What's in a well-rounded piper's repertoire?

[piperdbh]

I once played at a preschool and it was nice to know the theme to "Sesame Street".
For church services, "Victory in Jesus" and "Brethren, We Have Met to Worship" (hymn tune HOLY MANNA) make nice "marches". Not traditional 'pipe tunes, but it's nice to have tunes the audience is familiar with.

And you need to know "Happy Birthday", too.

[beloitpiper]

Because we play for University events often, our band can play both On, Wisconsin! (both the state song and the University's fight song) and Varsity, the University's alma mater.

[george7]

I have heard 40 as the magical number for how many tunes a piper knows at any given time.

As in, if a piper had to play, on the spot, at grade, a selection of tunes, an experienced piper should be able to pull about 40 tunes off.

That's counting every individual tune as a separate tune.

I do a lot of the music keeping for my band and our current run is 50 pages. That's 42 tunes, counting seconds as part of the original tune.

[KD Burke]

I appreciate all the responses! Some of these I'm familiar with, but I'm going to be busy for a while finding recordings of the others!

[londonpiper]

I'm amazed that no-one so far has mentioned the best money spinner of all, "A man's a man for a' that".
I've lost count of the number of times I've been paid to play that!!!

[cajuncelt]

Burn's Night: A Man's a Man, Scot's Wha Hae (blah), etc.
Massed Band tunes: Most already mentioned. I would add High Road to Gailoch and Wings.
St. Patty's Day: Wearin' of the Green, Danny Boy, Minstrel Boy, Let Erin Remember, assorted jigs, Pikeman's March, God Save Ireland
Most non-pipers like: The Dark Isle, Highland Cathedral, Skye Boat Song, Time to Spare, Theme to Braveheart (sorry, I'll take the heat for saying it, but the cheesy stuff)
Piobaireachd for non-pipers: S' Fhada Mar Seo Tha Sinn, Cronan Na Cailleach, Cille Chriosd (urlar only), The Groat (urlar only).

[Brother Falldown]

I once played at a preschool and it was nice to know the theme to "Sesame Street".
For church services, "Victory in Jesus" and "Brethren, We Have Met to Worship" (hymn tune HOLY MANNA) make nice "marches". Not traditional 'pipe tunes, but it's nice to have tunes the audience is familiar with.

And you need to know "Happy Birthday", too.

Also for church services the "Doxology", "Holy Holy Holy", and "Nearer My god to Thee" seem to work well and are well received. And while we're talking about "money makers" lets not forget the "Wedding March" (Here Comes the Bride).

ith:

[auldzalt]

I'm new here but one of my favorites is March of Cambreadth.

[Mr. Woolery]

Did I miss it or did nobody mention Mull of Kintyre? I know I have never heard it requested as such, but people love to hear it.

There are always going to be several tunes that form the core of a piper's repertoire and we all need to have a bunch we can play together when we want to hang out and play with other folks who are not in the band. For requests, I have been asked for STB, AG, and Danny Boy. I still don't know Danny Boy. Never bothered to learn it.

-Patrick

[george7]

Did I miss it or did nobody mention Mull of Kintyre? I know I have never heard it requested as such, but people love to hear it.

There are always going to be several tunes that form the core of a piper's repertoire and we all need to have a bunch we can play together when we want to hang out and play with other folks who are not in the band. For requests, I have been asked for STB, AG, and Danny Boy. I still don't know Danny Boy. Never bothered to learn it.

-Patrick

I was forced learn Danny Boy. A bit of the old adage "He who pays the piper calls the tunes."