|
The
bagpipe is of uncertain origin. More than 200 different sorts are found
across Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor - indeed, in nearly every
land where people skin sheep and goats. In Asia there are early records
of a bag being used to support a simple drone without a chanter and
in 9th century Germany there was a bag instrument being played with
a chanter and no drone. Whatever its origin, from the mid-13th to mid
14th century there appeared right across 
Europe a great variety of bagpipes with both chanter and drone, many
persisting into modern times. On the border of England and Scotland
alone there are half-a-dozen different sorts of bagpipes. Those with
cylindrical bore chanters include the 'Old' small pipes, the Northumbrian
small pipes (with the end of the chanter stopped and a whole different
fingering style), the Scottish small pipes (not dissimilar in fingering
and tuning to the Highland pipes), and the 'shuttle pipes' (related
to the French 'Musette de Cour'). Those with tapered bored chanters
included the 'pastoral pipes' and 'union pipes' (similar to the Uilleann
or Irish pipes) and the 'Lowland Pipes'- with drones coming out of a
common stock. John's border pipes are slightly different to all the
above. They have a tapered bore, but only a single drone ('half-long')
and are mouth blown ('warm wind'). It has a 9 note chanter essentially
in G with the capacity for some overblowing into a higher octave, some
cross-fingering to get other notes, and with an F natural below the
low G. It has two thumb holes underneath which are integral to the fingering
pattern. Most of the instrument was made by Ian MacKenzie of Blackheath,
N.S.W. ph. (02) 4787 6220 and John recommends Ian's pipes highly.
|
