Bagpipes, funeral, "quiet pipes?"
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,510
    For an upcoming funeral we have an excellent piper who has offered to play "quiet pipes" when indoors. Normally we discourage indoor piping--should I make an exception for "quiet pipes?"

    Our acoustics are not terrifically live, btw.
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,022
    Please don't be too afraid of the bagpipes. My son and I have used them inside a smallish church that seats only 150 - bagpipes and organ, even leading congregational singing. It's not as bad as you might think. It's a brash tone, but not actually as loud as many organ "trumpet" stops! A pipe can use a different set-up of drone and chanter reeds, and even a different chanter altogether. The bagpipe is actually made up of a number of pieces that can be interchanged by an experienced piper. There also "small pipes" and "Irish pipes", both of which are somewhat quieter. And, if you would like to accompany whatever pipes he/she uses, let me know. I have a lot of accompaniments of both Scottish pieces and hymns. Joshua and I have been performing bagpipes and organ together for over 15 years. His mother and I had bagpipes and organ indoors at our wedding almost 30 years ago. It's a great sound, especially with some wonderful contrasting harmonies in the accompaniment!
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,982
    Hopefully, you won't raise the dearly departed from his eternal slumber. The difference between a bagpipe and an onion, is that no one cries when you slice a bagpipe. ;-) I haven't heard "quiet pipes," so that would be interesting to hear. The ones I hear locally tend to be played at full volume.
  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 762
    Suggest full volume pipes, outside. That's what they were designed for - even the smaller ones. QUIET PIPES? THE VERY IDEA IS AN ABOMINATION FIT FOR NOTHING LESS THAN EVERLASTING HELL-FIRE ... !#($

    [contributor is carried away, ranting and spluttering - sorry about that]
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Is there any way you could hear a demonstration of the effect first? I've never heard any bagpipes that sounded better than three cats fighting in a sack would sound.

    Come to think of it, how extensive is the repertoire of religious music for bagpipes? Is it all cliched low-church material (Amazing Grace) and folk tunes (Derry Air, Slane)? Can he play any Vaughan Williams?
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,417
    Ahhh!
    Bagpipes!
    Who would want them quiet????
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,510
    Thank you for your comments, which primarily demonstrate the range of feelings inspired by the very word "bagpipes." ;)

    I love them--outdoors. And I think I will let him play New Britain inside, just to shake the ceiling lights a bit.
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,022
    There are a number of arrangements for bagpipe/organ/brass of "New Britain". The more complex the chords the better. As to tuning - you all really need to here a professional piper. They all know how to set up their pipes, almost like an organ voicer, and keep solid tuning.

    Many hymntunes do work on the pipes. Joshua has lead May Procession with "Lourdes Hymn" outdoors before. You haven't lived until you hear a recessional of "Pomp & Circumstance #1" with pipe band, drums, and full organ!

    There's also the traditional bagpipe music - the "Piobaireachd" (pe-brock). I think it is a lot like chant, and could even benefit from a meandering, modal accompaniment.
  • G
    Posts: 1,400
    Uilleann pipes, (as opposed to "war pipes",) a gentler sounding instrument, the bag of which is inflated by a bellows kept under the other arm, are not at all oppressive played indoors, even in relatively small, low-ceilinged rooms, (assuming one doesn't hate pipes on principle,) like a pub.
    Or someplace else I might have had several pints.
    Just to be sociable.
    They are a suitable accompaniment for even non-inebriated singing, very different in effect from their big, bad brothers.

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    The pipes, the pipes are calling . . .

    alas! that they are not very housebroken, as instruments go.

    Still, they have an undeniable beauty to them. I find them stirring; maybe it's my Scots blood. And the 'indoor' Uilleann pipes can even be plaintive rather than martial in nature. I say go for it! If nothing else it will be an experience to remember.
  • Phipps
    Posts: 15
    There are also small pipes, border or northumbrian, etc. I have cd of an Asturian bagpipe Mass with gaeta and a cantor singing in a ancient style, possibly derived from quasi Islamic flamenco though Asturias was never part of Al Andalus and was the base for the reconquista. More of a folk mass sort of thing since the ancient mass would have been chanted in Latin. But if there had been a folk mass a thousand years ago it might have sounded like this. I am not familiar with the music of the Mozzarabic rite so I am just musing.
  • Gabe SGabe S
    Posts: 5
    Hi there...I just joined and commented on Serpent playing,I am also a piper. Pipes can be used quite effectively at Masses. There are hundreds of different bagpipes in the world. From Very loud to Very soft. If you have a piper that wants to play at church...and you don't...have them investigate Scottish Smallpipes (quieter than the average violin, kind of buzzy tone) or Border Pipes ( a bit louder than small pipes and timber like the warpipes, volume like a saxophone) they can also play in minor keys! Many bagpipes are mixolydian and are limited to 9 notes. The smaller pipes are available in several keys D, A, Bb are most common whereas the warpipes are usually pitched close to a Bb although A=440 chanters are not hard to find.

    If you are ever in the Williamsburg, Va area I perform there and usually have several sets of pipes on hand.
    Any questions shoot me an e-mail
    Gabe Stone
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