The Bagpipe (The History) Francis Collinson

[OC Richard]

This is a fairly rare book but here's a copy on Ebay for $10 https://www.ebay.com/itm/22728846323...102140.m167418

The Bagpipe
The History of a Musical Instrument
Francis Collinson
Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and Boston 1975

Though I have quibbles with the Scotocentric viewpoint, the shamefully misleading use of the terms "pipes" "pipers" and "piping" when speaking of numerous instruments that are NOT bagpipes, and the presenting of several vague jury's-still-out bits of evidence as being valid, this remains the most scholarly book on bagpipe history I know of.

To put it another way, he's done a huge amount of raw research but presents it indiscriminately, accepting everything that fits his narrative as valid.

It's left to the reader to take off their tartan-tinted glasses and soberly evaluate the evidence. I've gone down the rabbit-hole with a few of the things and found that there's less there than one would think.

[kilted redleg]

Richard, have you looked at the book "The Highland Pipe and Scottish Society 1750-1950" by William Donaldson. I believe it was the late piping authority Col. David Murray who recommended this book for anyone who has an interest if the history of piping and its effect on the Scottish society.
I found it on ebay several years ago. You might be able to fine it on Able's book sight if you're interested.

[OC Richard]

Thanks! I'm not familiar with that book.

I do have a book Rantin' Pipe and Tremblin' String which looks at the relationship between fiddle, bagpipe, Scottish dance, and Scottish culture.

I've always been interested in the history of the bagpipe itself (not as an adjunct to any specific culture) and there's precious little to be found. Francis Collinson has done a ton of research and has brought forth every scrap of information he could find.

With the history of the bagpipe there's a narrative that I've heard repeated over and over by everybody, which is:

The bagpipe originated in "the near east" or "the middle east" or simply "the east", was played all over the eastern Mediterranean in ancient times (Egypt, the Holy Land, Babylonia, Greece), was played in the Roman Army, which introduced the bagpipes into Britain, and has been played in Scotland ever since.

The trouble is, there's no evidence for any of this, and quite a bit of evidence that works against it. However, like with an Urban Myth it's easier to dismiss than to pinpoint the origin of.

After a bit of looking I discovered that the bagpipe-origin myth probably came from a 1940 book by Curt Sachs, in which he seems to have put it forward as a theory rather than a fact. (I haven't been able to find the exact quote.)

Then there's the "bagpiper sculpture from Roman Britain" that turns out to be Tudor.

And the "ancient Greek sculpture of a bagpiper" that can be traced to one grainy photo in a 1950s German book, no provenance, the place and date of the sculpture educated guesses, and the current location of the sculpture apparently unknown.

And so goes trying to verify the various bits of evidence put forward by Collinson and others.

[OC Richard]

Going down the rabbit-hole a bit I've just ordered two books

The Highland Bagpipe: Its History, Literature, and Music

W. L. Manson 1901

and

The History of Musical Instruments

Curt Sachs 1940

I'll give reports on those once I'm able to go through them.

[imrichmond]

George S. Emerson, the author of Rantin' Pipe and Tremblin' String was a professor of engineering at the University of Western Ontario (now re-named Western University) in London, Ontario. Both he and his son, whose name I don't recall, were very fine highland dancers. When I was 16 or 17, I was asked to pipe for their performance in a small town some 30-40 miles from London. Since neither Emerson drove, I also picked them up and chauffered them in my battered old 1951 Ford. The weather turned nasty shortly after we began the journey, with a violent thunderstorm and torrential rain, not uncommon in southwestern Ontario during the summer. Driving on a gravel country road with visibility severely limited by the downpour, I hit a large puddle, which flooded my engine and brought the car to a stop. The car would not start until the engine had dried somewhat and shed sufficient water. Fortunately, we made it in time for the Emersons' scheduled performance and all went well for the remainder of the evening. This was about ten years prior to the publication of Rantin' Pipe and Tremblin' String.