Bag pipes.

Tashyboy

Tashyboy

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Missis T has a pal at the gym who she knows through nursing. Anyway she plays in the Notts police band. They happened to have a emergency services Christmas service at Southwell Minster tonight. So me, missis T and young grandkids went along. I had a look through the service order and noticed that the Notts police pipe band were playing. I heard them practising in a hall next door to the Minster and Lordy flippin Lordy. Anyway they came out and the sound was just mental. The minsters acoustics were astonishing. They banged out a few tunes like Cullen Bay, Highland laddie, Barren rocks of Aden, The Skye boat song, Itchy fingers, Paddy be easy and shoals of herring. It was brilliant. Being sat 5 yds away helped. Last off played with the police brass band and the standard went up a notch. Watching four year old Layla practising playing the pipes was priceless. Young Bradley singing hymns. Brilliant night topped off with the pipes.
 
The pipes are what I can only describe as a binary instrument. Either they are played well or they are not. In most cases not. The line between hood and bad is clear. Its not an instrumwnt you can be "alright" at.
Played well they are a delight, almost a marvel. Anything less than well... jesus on a bike they are awful.
 
GreiginFife said:
The pipes are what I can only describe as a binary instrument. Either they are played well or they are not. In most cases not. The line between hood and bad is clear. Its not an instrumwnt you can be "alright" at.
Played well they are a delight, almost a marvel. Anything less than well... jesus on a bike they are awful.
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esp when they are not played well down the islands at 4am in the morning the sound carrys a long way..
 
TBH, I dont know what is worse....the bag pipes or a child just learning how to play a violin for the first time ever...... both are horrendous.
 
Oddly enough Greg, I had a phone call from a pal today. He is ex Sherwood foresters and plays the pipes. He plays for Pleasley Seaforths. He joined Leicester Seaforths a good few years back and apparantly they are very good. He is on about joining our RBL branch. Anyway, another guy has said he will play for us at next years rememberance day. Again he is supposed to be a good player but the Seaforths guy has said he plays music comfortably in his range and don't play out of that comfort zone. Yet thinks he is good enough to. Really enjoyed tonight.
 
In the right place and played by skilled pipers all in tune they can be magnificent, if not in tune or played by novices they can be terrible.

Did several years chanter tuition as a kid moving on to pipes as a teen but never stuck it into adulthood. Too old now (not enough puff).

Glad you enjoyed it.(y)
 
I love the pipes and there has been lot of piping in my family. My niece plays the tenor drum in Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pope Band (16 times world champs); nephew an excellent piper, and a cousin and uncle were great pipers also.

The masses pipe bands at the Queen Mother’s funeral were stunning. One of my favourite clips is just one persons vid taken from the pavement outside Westminster Abbey - with police and other bystanders getting in the way. But that does not matter. The massed band is coming round the corner in the distance doing a slow march towards the camera (pipe tunes they are playing - Mist Covered Mountains and My Home - are the QMs favourites played slower than normal) and the sound builds as the masses bands come closer - and with the bell of Westminster tolling this just puts shivers down my spine every time I watch...

 
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Agree with both the pipes and violin comment i.e. the pipes generally sound like something really unpleasant being strangled and the kids learning the violin usually sound like they are sawing them in half, brutal!!
 
Love the pipes. In NZ the local pipe band would practice outside of an evening right next to the supermarket and always had an audience watching them
 
GreiginFife said:
The pipes are what I can only describe as a binary instrument. Either they are played well or they are not. In most cases not. The line between hood and bad is clear. Its not an instrumwnt you can be "alright" at.
Played well they are a delight, almost a marvel. Anything less than well... jesus on a bike they are awful.
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The piper who played at my nephew's funeral last week was excellent. Looked and sounded amazing, dressed in full Royal Guards regalia, Bearskin Hat , both were soldiers in the Royal Scots Guards, around 100 of his mates from his regiment attended.
 
The Irish, " Uilleann" pipes are, I think, a much better solo instrument. They are bellows driven & they have "regulators" which enable the player to change the key of the chanters with the side of his hand. Some of the effects a skilled player can get are really expressive. One of the all Ireland champions I've heard live is Finbar Furey, a relative of Tyson. Spells his name a different way, “His side of the family could never spell,” he says.
 
The only good thing to come out of Scotland - bagpipe music. The Andre Rieu concert where they bring in the bagpipe procession is truly amazing.
 
murphthemog said:
Nasty things, making a horrible noise. There should be a regulation banning the things.

Got woken up one Christmas morning at a hotel in Croyden by a piper out in the grounds. He then wandered through the hotel corridors. Heck of a racket.
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Yes I wonder what the reaction would be if a young man playing Rap music woke the whole hotel up .
Yet give him a set of bagpipes and it’s OK?
 
The massed pipe bands from around the world as the cross the portcullis at Edinburgh Castle Tattoo is one of the greatest sights in the world.
A lone piper playing a lament at a funeral is very touching.
A ceilidh band with a piper makes a great dance even better.
Can't stand them with a brass band...that is just sooo wrong.
 
Doon frae Troon said:
The massed pipe bands from around the world as the cross the portcullis at Edinburgh Castle Tattoo is one of the greatest sights in the world.
A lone piper playing a lament at a funeral is very touching.
A ceilidh band with a piper makes a great dance even better.
Can't stand them with a brass band...that is just sooo wrong.
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I have been to the Tattoo in the castle while staying with relatives in Dalkeith.
I have to say it was spectacular to see .
 
Maninblack4612 said:
The Irish, " Uilleann" pipes are, I think, a much better solo instrument. They are bellows driven & they have "regulators" which enable the player to change the key of the chanters with the side of his hand. Some of the effects a skilled player can get are really expressive. One of the all Ireland champions I've heard live is Finbar Furey, a relative of Tyson. Spells his name a different way, “His side of the family could never spell,” he says.
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Agree with your thoughts on Uilleann pipes - however the Highland bagpipe can be played quietly when playing a pibroch - the classical music of the bagpipe. Unfortunately it is pretty impenetrable to the untutored ear - pibrochs are generally mournful and repetitive - building on an initial theme. The listener understands the meaning of the theme and reflects...and they can go on for ever so you have plenty of time to reflect...

I suppose the classic tune that is closest to a pibroch and that is something most can understand is Flowers of the Forest...an ancient Scots lament on the slaughter of King James IV; much of the Scottish nobility, and all those common folks who fell for Scotland at Flodden Field in 1513.

It is haunting - and more recent words have been put to the tune - one verse being

Dool and wae for the order sent oor lads tae the Border!
The English for ance, by guile wan the day,
The Flooers o' the Forest, that fought aye the foremost,
The pride o' oor land lie cauld in the clay.

We listen and reflect on those who have given their lives for our country. I'm an emotional old sod at times - and it brings tears to ma ee.

 
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