Smallpipes

Ulster has always had a tradition of great Pipers, both the Great Highland Pipes & the Uilleann Pipes.

If you are in any doubt about this, let me just tell you that Ulster's Pipe Bands actually brought back most of the silverware on offer at last years World Pipe Band Championships on Glasgow Green and some of the finest Uilleann Pipes ever made, were made in Belfast.

With this traditional interest in Piping in the area & Smallpipes becoming ever more popular, we would like to encorporate a Smallpipes element in our festival.

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Northumbrian Pipes

At the forerunner to this festival, the Cork D F, we were treated to the excellent pairing of Hammered Dulcimer & Northumbrian Pipes with performances by the duet Jenny Coxon & Adrian Schofield, so we are hoping to develop these links further at Bushmills.

Northumbrian Pipers Colin Ross, Barry Say & Julia Say, are the group JCB & for CDF05 they taught two classes, hosted the first 'Pipers Gathering' & performed at two concerts and sessions.

Colin Ross, Julia Say & Barry Say

They brought along six spare sets of Northumbrian Pipes, to give complete beginners the opportunity to try them out for themselves!

We hope to include a Northumbrian Pipe element to CDF06.

If you would like to learn more about Northumbrian Pipes in general, go to Northumbrian Pipers Society

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Uilleann Pipes

North Antrim already has a fine Scottish Smallpipes player in Alan Wade, of 'Scad the Beggars', who's father Sammy was an excellent Highland Piper, Uilleann Piper & Whistle player, and we also recently acquired Sam Flemming, a fine Nothumbrian Pipes player.

North Antrim has seen it's fair share of Uilleann Pipers too, over the years, including Sammy Wade, & not too far away are other fine Uilleann pipers taday like Wilbert Garvin, Maurice Bradley & Finbar McLaughlin, to name but three.

But what are Uilleann Pipes?

Antrim pipe maker Adrian Jefferies playing his own Uilleann Pipes.

"Uilleann pipes are a bellows blown Irish bagpipe. The bag of the instrument is inflated, not by a mouth blown pipe but by a set of bellows strapped around the body and attached to one arm, hence the term "uilleann" (pronounced : ill-un) which is a Gaelic word meaning "elbow". The pipes in their present form have been played since around the 1780s and are a development of various older forms of Irish bagpipe.

Uilleann pipes have several unique features which set the instrument apart from other types of bagpipe. Firstly because the pipes are not mouth blown, finely made long lasting dry reeds can be used. These reeds are capable of playing a full second octave, which together with spring loaded keys fitted to the chanter, give uilleann pipes the greatest range of notes of any form of bagpipe. Uilleann pipes are played in a seated position with the bottom of the chanter resting on the player's leg. This enables the piper to play notes in a staccato or legato style.

There are three drones, each pitched an octave apart, and these can be switched off or on depending on the piece of music to be accompanied. Some pipe music lends itself well to a harmonious drone accompanied, while other pieces can be rendered more expressively and crisply with the playing of the chanter alone.

Another unique feature of the instrument is the addition of three additional pipes overlaying the drones. These are called "regulators" and are fitted with spring loaded keys which only sound when pressed by the wrist while playing the chanter. The regulators harmonise with the drones and chanter and can be used as chordal and even rhythmic accompaniment.
Uilleann pipes are no louder than a fiddle (violin) and are capable of being played with many other instruments such as guitar, mandolin, flute etc. without dominating a session."

Thanks to Adrian Jefferies for the above notes.

Find out more from this expert player & maker by visiting his website at: Irish Pipes

I'm delighted to say that we will have at least two excellent Uilleann Pipers at this year's C D F , namely Trevor Stewart & John Hughes.

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Scottish Smallpipes

This year Scottish Smallpipes were played with Hammered Dulcimer, Harp, Fife & Guitar from the local group 'Scad the Beggars'.

Ulster's Champion Piper, Robert Watt, was one of the first to bring them over here, and now local Piper, Alan Wade plays a set & Ian Miller of Larne also plays a set.

Both Robert & Alan purchased their pipes from Angus maker, Ian Kinnear ~ Scottish Smallpipes

For more information on future Scottish Smallpipes involvement with the C D F visit Scottish Smallpipes

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So if you are a piper of Smallpipes yourself, & are thinking of coming to Causeway D F 2006, please drop us an E-Mail with your details, & I'll be happy to give you, & your website if you wish, a plug.

For more information on the Northumbrian Pipers who will be attending the festival,

visit: Northumbrian Pipes

Adrian Schofield on Northumbrian Pipes @ the 1st Cork Dulcimer Fest

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