Re: Different Programing

["Rory Sinclair" <rory.sinclair@accglobal.net>]

Hi Gary:
It is not well understood today how ubiquitous bagpipes were in the middle
ages.  To begin with, just consult paintings by Bruegel or ethchings by
Durer and you will see pipers everywhere.  As the orchestra began to develop
from the 18th century on, bagpipes began to be regarded as "illegitimate"
and worthy only as a folk instrument. The consequence was that pipes stopped
being played at all in the towns and if played at all, it was shepherds who
played them.  The Galician (Celtic people of Spain)  pipes that you heard
are being resurrected after virtually becoming extinct.  There were pipes in
Hungary, Bulgaria, Sicily, France, Germany Greece.  The British Isles alone
spawned about a dozen types (Northumbrian, pastoral, lowland Scottish,
Border, Irish War pipe, Uilean pipes to name a few) including the Great
Highland Bagpipe.  The latter has probably the most complete continuous
history if only because the middle ages lasted longer in the Highlands.  The
Lowland pipes were not played after about 1900.
One of the great musical crimes committed by "civilized"  music.
I have an electronic chanter that has earphones (for playing late at night
without irritating the missus) complete with drones sound and metronome.
Enough already
........................aye Rory
-----Original Message-----
From: Tentcavalier2@aol.com <Tentcavalier2@aol.com>
To: sinclair@mids.org <sinclair@mids.org>
Date: Friday, November 12, 1999 11:53 AM
Subject: Different Programing


>Last Saturday evening I was surfing the channels when I heard bagpipe
music.
>I stopped on CNN and listened. I couldn't recognize the number that the
pipe
>band was playing. Looking closer the members of the pipe band were wearing
>black pantaloons and a flat topped hat. Looking closer I noticed that the
bag
>pipes only had one drone.
>After the band finished, the announcer began talking about the number of
pipe
>bands in Spain and how bag pipes had influenced much of the music of the
>area. He went on and stated that the pipes had come to Spain from Eastern
>Mediterranean countries. They went on and showed a gentleman playing an
>electric bag pipe. (What do you think of that Rory?)
>
>Next seqment was a pretty woman playing a fantastic fiddle. It was Natalie
>MacMaster. She finished playing and talked about her childhood in Capr
>Breton, where if you didn't play the fiddle you were some type of outcast.
It
>was an interesting part of this program.
>The program went on and they began discussing Afro-Celtic music. Seems they
>now believe that Celtic music has roots in the African Nations.
>This was an interesting program. I looked at the TV Guide for the name of
the
>thing and all that was listed for CNN at that time was "Special
Programming".
>
>If anyone is interested, there are 2 great CD's on the market for the
>Holidays. Celtic Christmas is a collection of Celtic songs for the
Holidays.
>The other is A Piping Hot Christmas. The spirit of Christmas with rompin'
>stompin' pipes playing christmas music. Different but good.
>GaryD
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