Scots-Irish Music Smallpipes

Scots-Irish Music

Smallpipes

Scottish Smallpipes

Northumbrian Smallpipes

Ulster has a wonderful history of Pipe Band success in recent years, with the Great Highland BagPipe of course. The Uilleann Pipes have also been strong in Ulster too, with many great local makers here down through the years.

Now the Scottish Smallpipes are starting to become popular here once again. I say once again because it is widely thought that since most of the folk who were moved from Scotland to Ulster during the plantations were actually from the lowlands & because the Pipes of the Borders were the Scottish Smallpipes & the Border or Half Long Pipe, that these smaller versions were in fact quite common in Ulster, at one time.

Another point you might like to ponder is the widely held belief that the Uilleann Pipes actually came from, or at the very least were probably inspired by, the Scottish Pastoral Pipes!

Champion Piper, Robert Watt, was one of the first to bring them over here in recent years, and a number of Pipers play them today including North Antrim Piper, Alan Wade.

Both men mentioned above purchased their pipes from a Scottish maker who lives in Angus, Ian Kinnear.

To hear three great Sound Clips of Scottish Smallpipes in action, check out this link to Ian playing his own pipes:

Once there, click on the 'Sound Bites' box - enjoy!

You may also like to keep an eye on my festival's Scottish Smallpipes page at:
& it's Northumbrian Smallpipes page at:

Some details on these Pipes here from the 'Lowland & Border Pipers Society':

"We are a Scottish-based society enjoying strong international support, dedicated to researching and developing the Scottish bellows pipe, which includes small pipes (parallel bored chanters in various keys) and Lowland or Border pipes (conical bored chanters)

The Society was formed in 1982 by a group of enthusiasts who were interested in reviving the bagpipes of the Scottish lowlands and border region. These pipes are bellows-blown with their drones issuing from a common stock and have been played in Scotland since at least the 17th Century.

There are two distinct instruments within the tradition: the larger Border or Half Long pipe, which is characterised by a conical (or tapered) bore chanter, and which produces a sound not unlike a Highland bagpipe on a quieter scale. These were the instruments of the Toun Pipers, employed in many lowland towns to play on civic occasions.

The other pipe is the Scottish Smallpipe, characterised by a straight (cylindrical) bore chanter. It is quieter and more suited for indoor use - ideal for playing along with other instruments.

The tradition of playing both the instrument(s) and the music became extinct in the last century in Scotland - there were no hereditary pipers left, no-one to pass on the music through the oral/aural tradition and so the new generation had to look to the Northumbrians for help in making reeds and instruments in the early days. The playing style, however, is much closer to the Highland tradition, using the same fingering technique and open-ended chanter as Highland pipes. (It may be noted though, that some players do employ the closed fingering technique, producing a quite distinctive sound and style)."

Why oh why are more people here in Ulster not playing more of the many different forms of wonderful smallpipes, when it would appear that they were fairly common at one time?

For the curious amongst you, here are some short sound clips of many of the different forms of wonderful smallpipes to be found around these islands, & what delightful sounds they make too. Perhaps they will inspire you to find out more. In which case you should visit the great Border Pipes website, the 'Pipers Gathering' from which I borrowed these sound clips, it is well worth a visit:

SCOTTISH SMALLPIPES:

BORDER PIPES:

SHUTTLE PIPES:

ENGLISH GREAT PIPES:

LEICESTERSHIRE SMALLPIPES:

CORNISH SMALLPIPES:

UILLEANN PIPES:

NORTHUMBRIAN SMALLPIPES:

FRENCH PIPES:

& ‘TODAYS TEASER’!
Can anyone guess what these MYSTERY PIPES are?:

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