Bagpipe

The extensive essay relates to the deepening - compared to previous works - of the iconographi evidence of the bagpipe in the territory of the province of Como and, to an extent, of that of Sondrio, in Lombardy. An area in which images containing representations of bagpipes and / or bagpipers are quite smalli in number but for this reason even more important and significant from an iconographic point of view and in relation to the history of the territory. Te images suerveyed and studied refer both to the religion sphere (in particular to the theme of the Nativity and the Adoration of the sherperds) and profane.
Most of them are painted but there are also sculpted ones and, as the author points out, they provide a non-univocal representation of the instrumentwith the bag giving the impressionthat extravagance or fantasies aside, the artists have seen or had knowledge of bagpipes that are different  from each other. The article also highlights that a tradition of using the instrument has not been preserved in the area under study and that according to oral sources already in the first half of the 19th century the bagpipers came from the valleys of the Bergamo area. Significant, also in terms of its circulation through the popular as well as aristocratic channel, is the representation of a Neapolitan sordellina.

Draft of a colloquium presentation given in 2014 at the University of Arizona as part of their ancient ethnomusicology series. Herein, the mechanics of the bagpipe as well as the basic structure of Ceol Mor (Piobaireachd) are briefly outlined for the uninformed. Traditional theories as to the origins of Piobaireachd are discussed, and then an additional likely source of inspiration for the genre is proposed: early liturgical change in the British Isles. More research and musical analysis is needed to fully outline this theory. Some problems arise when we consider that there are few extant sources of medieval chant from the Isles due to numerous church reformations and consequent destruction of archives. However, if we can examine closely related repertoires from the Continent, extant Scottish sources, as well as more recent chant sources in the Isles, the similarities between the melodic structure of the earliest Piobaireachd and medieval chant repertoires become evident as at least one additional source of inspiration for early Ceol Mor's distinctive intervalic contours.

Please note that this is a draft, not a published paper in any fashion (hence, it's labeling as such). I am not an expert on Piobaireach, rather a scholar in medieval studies with more extensive experience in chant history. My interest and knowledge of Piobaireachd comes from my experience as a bagpiper, and these observations come from my knowledge of chant in conjunction with my familiarity of early Piobaireachd repertoire. If you are interested in more thorough discussion of Piobaireachd apart from Gregorian/Gallican/Scottish chant, please refer to the bibliography.

You can view the presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWjFYPwcxWY&t

This is my PhD dissertation. The third chapter might be interesting since it shows that the natural scale was the primary scale used in European antiquity (the so-called Folk Music Scale). It combined with the early diatonic scale (stacking thirds on the diatonic scale that those instruments couldn’t play) to create our modern scale. The Highland bagpipe is an ossified hybrid between the two.

The fourth chapter might be of interest to composers because it explains the rhythm of languages (especially English) and also the pitch-patterning of the spoken word which is used as the basis of melody.

The link brings you to the University of Otago library which is open and non-private. So you have to force your web browser to continue to the site.

ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this study was to investigate through archival and musicological analysis the audio recordings of Fenian lays made in the middle of the last century. These recordings were made from informants who learned the material orally; they contain cultural elements that assist in comprehending the musical mechanics of Fenian lays at a time when their performance practices were being extirpated by foreign musical influences. These elements include Indo-European (IE) thematic material, poetics, language register, pitch structuring, rhythm, and vocal techniques. Audio recordings of Fenian lays from Ireland, Scotland, and Nova Scotia, Canada were analysed in terms of their linguistic-musical material. Results show that the rhythm of the lays did not display a repetitive musical metre but the more complex structure of speech. However, rhythmic patterns did alter with volume. Also, resonance tuning was apparent. Many characteristics associated with volume in lay recordings exist in declaimed speech as well; both may be seen to act as a bridge between speech and metered song. Lay poetry appeared to be syllabic, which is unusual for a stress-timed language; this reflects an Indo-European genesis that is supported by the presence of oral formulaic language. Both stress and accent shifted pitch by poetic line to match spoken characteristics. A high language register was present, which does not indicate composition by the intelligentsia for use at court, but rather a fear-induced protective linguistic device apparent in all social classes. Moreover, the addition of delineated pitch to spoken declamation may be seen as an attempt to further increase the communicative register. The pitch structure was seen to be anachronistic, matching the linear scales played by pastoral instruments, particularly that of wooden shepherd trumpets used since at least the beginning in the Early Neolithic Age.

| pages 695 à 706 Pour citer cet article : — Prévôt N., La Macédoine en fanfare, Ethnologie française 2001/2, Tome XXXVII, p. 695-706. Distribution électronique Cairn pour les Presses Universitaires de France. © Presses Universitaires de France. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays. La reproduction ou représentation de cet article, notamment par photocopie, n'est autorisée que dans les limites des conditions générales d'utilisation du site ou, le cas échéant, des conditions générales de la licence souscrite par votre établissement. Toute autre reproduction ou représentation, en tout ou partie, sous quelque forme et de quelque manière que ce soit, est interdite sauf accord préalable et écrit de l'éditeur, en dehors des cas prévus par la législation en vigueur en France. Il est précisé que son stockage dans une base de données est également interdit.

