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Lancashire bagpipes

20 Nov 04 - 04:32 AM (#1333340)
Subject: Lancshire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

I read a thread on another site about the lost Lancshire bagpipe. Tunes for same are said to exist. Have the pipes been found?


20 Nov 04 - 01:32 PM (#1333732)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: ced2

There are a number of us in Yorkshire aware of these pipes from Lancashire but, in the name of peace and sanity, we are all sworn to secrecy and silence! Furthermore a dreadful curse will fall upon the head of anyone breaking the silence or revealing the secret in anyway what-so-ever!


20 Nov 04 - 01:59 PM (#1333755)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

Yorkshire , eh. Another country, passports, visas, border controls, seekers after asylam.

In such a climate bagpipe running and black market chanters are the currency of crime.

I am sure your people could meet ours on mutually beneficial terms. Need I mention the true story behind the Harry Ramsden fish batter secret?

No, I thought as much. I feel sure business can be done


21 Nov 04 - 03:41 AM (#1334248)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

Perhaps ced2 has woken to find a horse head for company?


21 Nov 04 - 05:17 AM (#1334280)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: treewind

I've read somewhere that what are commonly called "border pipes" were found all over Northern England, from Cheshire upwards. The 3/2 hornpipes that are associated with Cheshire and Lancashire were originally bagpipe tunes and their popularity dates from a time when the bagpipe was the folk dance instrument of choice.

If there's a bagpipe specific to Lancs, that's a new one on me; I've heard Julian Goodacre and his pipe-playing brothers talking extensively about English pipes and don't remember Lancashire being singled out.

But then, there's very little evidence either way. The discovery of an image of a set of pipes doesn't prove any particular association with the place where that image was found, even if (as in some cases) it was a decorative carving on a church pew.

The Northumbrian smallpipes are the only example which, especially in their modern development, are specific to a geographical area.

Anahata


21 Nov 04 - 05:32 AM (#1334286)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

Thanks a lot Anahat, very clear.

I thought Leicestershire pipes were the subject of a workshop at Whitby this year.

Lancashire pipes have been the subject of speculation for a long time. I think Mary will recall Harry Boadman and (maybe?) Canny Fettle and Jamie Knowles being involved in the hunt and turning up tunes in the 70's.

Incidently, how can the instrument be identified from the tunes?


22 Nov 04 - 04:45 AM (#1335061)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Dave Hanson

ced2 would positively relish waking up with a horses head for company, they think it is a delicacy in Keighley.

eric


22 Nov 04 - 05:28 AM (#1335085)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,Raggytash

"instrument of choice" surely you mean "Instrument of Torture"


22 Nov 04 - 07:23 AM (#1335151)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,Paul Burke

Lacnahrise bagpipes:
http://www.keithmusic.com/build.html#Bagpipes

about half way down. Don't know how they were reconstructed, but the 'doodle doodle doodle of the Lancashire hornpipe' was well known.


22 Nov 04 - 02:35 PM (#1335510)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

http://www.keithmusic.com/BobT.html

This is a link to Bob T the reconstucture of said Lancashire pipes

Sorry I don't know how to use the blue clicky device


22 Nov 04 - 04:16 PM (#1335637)
Subject: RE: Lancashire bagpipes
From: McGrath of Harlow

What a fascinating site - Alan's Bagpipe Collection


22 Nov 04 - 05:50 PM (#1335775)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,greg stephens

I believe the last reference to professional bagpiping in England(outside of Geordie land) was 1796 in Ulverston, Lancashire(though it's now in Cumbria).
I haven't got the reference to hand. I'm afraid. It could, of course, be maintained that this might refer to an itinerant Irish piper(the navvies were around at the time), and that the indigenous pipers had died out earlier. You can certainly find plenty of tunes suitable for bagpies in NW English sources, though whether they were actually pipe tunes is always a bit conjectural.
    What is ceratinly true is that Lancashire was famous for bagpipers and hornpipes, though whether there was anything specially distinctive about the instrument as opposed to a Cheshire or Derbyshire hornpipe is not a question we are likely to see answered, I would guess.


22 Nov 04 - 05:52 PM (#1335778)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,greg stephens

Sorry, the "hornpipes" in the penultimate sentence of my last post should be "bagpipes".


22 Nov 04 - 05:57 PM (#1335786)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Leadfingers

I will NOT bring up the subject of the 'Surrey' Bagpipe !!


23 Nov 04 - 01:56 AM (#1336225)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,Sarah

See a book called 'Man in the Moss' by Phil Rickman!!!!


23 Nov 04 - 01:43 PM (#1336670)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Bernard

Jamie Knowles is the man to tell you about Lancashire Bagpipes... we had him in the BBC GMR studio about a year ago talking on that very subject (and lots of other stuff, too)!

If you want a copy of the broadcast, email me with your postal address, and I'll organise it for you.


23 Nov 04 - 04:17 PM (#1336811)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

Bernard,
Has Jammie seen one?


23 Nov 04 - 06:46 PM (#1337007)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,greg stephens

Jamie Knowles is a sound man.`He edited my note-books of north=western tunes back in the seventies, and published a lot of the results, under the name Northern Frisk and Northern Lass I think. Alas they are no longer in print, (I believe).


23 Nov 04 - 06:52 PM (#1337012)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: treewind

I bought Northern Lass about 3 years ago and got some terrific tunes out of it.

Northern Frisk was out of print then.

Anahata


24 Nov 04 - 04:41 AM (#1337385)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,greg stephens

anahata: come and drop in some time and you can have a browse in my notebooks...Jamie Knowles used 80 of mine in Northern Lass, but there are a lot of little gems he didnt use!


