Re: Chanters. May 17th.

[Niven Sinclair <niven@niven.co.uk>]

At 22:03 17/05/00 +1000, you wrote:
> Sinclair pipe chanters enjoy an
> excellent reputation here in Australia as well. I shall be playing a
> Sinclair chanter in my pipes on the Tour. Rory and Ian, it sounds as
> though we might tune in well together. What are the other pipers on the
> Tour playing?
> Niven, pipes (reed pipes, and later bagpipes ) were very common in
> Eastern, and Southern European countries (including Italy) over 2000
> years ago. Groups of female pipers who played professionally were
> commonplace.
> There is a later and more notable link with Italy. The famous MacCrimmons
> of Piobaireachd repute originated there. Petrus Bruno was born in Cremona
> in 1575, and with his two sons John and Patrick, moved to Ireland in
> 1610. They afterwards changed their name to MacCrimmon. They were
> excellent pipers, and after moving to Skye, established a school of
> piping which became world famous. Their tuition course was of seven years
> duration, hence the adage that 'it takes seven years to make a piper, and
> seven generations of pipers behind him.' It was Petrus Bruno who
> developed the Canntaireachd, the piper's singing language, which was
> based on deep religious significance. The speciality of the MacCrimmons
> was Piobaireachd, which is classical pipe music, and which was often
> played in such a way as to warn of the approach of enemies.
> So, Italian bagpipers! Yes, they have had a very intense effect on our
> 'traditional' music.
>  
> John McIntyre.


I am always amazed at the breadth of knowledge which one discovers in
these Sinclair Discussion
pages.

The MacCrimmons had Norse ancestry; were the pipers to the McLeods and
held the recipe for the
famous Drambuie (if my memory serves me correctly).

Niven