Re: [ARSCLIST] LP storage &c. (and bagpipes)

["Prentice, Will" <Will.Prentice@xxxxx>]

I grew up (in Scotland) as a piper, though haven't played seriously for many years. True, it's a pretty inflexible instrument: loud, one key, no pauses, no downbeats etc, but in the right circumstances glorious, and it often records well (you can turn it down, for a start). Anyone curious to hear subtlety and depth in bagpiping should check out any recordings of a solo playing style called Piobaireachd (AKA Pibroch, "big music"); a very old genre involving themes & variations, improvisation, and an approach to rhythm and tempo I've never encountered anywhere else. Slow, contemplative and quite different to all other styles of playing.

Re. George's point below, the pipes in Scotland have been closely linked to the military for over a century now; a high %age of players learn to play while in the army, and the ceremonial/formal role George describes probably stems from that. Pipes are certainly played at funerals in Scotland, but just as often at weddings too. The last time I played (very badly) was at my brother's wedding. The funereal link may have been enhanced internationally by the band in JFK's funeral procession, who if nothing else provided the moment of inspiration to the great Rufus Harley... 

Will Prentice

PS: and just to save anyone the trouble, I'll type out the response myself:

Will Prentice wrote:-
> The last time I played (very badly) ...
Q: how could they tell?



-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of George Brock-Nannestad
Sent: 03 December 2005 21:47
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] LP storage &c. (and bagpipes)

From: Patent Tactics, George Brock-Nannestad

We have had small groups of dedicated bagpipe players in Denmark for a long 
time, each starting with a practice chanter and playing in some kind of 
tartan, complete with sporran, dirk, etc. However, lately, bagpipe music has 
become associated with death, burial, possibly of heroes. This is due to dead 
soldiers who come from the faraway war theaters we participate in. When the 
corpses arrive, airlifted from the theatre, there are bagpipers ready in 
Denmark for them. It was never a Danish tradition, but possibly Scottish. I 
like bagpipes less, now. But then I actually dislike Ode to Joy (Freude, 
schöner Götterfunken) in Beethoven's ninth, ever since the European Union 
appropriated it for its "Union Anthem".

Kind regards,


George
----------------------------------------
> When my older sister got married, my father wanted to have bagpipes 
> playing after the ceremony. I asked a Scottish friend of mine if he 
> knew of any bagpipers that could play at my sister's wedding.
> 
> He replied, "Why?To frighten the guests?"
> 
> John Bondurant
> Sound Preservation & Access Assistant
> Berea College Appalachian Sound Archives
> 
> On Dec 3, 2005, at 2:56 PM, Don Tait wrote:
> 
> >   Regarding this diversion to bagpipes and bagpipers, I am reminded of
> > something I read many years ago: a child, seeing and hearing a 
> > bagpiper, supposedly
> > said to him later "maybe if you stopped squeezing it it would stop 
> > screaming."
> >
> >   That said, I confess that I enjoy hearing bagpipes once in a while.
> >
> >   Don Tait

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