Winner of the Alt Pibroch Club and Altpiborch.com “Modern Pibroch Library” Competition, 2018.

Program Notes and Piece Mechanics:

Shrouded in myth and mystery, a tradition that has been passed from master to pupil for unknown centuries, piobaireachd (Scots Gaelic for “piping” and anglicized as “pibroch”) is the “classical music” of the Great Highland Bagpipe, originating sometime during the Middle Ages. Piobaireachd is the oldest and perhaps most austere of all the Scottish bagpiping genres, focusing on simple tone progressions with slight elaborations over a series of variations. Crucial to this style is tone and timbre, and thus highly refined and particular tunings were constructed around these pieces, generally emphasizing tuning by Pythagorean ratios, particularly focusing on the 7th and 11th partials.

This piece returns the modern Scottish bagpipe to these medieval traditions, however in unconventional ways through building a scale of 15 micro-tonal notes based on octave transpositions of the prime partials of an implied fundamental. Along with the 7th and 11th partials, the scale of this piece incorporates all the prime partials from 2 to 31. This resulting piece is both Medieval in aesthetic and form, but modern in its expansion of Pythagorean tuning and extended techniques on the bagpipe, including unconventional droning, alternative fingerings, and multi-phonics.

The scale is based on octave transpositions of all the prime partials (up to 31) of the fundamental note, which is (approximately) 60 Hz. This fundamental was chosen for convenience, since most Great Highland Bagpipes are tuned to about 480Hz on the lowest “A” of the chanter. The three drones form the second, third, and fifth partials above the non-sounding, implied fundamental of 60Hz. The primary chanter notes (melodic notes), given on the first page of the score instructions, form the other octave-transposed prime partials up to the 31st – 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31 – barring the low-A, which is simply a multiple of the 60Hz fundamental (Note: the tuning of these partials is as close as possible, +/- 5 Hz or so, pretty much indistinguishable to most human ears). The additional microtonal inflections or embellishments are totally for color and are not based on any mathematical proportion. They are simply created through alternative fingerings. The primary melodic content, however, is solely based on these prime partials.

APC and Altpibroch.com:

The Alt Pibroch Club and altpibroch.com are sites dedicated to the pursuit of bringing new approaches to bagpipe performance informed by ancient scores. While we support reconstructions of old playing, they are also interested in bringing new musicality to piobaireachd long since forgotten, much to the detriment of audiences and performers alike. AltPibroch.com is the definitive resource for information on pre-1841 pibroch manuscripts, their interpretation and history. These are the original, unexpurgated primary sources of our art, and the different musical perspective, interpretation and insight they bring is a revelation to those accustomed to the modern pibroch scene. They encourage performers to explore the full musical depth and creativity of the folk music of piobaireachd, from as many sources of instrumentation and inspiration as they can find.

Jordan Alexander Key:

Jordan Alexander Key (b. 1990) currently pursues his PhD in composition and musicology at the University of Florida. He earned bachelor’s degrees in music composition, mathematics, and Eastern Asian philosophy from The College of Wooster (2013), as well as a master’s degree in music composition from the University of Arizona (2015). His significant recent projects include his European premier with Vienna’s PHACE Ensemble performing his Octet, “Threnody on the Death of Children;” a performance by Boston String Quartet of his String Quartet No. 1; a concert with Bold City Contemporary Ensemble performing his Quintet, “Discursus Anachronismus;” a collaboration with the Vancouver Queer Arts Festival for his Art Song, "God Ourselves;” and the display of his recent audio-visual projects as part of the Wolfsburg Kunstmuseum’s new exhibit, “Never Ending Stories: The Loop in Art, Film, Architecture, and Music,” in Germany during the Winter and Spring of 2018. Jordan gives regular concerts on his two instruments: the pipe organ and bagpipes. His performance repertoire focuses primary on music from the Middle Ages, Early Renaissance, and Early Baroque. He has been a bagpiper for 15 years as of 2018. For more information on Jordan Alexander Key and for recent recordings of his works, see his website, www.jordanalexanderkey.com, or search for his work on YouTube (channel, “Jordan Alexander Key”)

A Highland piping culture has been present within New Zealand for over 150 years, initially brought by Scottish migrants as early as the 1840s. Once established, disconnection from Scotland and the influence of local social developments (among other factors) began to effect the trajectory of the Highland piping tradition. During the twentieth century, Highland piping flourished within New Zealand to the extent that it arguably had more pipe bands per capita than any other country in the world.