24 Nov 04 - 06:47 AM (#1337446)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Bernard

Les, Jamie hasn't seen any, and believes there are none still in existence. As has been said above, he and a few others are attempting a reconstruction of them, based on information available - including tunes known to have been played on the pipes.

Jamie believes they died out mainly because the fiddle and other melody instruments had a better range for the tunes people wanted to play, so the pipes lost popularity.

This also seems to suggest they were similar to Highland pipes in their range, although different in other respects.


24 Nov 04 - 12:32 PM (#1337831)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

Thanks Bernard,

It's good to get a bit closer to information rather than speculation.

I guess suggestive stuff can be found rather as '45 groats paid for morris bells' is suggestive of Morris Dancers.

Perhaps '10 stomachs sold to Tom the Piper?


25 Nov 04 - 05:19 AM (#1338586)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,greg stephens

May I recommend Nicholas Blundell's diaries(17th century) for a very interesting account of Lancashire life atthe time. Vey informative about piping, and also(as a bonus for southerners) he goes down to Oxfordshire on family business so we get some stuff on morris dancing as well.
The most interesting stuff to me was the fact that Blundell(a gentleman, of Crosby) actually socialised extensively with the piper he employed from time to time when he needed music. I remember discussing this very vehemently with Harry Boardman in the Plough in Galgate in the 60's. We both felt this fact said soemthing about northwest culture....we didnt feel southern gentlemen in 1650 would toddle round to the jobbing bagpiper for a meal and a chat!


25 Nov 04 - 01:10 PM (#1338929)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

Excellent stuff Greg, is it fair to assume piper always means bagpiper?


25 Nov 04 - 02:01 PM (#1338975)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,greg stephens

You have put your finger on the a very difficukt question Les...I think that you can't always make that assumption, you need to weigh up a lot of evidence. I think Nicholas Blundell's pal was a bagpiper, put it that way.(It is 30 years since I did that research, it woild take me a while to revisit that stuff and go through the evidence!).
   A good question to ask is "If this reference to a piper does not refer to bagpiper, what else is it likely to refer to?". Clearly it might in some contexts mean spmething else...penny whistler? Flautist? It needs careful consideration.


25 Nov 04 - 02:57 PM (#1339025)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

Did things like the pipe that goes with the tabor belong to a collection of things that would be woodwind rather than things with reeds or those big things related to trumpets?


25 Nov 04 - 06:35 PM (#1339198)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,greg stephens

The pipe as in "pipe and tabor" was a penny whistle that you played with one hand(one thumb hole and three fingers) leaving the other hand free to play the drum.


25 Nov 04 - 08:03 PM (#1339261)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Bernard

A tabor pipe has a thumb hole, but only two fingers, Greg! At least, all three of mine have!! ;o)


26 Nov 04 - 12:57 PM (#1339833)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST

I'm sure you're right Bernard, apologies. I've never played one(I had a little go once, but it was a while ago)


27 Nov 04 - 02:35 AM (#1340319)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,greg stephens

That last one was me, still having the old problem. I cant log in, so I'm nearly always a guest at the moment.


10 Dec 04 - 12:18 AM (#1352607)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,Andrew Holgate

Rod Cannon wrote a very good article on this subject in the 70's for the Folk song & Dance Journal.


10 Dec 04 - 03:10 AM (#1352672)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,greg stephens

Anyone know if Roderick Cannon is still with us? I corresponded with him a lot in the 70's on northwest tunes, and then lost touch. He was in Norwich then.


10 Dec 04 - 11:15 AM (#1353066)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: 8_Pints

I'll ask Tom Mullen what he can tell us about the subject next time I see him.

Bob vG


10 Dec 04 - 12:00 PM (#1353135)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Anita Evans

Roderick Cannon was alive and well when I spoke to him at the Lowland and Border Pipers Society AGM in Glasgow on November 13th this year


10 Dec 04 - 02:28 PM (#1353289)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

Has he seen a Lancashire bp?

Could Jo change the title of this thread to Lancashire bagpipes please? I feel embarrased every time I see my typo.


10 Dec 04 - 04:04 PM (#1353395)
Subject: RE: Lamcshire bagpipes
From: GUEST,greg stephens

Anita Evans: please have a look at your personal messages. I have a weird technical problem, I have to post as a GUEST, but I can send and receive PMs as normal.
Les in Chorlton: what's wrong with a misspelt title? We should not leave the field of creative bad spelling exclusively to our colleagues in Yorkshire, surely.


11 Dec 04 - 03:30 AM (#1353757)
Subject: RE: Lancashire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

Good point Grog,

If bagpipes were at one time 'the folk instrument of chioce' does this suggest the widespread existance of bagpipes based on sheep's stomachs and originating in shepherding communities?

Perhaps a general bagpipe evolved in different parts of the shepherding world into regional varieties?


12 Dec 04 - 10:41 AM (#1354689)
Subject: RE: Lancashire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

Is Sunday not a bagpipe day then?


13 Dec 04 - 09:58 AM (#1355559)
Subject: RE: Lancashire bagpipes
From: Gedpipes

Heck! humour from Luncashire


13 Dec 04 - 02:36 PM (#1355827)
Subject: RE: Lancashire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

Clearly not perhaps Monday will be?


15 Dec 04 - 12:25 PM (#1357698)
Subject: RE: Lancashire bagpipes
From: Les in Chorlton

I guess this thread is going the way of the Lancashire pipes themselves?