uP hErE

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I just dropped my daughter off at school.

There'e a 'mini' truck in front of me with a bumper sticker in the rear window.

It reads :<BR>

"and on the 8th day God created Bag Pipes"


so now we begin........

Bagpipes - a 'very' brief history

The pipes (as they are referred to) are the oldest instruments in existence, with one of the earliest sets being found in Panapolis in Egypt thus dating back to 1500 B.C. The actual country of origin of the pipes is unknown, however the pipes popularity was very widespread all over the world, due most in part to the Roman empire and its many conquests (pipes apparently were one of the emperor Nero's favourite instruments).

After the collapse of the Roman empire the pipes remained a popular instrument in Europe for over a thousand years, and it would be true to say that all of the Celtic countries have some history of the pipes as a musical instrument. Over this period of time, the form and shape of the pipes changed, resulting in those which are to be found today, the foremost being the Highland war pipes.

During the Medival era loud Highland pipers became unpopular, however, During this time of unpopularity, in the Highlands of Scotland the pipes remained popular and for them it became their national instrument. The enthusiasm for the pipes by the Scots was and is such that even today whenever the pipes are mentioned one automatically thinks of Scotland. For those of Scottish ancestry, and those who practise the art of the pipes, mentioning bagpipes and Scotland in the same breath brings to mind another name - that being the MacCrimmons of Skye, the hereditary pipers to the clan MacLeod.

The big music of the pipes, known as piobaireachd, was developed to an amazing standard by this family, and some of their masterpieces seem immortal. One of the finest is called Cumha na Cloinne or the Lament for the children, composed by Padraig Mor MacCrimmon who lived in the 17th century. Padraig Mor had eight fine sons but one day a foreign ship dropped anchor in Dunvegan with a deadly fever aboard her. This fever spread far and wide over the land of the MacLeods and Padraig Mor lost all of his sons but one in the epidemic. Under the stress of emotion he composed that timeless piobaireachd for his beloved family suddenly lost.

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This is from Tuesday June 12th (I have other things to do like read the 210+ items in my mail)