This paper focuses on the collected repertoire of a blind professional piper, Paddy Conneely (c.1800-1851), whose music was transcribed before the potato famine of 1845. The resultant reduction of population took its toll on the cultural fabric of Irish life and is said to have affected, among other things, performance practices in Irish traditional music. Conneely's repertoire of more than 180 melodies was transcribed descriptively, according to the abilities of the collectors, and contains a wealth of information relating to his playing style. This paper concludes that, from evidence in the transcriptions, Irish piping is very conservative and that much of the piping technique and repertoire in use in the early 19th century can be found in piping today.

The pastoral pipes were the eighteenth-century precursor of the union pipes of the nineteenth century and the uilleann pipes of today. They were made, and played, in Scotland and England as well as Ireland. In this talk Ross will describe the evolution of the instrument and its music, and play an eighteenth-century set by Hugh Robertson that he's restored into playing condition. Finally he'll discuss what this teaches us about both Scottish and Irish music history.

The pibroch tradition is known to have developed and reached its zenith in Gaelic Scotland at least by the end of the 17th Century. It was imitated in poetry by the major 18th Century Gaelic poets inspired by Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair[MacDonald] and followed by Donnchadh Bàn [MacIntyre] and Rob Donn [MacKay] who all used a high poetic register. The discovery of a vernacular poetic text dating approximately to the late 16th or early 17th Century emulating the pibroch form and underlying rhythms emphasises further the extent to which the pibroch form was known amongst the general populace.

In my talk last year, I ran out of time and so today we hope to include any important information which was missed, add some material which has been discovered since and carry out some analysis of his playing, thanks to Ronan.
I will start with a brief resume of his life for the benefit of those who missed last years lecture.
All the extant recordings have been covered so in terms of the analysis we will concentrate on some of the more interesting aspects of the great man’s playing.

The rising tide of cultural nationalism in Ireland during the 1880s and 1890s affected all aspects of society, including Irish regiments in the British Army. It coincided with a radical re-organisation of the British Army, in which battalions were paired; regiments were assigned permanent depots and specific recruiting areas, and linked to local militia and volunteer battalions. Commanders of these latter battalions, who were usually local gentry and nobility, had a certain degree of latitude with regard to uniform, etc., and in the 1880s some presented a spurious two-drone 'Irish war-pipe' to their battalions. The vogue for these pipes soon spread to the regular battalions, though pipers were not officially recognised until 1920. The early 1900s also saw Starck of London develop the Brian Boru pipes. The Gaelic League and the Irish-Ireland movement in general soon took up the 'Irish war-pipe', but flatly refused to acknowledge its origin, sometimes with comical results. 

Published by the National Museums of Scotland
Based on a 'national collection of the national instrument' now assembled in National Museums Scotland, this book offers an account of the musicology of the bagpipe in its European context, including the remarkable influence of the Baroque on Scotland's musical traditions. The record is meagre for the evolution of the bagpipe in Scotland and perceptions of the 'national instrument' have depended on a stereotype Great Highland Bagpipe assumed to have a continuous history from a distant past. The evidence, as far as it goes, suggests that Scotland adopted a 'great pipe' from the European bagpipe tradition and made it, through the strength of the Gaelic language and its music, very much its own.

THE most widely evident phenomenon in the contemporary world piping scene is the blossoming and maturing of “revivals” of instruments that dwindled in popularity or, in some cases, fell extinct in their parent cultures.
Characteristics of “revivals” include new, improved instruments, new player communities, new performance contexts, new cultural, economic and social realities and new audiences... even new repertoires and genres of music.
What is being “revived” by a “revival”? Is it real or imagined? What place is there for notions such as “authenticity”, “heritage”, “tradition”... how selective, contrived, subjective, playful and whimsical are revivals in relation to such contexts? What is a “successful” revival?
Mike will be joined by a panel of guests, including Hamish Moore, Hugh Cheape, Sean Donnelly, Barnaby Brown, to discuss the issues involved.

Through listening to modern and archive recordings, participants gain an insight into music history, personalities and styles, both regional and individual. Recordings are interpreted by way of group discussions in an easy-going relaxed atmosphere. Instead of being lectured to, participants work together under Ronan's guidance, thereby gaining the essential skill of being able to think on their own and better interpret any music they come across.

This is an informal forum where Ronan, Brian and Jimmy will each be interviewed in front of a live audience. Each of the pipers will talk about their life, music and instruments and also play a few tunes. The audience will also have the opportunity to ask questions.

Presented by Peter Browne