Since the mid-twentieth century, a number of New Zealand pipers have undertaken pilgrimages to Scotland. Some have performed in the most prestigious events, and have met with success. Others have learnt in person from the most revered authorities on authentic performance. In addition, recent advances in telecommunications technology and media distribution now afford New Zealanders the capacity to challenge our isolation from Scotland like never before, where we can readily tune in to the most authentic tutors and performers in the world with the push of a button.

This paper examines the impact of such transcultural (re)connection. Informed by interviews with cultural authorities, literature, participant observation, and insider experience, discussion focuses on two major themes: local cultural heritage and contemporary performance standards. Dominating the Highland piping community in New Zealand since it was founded, musical competition has been (and still is) seen as vital for preserving authentic tradition, which drives a politics revolving around the maintenance of culture within, and flow of culture to, New Zealand. This paper explores how the Highland piping tradition is maintained in New Zealand, questions Scotland as the authentic home of Highland piping, and finally examines the notion of authenticity itself.

My guest blog for Keltfacts, the blog series of Keltfest, a major Celtic festival in the Netherlands. In my article, I tell more about the Scottish bagpipes, how the instrument works, Scottish bagpipe music, and pipe band life. I also provide a history of the bagpipes, and I shed light on the commonly asked question: "Why do we associate the bagpipes with the Celts?" The aim of the blog post is to give a general introduction to the Great Highland Bagpipes for a broad audience interested in Celtic culture.
- Dutch version: https://keltfest.nl/nl/blog/keltfacts-doedelzak
- English version: https://keltfest.nl/en/blog/keltfacts-doedelzak

New Zealand has an amateur yet competitive pipe band performance culture with over 100 years of piping history based on more than 200 years of international history. New Zealand’s pipe band culture associates itself closely with the traditional competitive movements centred in Scotland and fortified by other competitive cultures in North America, Britain, and Australia. These have probably occurred from the translocation of Scottish cultural practices, resulting from Scottish migration to the colonies of the British Empire since the 17th century. Given that pipe bands and their cultural products are originally a result of Scottish influence, how do New Zealand pipe bands represent New Zealand culture? The following questions will be discussed. What is it that New Zealand pipe bands represent, and to what extent has localisation provided identities and distinctions between New Zealand and international pipe bands?

In Gaelic, the term piobaireachd (anglicised as pibroch) literally means piping, or what pipers do. However in recent times the term has come to represent the classical music of the Scottish Highland bagpipes, traditionally known as Ceòl Mór. Today pibroch still holds its literal meaning, but is widely used in bagpipe culture to refer to Ceòl Mór. Pibroch has a hazy history, but is thought to have been a musical style for the Scottish Highland bagpipes for over 500 years. Pibroch was a musical repertoire historically written for and performed within contexts of celebration, mourning, victory, or warfare (amongst others). As a result individual pieces have associated stories that allow people to interpret emotion during a performance, and some of these stories come to be seen by some as highly emotional and ‘moving’. Today, significant changes have affected pibroch: where the highland clan system no longer exists; where there are now international enclaves of pibroch performance; and where romanticisation, editorialising and ‘empire’ have led to diverse interpretations of bagpiping and pibroch. As a result, the performance contexts of pibroch in contemporary society have also changed. Today pibroch is a music mostly maintained in competitive performance cultures, especially strong in Scotland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, the United States of America, Australia, and New Zealand. This presentation will focus on the interpretation of emotion in association with pibroch perperformance, and the role that this process plays in maintaining pibroch cultures, particularly within Australia and New Zealand.

Piobaireachd (Anglicised as ‘pibroch’) literally means ‘piping’, or ‘what pipers do’, but is widely used in bagpipe culture to refer to the classical music of the Scottish Highland bagpipes, traditionally known as Ceòl Mór. Since the establishment of Scottish Highland bagpiping in New Zealand in the mid nineteenth century, a strong infrastructure for the local development of Scottish Highland bagpipers has emerged and has led to a flourishing New Zealand pibroch culture. Today a number of New Zealand pipers venture forth to test themselves at music competitions globally and to further their musical knowledge, with a particular focus on doing so in Scotland. Eventually some return to New Zealand and become promoted as authorities on pibroch, for a variety of reasons. Of particular interest is the manner in which authority is awarded to certain individuals. A number of different models exist for gaining authority which ultimately depend on how an individual is perceived in relation to pibroch pedagogy, performance and knowledge, and also on the different authoritative roles they may fulfil. This presentation seeks to explain these models, the role of pibroch contexts for the interpretation of authority, as well as the impact that such authorities have on New Zealand pibroch in terms of cultural maintenance, identity, and development.