June 13-15, 2008
E. H. Young Riverfront Park
Riverside, Missouri

The Great Highland Bagpipe

As one of civilization's oldest instruments, the bagpipe was played by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Bagpipes were also important in the bygone cultures of Italy, Portugal, and the Basques of France and Spain. Traditionally, the bagpipe's martial music found a permanent home in Scotland.

Scottish pipers have always been highly esteemed in the clan hierarchy, second only to the clan chief. During Scotland's 1745 Rebellion, bagpipes came into their own as an instrument of war. During battle, a piper could take cover and pipe commands, striking terror in the hearts of the enemy while leading a clan's troops into battle. The non-directional nature of the sound made it difficult for the enemy to determine his whereabouts.

Today, the Great Highland Bagpipe's popularity throughout the world is still most identified with Scotland.

Playing the Pipes

A skilled piper is able to make his or her instrument convey nearly every human emotion, from mourning to jubilation. The modern bagpipe consists of a leather (or synthetic) bag fitted with five pipes. To play it, the piper first blows into the blowpipe to keep the bag filled with air. The bag is then squeezed between the piper's arm and side to force air out through the chanter and drones. The chanter, with a double reed, produces the melody, and a bass drone and two tenor drones maintain a constant pitch tuned in octaves to the chanter.

The Great Highland Bagpipe is one of the few in the world with three single-reed drones. The two tenors provide 'fullness', and when combined with the bass, produce constant but different notes, which act as background to the melody. Because the tones on the chanter also are continuous, grace notes and other embellishments are used to accent and separate notes. These sometimes complex movements are known as the "torullath", "tacum", "doubling", "grip", "birl" and "throw".