Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?

Subject: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 03:31 AM

Here's a video, taken at our session in Co. Antrim last Saturday night, of two Northumbrian Pipers.

I'm just wondering how common these little Pipes are in Ireland.

So do you see them in action at your session or have you ever seen them at a session in Ireland?

Cheers
Dick

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Wolfhound person
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 04:41 AM

No, they're not at all common. Sam is the N. Irish contact for the NPS. There was another player (not Matthew) nearish to him, but he seems to have disappeared off the radar.
Then there's Ray Sloan in Donegal, who used to make them and still plays locally according to visitors' reports.

There's another player in Dublin, and one of the board of NPU also plays.
There's probably others and quite a few regular visitors.

Charles Roberts used to make them - I don't think he does now.

Paws

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Little Robyn
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 05:04 AM

When we visited Packie at Oliver's Bar in Ardara, back in 1990, the young girl who lived there and played fiddle had been given a set of pipes. I think it was a Headworth set and needed serious fettling so I wonder if she ever managed to learn to play them. She would be in her early 30s by now and I think her name was Paula. Her father, Peter, was the Landlord at Oliver's Bar.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 05:08 AM

I have come across them only once in Ireland, at a piper's tionol in Templemore in 1997. The man who played them filled the only room where one could play all through the saturday we were there, to the extend he would cut across anyone who attempted a tune. It made for a disappointing day and was the main reason I never went back to that tionol again.

There was a mention of the Northumbrian ones in connection with Séamus Ennis. His daughter got interested in the pipes. That wouldn't do for a girl. Séamus gave her a set of Northumbrian pipes instead.

The film 'The Irishmen', about the men working in England during the fifties and sixties, has the Northumbrian pipes playing 'The Rocks of Bawn' in it's opening sequence.

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 05:15 AM

@ Paws "There was another player nearish to him .." Aye, there was a bloke near Ballymena who bought a set a couple of years back, but Sam hasn't heard from him for a long time now.

Must look out for Ray, next time I'm up in Donegal.

Cheers
Dick

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 05:18 AM

@ Peter. Strange to think that those quiet little Northumbrian Pipes could be used to hold back a room full of Uilleann Pipers. .... was he sitting on an amp.? ;-)

As for girls playing Uilleann Pipes, thank goodness attitudes have changed, as there are a number of cracking female Uilleann Pipers around today.

Cheers
Dick

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 02:48 PM

@ Paws .. Just for the record, Sam actually plays a set of Ray Sloan Northumbrian Pipes!

Cheers
Dick

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 07 Mar 11 - 04:12 PM

Here's another clip: "The Breamish & The Rose Tree"

Cheers
Dick

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: freespiritceol1
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 06:47 AM

Hi I regularly play the small pipes at our local wednesday session in Glengarriff west Cork. Most people assume they are the 'Irish' pipes, I used to try to explain the differences to people but have long since given up trying.They are a lovely set made by Dave Burleigh and tuned to Concert 'D' My wife plays Hurdy Gurdy, and the 2 seem to complement each other very well. It must be quite unusual to see (Hear them) over here. We have several good friends who play Uilleann Pipes, and we have had all the usual jokes, " Are they a toy set?" Have you left them out in the rain etc. but we once made an impromptu quartet with Uilleann Pipes, Northumbrian Pipes, Hurdy Gurdy and Fiddle. The sound was magic. Great memories.

All the best

John

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Wolfhound person
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 08:25 AM

@Ptarmigan - I knew Sam well before he moved back to N. Antrim, and if you're who I think you are we've met - in Bushmills, near 6 years ago.
Lovely area, but a tad alarming in some respects.

@freespirit - sounds like a great grouping. D pipes would work well in that setting.

Paws

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 10:44 AM

Yes John, Sam gets that stuff every week from tourists who think they must be Irish Pipes, as does our other Piper who plays Scottish Smallpipes. It goes with the territory. I usually play Hammered Dulcimer too at this session & I just wish I had a £1 for every time someone has asked me what it is! ;-)

At another session up here, we often had Uilleann Pipes & Border Pipes playing together, which was a cracking sound!

Paws, I hope you enjoyed your visit, despite your alarm. Mind you, if you find this area alarming, you should have visited the Bandit country of South Armagh during the troubles! That was an area not to hang around in, especially if like me, you happened to have a Scottish accent! ;-)

Cheers
Dick

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 12:04 PM

Was the percussion in the background of those videos really necessary?

What the heck was it anyway? Bongos played with brushes?

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 08 Mar 11 - 02:13 PM

Jack, those wee videos were just recorded at one of our local sessions & of course I certainly wasn't going to be precious about the recording & tell everyone else to shut up, so yes, you hear a couple of Bodhrans in the background, at least one of which was being played by a Brush.

That particular Brush was made of bristle, although many these days are made from Chop Sticks .... a sign of the times.

Thankfully their Congas were not employed during the filming!

Cheers
Dick

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: harmonic miner
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 11:14 AM

Never seen them here in Ireland but I could get to like the sound.

Subject: RE: Northumbrian Pipes in Ireland .. rare?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 04:00 PM

Well harmonic, they are lovely to hear in a quiet session, but their voice would be completely lost in a big noisy session & they certainly couldn't compete with Uilleann Pipes.

They are also ideal for backing a singer & throw down a lovely carpet of sound to sing on.

Cheers
Dick