| 12thC piper Hexham Abbey |
Went to a lecture last night about Northumbrian smallpipes.
The guy brought some examples with him, some dating back to the early 18thC and
after explaining the principles and how they functioned, then went on to play
some traditional Northumberland airs and jigs. Very nice. A young girl behind
me muttered, ‘music for morons’ but it is what it is, gentle solo music which creates
a distinctive mood of romance or nostalgia.
Unlike Scottish bagpipes the musician doesn’t blow into the
chanter, he or she has a small set of bellows which is tucked under one arm and
that provides the air which provides the drone. The pipes still have a bag to
hold the air provided by the bellows and the player still needs to keep the
bellows going throughout the tune, but one suspects the effort is considerably
less for the Northumbrian musician than it is for a Scottish piper who has to
use his breath to keep the bag filled.
It is relatively speaking a simple instrument which lends
itself to simple tunes but there is still a lot of refinement to be found by
the best players. Music for morons? Well, Mozart it ain’t but there is room in
my vocabulary for a wide variety of music and styles. Want to hear it? Click here.
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