![]() “The pipes pick you.”Īlthough they both are classified as bagpipes, the uilleann and Highland pipes have many more differences than similarities. “You don’t pick the Irish pipes,” said John Ingman, who also plays tuba in the St. And then there are those who aren’t entirely sure. For some it was the sound, for others the challenge of mastering it. Most of them practice an hour a day.Įach club member has a story about how they became involved with the instrument. Of the seven players who turned out for a recent jam session, three were classically trained musicians and a fourth makes his living as a composer. The pipes are not for the casual music buff. The club varies in membership from 15 to 20, Bauer said, with another 40 or so who are described as “Internet members.” “I think some people sign up just out of morbid curiosity,” he said with a laugh. “The Irish uilleann pipes are one of the world’s most complicated and difficult to play instruments,” Klein said. ![]() Still, the pipes have struggled to find mainstream acceptance - not just among listeners, but among prospective players, many of whom are intimidated by them. “There’s pre-‘Riverdance’ and post-‘Riverdance.’ ” “There are two eras of the Irish pipes,” said Eamonn Tunney, who grew up in Dublin and now lives in St. The uilleann pipes (pronounced “ILL-un,” although they also are called Irish pipes or, occasionally, union pipes) became popular here only in the mid-1990s, when an Irish step-dancing show barnstormed the country. “It started with the Irish immigrants and their police and fire bands,” said Mick Bauer, the club’s president. But even though the history of uilleann pipes in Ireland predates the arrival of the Highland pipes by centuries, it’s the marching bagpipers who have become synonymous with St. Uilleann pipers don’t march - the instrument is played while seated - they don’t wear flashy outfits that lend themselves to ribald jokes, and their pipes aren’t nearly as loud in fact, they often are played to accompany other instruments or even singers. But they are essentially Scottish bands, wearing Scottish gear, playing Scottish instruments and performing some Irish - and a good deal of Scottish - music.” “Don’t get me wrong: I love the Highland pipes, and I have many, many friends who play them. “Now it’s become part of the Irish-American experience to have a Highland pipe band come marching through your bar,” Klein said. Nonetheless, it’s the Highland pipes that get all the attention. “But the fact is that there is a real, bona fide Irish instrument - the uilleann pipes - that captures the heart and soul of Irish traditional music like the Scottish pipes never will.” “There’s nothing wrong” with the Highland pipes, said Tom Klein, one of the more accomplished uilleann pipe players in the region. But unlike the Highland pipes, which are rooted in Scotland, these are 100 percent Irish. Patrick’s Day in what they insist is true Irish tradition: playing uilleann bagpipes, the smaller, quieter and more versatile cousin of the better known Highland bagpipes. The club is part of a small but dedicated cadre of musicians who will celebrate St. ![]() Rude? Brazen? At the very least, out of order?Īctually, it was business as usual at the monthly meetings, which inevitably turn into jam sessions. ![]() The Great Northern Irish Pipers Club was in the midst of a discussion when one of the members picked up his bagpipes and started playing a spirited jig. ![]()
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