Favorite pipe music...?

[Cawdorian]

My favorites are:

Highland Cathederal
Dark Island
Flower of Scotland
Scotland the Brave
Keester McGee's Favorite Drinking Song

I am sure I missed a few, but all bagpipe music is great.

[Graham]

well, so far it blaringly obvious...pipes and kilts = peaches and cream!!

[wgority]

The tunes listed so far are all pretty standard chestnuts. Things every piper plays all the time and kind of gets bored with. I thought I'd chime in with some tunes I like to play.

Okay, for the sake of argument, let's keep it limited to highland piping tunes:

1. The Desparate Battle of the Birds (Piobearachd and a bear of a piece to learn);
2. The Turf Lodge ( a great light music piece!);
3. The Little Cascade (a challenging reel by G.S. McLennan-probably the greatest composer of pipes music ever to live);
4. The Jig of Slurs (also by GSMcL);
5. Glasgow City Police Pipers;
6. The Silver Pipes of Ur (composed by a member of one of the bands I used to be in).

Love them drones!
WSG

[flyv65]

I listen to several traditional pipe band CDs, but I'm also fond of a group called Lunasa that use several traditional instruments in new arraingements.

Bryan...besides, I thought there were only three bagpipe tunes: Amazing Grace, Scotland the Brave, and "that other one"...

[highlander_Daz]

I like "high road to Gairloch" and "Bruces address" as they were my first tunes I learned
I like "scotch on the rocks" and "Top deck in Perth"

Piobaieachd style is generally more tricky to play due to the extra embellishments.

[macwilkin]

Daz,

Are you referring to "Scots Wha Hae" as "Bruce's Address" (at Bannockburn)?

Interesting trivia: the tune that Burns put "Scots Wha Hae" to, "Hey Tuttie Tattie", is believed to have been used by Scots soldiers in Joan of Arc's forces in the Hundred Year's War -- some believe that it dates to the time of Bannockburn in 1314.

It was also used in the Texas Revolution and the American Civil War (with lyrics appropriate to that conflict), and there is evidence that Scots troops in the English Civil War used it as a marching tune.

Cheers,

Todd

[highlander_Daz]

"Scots Wha Hae" thats correct Todd, many pipers call it "Bruces address", its a nice slow tune and is many pipers first attempt at a tune, Your right it is a very old tune and I prefer to hear it on the pipes than to be sang.

Once I was at Kelso and a piper was at the foot of Wallaces staue and he played it brilliantly, he dragged the notes for ages, it was a superb bit of playing.