipe" was an early ancestor of the bagpipe. A reed fitted into a "stock and horn", blown with the mouth. The Hornpipe is also the ancestor of our practice chanter.

Every ethnic group in Europe has or has had it's own type of bagpipe, often several. The French have about three different types of pipes, there are Swedish pipes, German pipes, Spanish pipes, Bulgarian pipes, and the list goes on. Each are similar in function, yet distinctly different in sound.

Nero was shown on a coin engraving playing a bagpipe and it's said that he may have played a bagpipe as Rome burned, not a fiddle. The Romans used pipes extensively in battle and, contrary to popular belief, probably can be credited with bringing the pipes to the British Isles.

Bagpipes were known to the Gaels (early inhabitants of the Brittish Isles) by the mid 16th century, but probably much earlier. Scottish Gaelic music had a huge influence on piping. Many songs were translated to the pipes as piobaireachd (pea-broch) and airs. The pipes were used much in battle and celebration.

The GHB as we know it has been around since the early 1700s. Two and three drone models were common at that time. Our Great Highland Bagpipe is nearly identical to the Irish War Pipe or Brian Boru, which only has two drones, tenor and bass.

Although some may find it difficult to admit, the popularity of the Scottish Highland pipes owes much to the English. The pipes were introduced to the world as the British used Scottish regiments, laborers and expatriots to expand their empire.

[mddemo]

28. good history

enjoyed reading your post, a good history of the pipes. :)

and your right about the pipes not being banned, it was certain tunes that were banned. The more rebellious ones, also football was banned as well, as this took the men away from training for war, though if youve ever seen a scottish footie match id say it prepares you well. My old footie team had more injuries in a game than my infantry company had in gulf war 1.

[supernova]

13. North Carolina Presbyterian here

and I see tartan and pipes all the damn time! :D The Duke of Argyle once remarked he saw more tartan here than in Scotland. It's lovely!

As for your contention that only men should do the piping, well you don't know what you're missing. ;-)

[mddemo]

16. argyle

as a man of Argyle, i say hello, i just cant get rounf women playing the pipes, its the same with footie. The only pipes i enjoy are when the massed pipes and drums of the British Army play, its all the history and tradition that goes with it, only thing that compares is when the lone piper plays behind the FEBA (forward edge of battle area), i guess it in the blood. :)

my uncle was a piper with the 152 lowland volunteers, he played on the beach at dunkirk, then norway, anzio and numerous other battles. was wounded 4 times, but hes proud of the fact that he always played on.

[supernova]

20. You're in Annapolis?

I looked at your profile, hope you don't mind. I lived in Laurel, MD for a time in the late 80-s early 90s. I really enjoyed Annapolis though. Had an absolute ball there!

Your uncle was at Anzio? So was mine, the rascal! He had a lot of interesting stories to tell about Patton. LOL!

[mddemo]

22. patton

oops gotta fix my profile, just moved to potomac. My unlces all served alongside patton at one point or another. The Scots regiments liked his ferociousness, it suited their tempermant better than monty's.

[hussar]

32. I'll drink to that

proudly served along side the Kings Own Scottish Borderers 1979, great bunch of lads, love the pipes.

[amazona]

15. i used to hear the ghost bagpipes...

...once in awhile at University of New Orleans campus. I wonder if they are still there or what caused them. They sounded so real!


spooky

[DS1]

18. poor bastard

close your windows

[mddemo]

21. lol

Yeah my neighbours hate the pipes too, go figure, even the local cops camr to check it out, must of thought i was strangling a cat or something. luckily my property is big enough i dont disturb that many people.

[InkAddict]

29. I love bagpipes

We had Scottish friends who used to invite us to attend the Society's St. Andrew's Day Ball. Whip The Willow, etc...dancing to the pipes and Robert Burns poetry from the dais.

Course, that's when I was young enough to be forgiven for getting trashed at the party! It was a lot like the scene from the hold in "Titanic."

I've threatened to get out the Black Watch ceremonial marches when a neighbor plays their particular flavor of "music(?)," but I've never done it cause it's recorded on a 33-1/3 platter and the turntable has gone the way of the CD/DVD/'puter.

"Amazing Grace" has quite a history. I believe Bill Moyer hosted a documentary about this most widely arranged tune/hymn. Although bagpipes are used for the classic delivery, I get chills every time I hear the majesty of the tune as delivered by DCI (Drum Corp International), all horns, drums, and pit vibes. I sure hope it's what the heavenly hosts have on track loop!

[mddemo]

30. amazing grace

THE BEST RENDITION I EVER HEARD of amazing grace was whilst in bosnia, we were cataloguing war crimes and were removing bodies from mass graves for reinterment and it was real hard work. Our CO could see this and ordered the regimental piper to play a lament. its the first time ive ever seen the soldiers of the line cry.

[roguevalley]

31. my g. grandpa came from Newpitslago in Aberdeenshire.

He was a smart cookie who once outdid Calvin Coolidge, who apparently was very good at parlor games such as trick words, etc.

Love being Scottish. My mom is highly amused as a grand daughter of a man from Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland that Scotland was named by the Scots, the Irish.

I loved it when my scottish granny used to mix it up with my irish mom. Mom never lost. :)

[mddemo]

33. scots grannie

the chances are your ancestors from omagh are actually scottish settlers, the northern irish are ancestors of the army and settlers that king james the 6 or 5th i think sent to defeat and colonize ulster.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. Having lived across the street from a Presbyterian Church

when I lived in Baltimore, I have to admit that my enjoyment of the pipes was somewhat diminished when they called at 7:30 on several Sunday mornings...especially on the occasions when I was hung-over!
:+

[Character Assassin]

35. I am a piper from a line of pipers

My father founded, back around 64' or so, the First Salinas Valley Highlanders, and band which has since morphed into three different bands, one of which has become extremely competitve and travels to scotland every year to try for the class IV title.

My father still plays a lot, but now that he's retired (former doctor) he gets called mainly for weddings and funerals.

And lately, a LOT of funerals, as members of his generation begin to pass.

Press on Regardless!