The call of the pipes

For many people the pipes are the most revered of instruments -the noblest and most evocative sound within the folk genre and beyond. For others they are the most dreaded - tuneless monsters which simply grate on the ears.

But the traditional heritage of the pipes in many kinds of folk music inevitably gives them a special and prominent position in folk instrumentation.

The best-known pipes worldwide are of course the Scottish highland pipes - the great marching pipes much used for ceremony and historically an inspiration for the Scottish regiments in warfare. Highland piping has a long and rich tradition which is being authentically preserved alongside more experimental use of the instrument.

But there are many other types of bagpipe, and several of them are enjoying considerable revival in their respective national folk musics.

In particular the uilleann pipes of Ireland have had an upsurge in interest, and now their official society, the Dublin-based Na Piobairi Uilleann, has active members all over the world. With their bellows, over-blowing chanter and keyed regulators, the uilleann pipes are considered the most complex of the world's bagpipes.

Closely related are the bellows-driven Northumbrian smallpipes, also enjoying considerable popularity in the British folk scene and abroad, again encouraged by an active organisation, the Northumbrian Pipers' Society.

Other pipes of the British Isles, including the Scottish smallpipes and the several variations of pipes from the England/Scotland border areas, are also attracting a growing following, as well as the less common English instruments such as Leicestershire and Cornish pipes.

There are many piping traditions in mainland Europe, using the various historic national pipes of France, Brittany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and others. All these pipes are quite distinctive, both in their construction and the sound they produce, and all have traditional playing styles which are mostly still alive and well - indeed many of them are enjoying a healthy revival.

Thank goodness. The pipes in all their forms and traditions are an important and for many people (me included!) an inspiring and delightful feature of folk music.

Special interest websites:

The Bagpipe Society: http://www.hugin.demon.co.uk/bagpipe/ Northumbrian Pipers Society: http://www.nspipes.co.uk/ Na Piobairi Uilleann: http://homepages.iol.ie/~npupipes/npuhom...

Go To Page: 1