BAGPIPES OF THE BRITISH ISLES

 This Web site (and its maintainer) are dedicated to the Northumbrian smallpipes, which : For a full description of Northumbrian smallpipes, start here

OTHER RELATED BRITISH PIPES

 Scottish smallpipes

These are the closest relation to the Northumbrian smallpipes, and have existed for about the same length of time. They have open-ended chanters, with a parallel (cylindrical) bore, and no keys. There are 3 drones. In the 18th century and before they were just described as 'smallpipes', and their exact form, fingering, and use is a matter of active research, but they died out as a living instrument about 1800. They were known only from a few historical examples, from which a set in F was reconstructed around 1980 by Colin Ross. Since then many more references to them have been found throughout Scotland, and many makers now produce them, most commonly in the keys of A, Bb, C and D. Most modern examples use the same fingering system as the Great Highland bagpipe, but are fairly quiet, indoor instruments, and they have become very popular with Highland pipers for this reason.
A partial list of makers of Scottish smallpipes is available here

Northumbrian half-longs

This is a historical name for pipes with open-ended chanters, a conical bore, and 3 drones in a common stock. They were  reconstructed in the early 1920's from various part sets existing in Northumberland, whose provenance is controversial. Based mainly on this reconstruction, but with a modified chanter, a considerable number were made by the Highland pipemakers Robertsons of Edinburgh, in the 1920's and 30's, and were issued to Scout troops and OTC groups etc in an attempt to promote them for outdoor playing. These examples sound very like quieter bellows-blown Highland pipes, but differ from them in having the drones tuned bass, baritone (5th above bass) and tenor.

Jon Swayne has based his pipes on the Northumbrian half-longs, and these have extra keys, are chromatic over a much larger range, and come in a range of sizes and keys.

Northumbrian half-longs are the same as:

Border / Lowland pipes

These were played over a wide area of the UK in the 17th and 18th centuries, but largely died out in the early nineteenth. Recently, with the resurgence of interest in bellows-blown pipes in this country, many  makers have  produced Border pipes which are sweeter and less raucous in tone than the Robertson reconstruction. They are still a very much louder instrument than the Northumbrian smallpipes. They are usually available in the keys of G, A and Bb, and sometimes have keys on the chanter. The drones are 2 tenors and a bass.

There is now no reason why all pipes of these last two types should not be called Border pipes, but the term half-long is being retained, to refer to the pipes of Robertsons manufacture only. 

All of the above pipes are bellows-blown, and use the same fingering as the Great Highland bagpipe. They are sometimes referred to as cauld-wind pipes - an abusive term originating from what is now the Grampian region of Scotland.

Players of all the above types constitute the central membership of the Lowland and Border Pipers Society. For details of this, contact the membership secretary:
Niall Anderson

niallanderson@netscape.net


Shuttle pipes

These have shuttle drones, which appear small, but are very complicated internally, and were developed from, and are related to, the musette de cour, which was popular in 18th century aristocratic France. It is possible, though unlikely, that the idea of putting keys on the Northumbrian smallpipe resulted from the appearance of these pipes in Northumberland during the 18th century. A few makers produce these pipes, but they are not commonly encountered in the UK. The two principal makers seem to be:

Dave Shaw, 2 Shafto Cottages, Craghead, Stanley, Co. Durham UK
John Walsh, PO Box 1423, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, B2G 2L7, Canada (Phone:902 863 0535)

 Pastoral pipes / Hybrid union pipes

Both of these types of pipes existed throughout Scotland in the late 17th and 18th centuries. It is almost certain that they were a less developed form of what are now known as Uillean pipes, and there were several well-known makers in both Scotland and North Eastern England. A tutor for them (Geoghegan) was produced in 1747, in London. They are characterised by a narrowly conical chanter which cannot be stopped, and, sometimes, the presence of one or more regulators. Historical examples of various designs have turned up over a wide geographical area, and there have been several attempts at reconstruction, with varying degrees of success. They are not widely played, though research and interest in them is currently increasing.

It is now thought that the existence of regulators, a keyed stopped ended system, was the inspiration for the keyed Northumbrian smallpipes, probably first produced by John Dunn, who made both. 

OTHER PIPES IN THE UK AND EIRE

Uillean ( Irish or Union) pipes. There is information about these in other places on the Web - try the Uillean Pipers Society, Na Piobairi Uillean, whose pages include many links to other sites as well

Revived and reconstructed English bagpipes of many forms are becoming popular amongst folk musicians. For further information on these, contact the Bagpipe Society, or Julian Goodacre. The Bagpipe Society may also be reached by snailmail at:
The Bagpipe Society,
13 The Terrace,
Rochester
Kent ME1 1XN
UK

and in the US via Steve Bliven
49 Plains Field Drive
South Dartmouth, MA 02748

Ph: (508) 997-3826
Fx: (508) 997-3859

and then, of course, there's the Great Highland bagpipe (GHB) - or GBH, depending on your point of view. There are plenty of other websites with information about these.

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