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"The
Piob-mhor, or great Highland bagpipe, is different from the common sharp pipes
of the Low country, and both are very unlike the Irish or flat pipes."
- James Logan, The Scottish Gael, 1847, p. 433.
"One
George MacKay was the reformer of the Scots' Lowland pipes, but I cannot
precisely tell the nature of his improvements; he, however, studied seven years
at the college in Sky"
- James Logan, The Scottish Gael, 1847, p. 434.
The development of the bellows-blown bagpipes of
Scotland and Ireland, especially the "pastoral bagpipe", a 17th
century invention whose voice didn't quite make it to our times, is an
intriguing exploration cloaked in the mist of oral tradition and only limited
historical reference. The musical relationship between Irish uillean pipe
and pastoral pipe fingerings, and variations found in Piobaireachd and Lowland
and Border tunes remains open for study, and the obvious evolution and
hybridization of styles begs for more research. Meanwhile, here are some
provocative snippets of Lowland and pastoral bagpipes:
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Lowland and Pastoral Bagpipes
(L-R: Unknown Lowland 19th century, unknown Lowland 18th
century, John Addison 1989 pastoral, McCandless 2000 pastoral) |

Union Bagpipe by Hugh
Robertson (late 18th century) in the Piping
Centre Collection
Glasgow, Scotland |
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The Trio
Erskine Nicol (1862) |

Frontispiece to O'Farrell's Collection of National Irish Music for
the Union Pipes (1804) |
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Pastoral Bagpipes
(L-R: McCandless 1995 copy of Squier 1770 three-drone and
unknown three-drone with one regulator) |

A rare single-piece pastoral
bagpipe chanter found in eastern Canada

William Beauford's 1786 engraving of an Irish bagpipe |

Lowland Bagpipes
(19th century
by MacDonald and 20th century by John Addison) |

Arrogantly playing a bellows-blown Bechonnet pipe by MacHarg
in the Altarnun Church, Cornwall on a pew carved with an image of a "pyper" |
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Before and after restoration of 18th century one-regulator pastoral bagpipe |
A few fingering charts
and repertoires are extant for pastoral and union bagpipes
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Photograph of hautbois (top)
and different long bagpipe chanters:
grand Bourbonnais in D
2 pastoral chanters in D
2 pastoral chanters in E-flat
Uillean chanter in E-flat
pastoral chanter in E-flat |
Even rarer are audio recordings, and to hear some of these pipes, you
should contact Brian directly or consult with experts like Hamish Moore
and Colin Ross. |
Publications
Links:
Lowland and Border Pipers' Society:
www.lbps.net
Na Piobaire Uillean:
www.pipers.ie
Aron Garceau's Bagpipe Site:
www.prydein.com/pipes/index.html
Jerry O'Sullivan:
www.jerryosullivan.com
Bonnie Rideout:
www.bonnierideout.com
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