Piper for a wedding?

**Geoff Withnell** · 7th February 11, 03:47 PM

My niece is getting married (probably this summer, exact date not yet fixed). Her Dad, my brother loves bagpipe music, and she wants a piper at the wedding. One, is there traditional wedding music for the pipes? Two, is there a piper near Salisbury, PA who would be interested? My brother doesn't wear the kilt, but I probably would at the wedding, the family has long since been hardened to it.

Geoff Withnell

**Zardoz** · 7th February 11, 03:50 PM

No personal recommendations, but here's a link with some info;
http://www.gigmasters.com/Search/Bag...nsylvania.html

**RussellSm** · 7th February 11, 04:54 PM

Geoff,

Check this link. There are a lot of good pipers in PA. As for music, there are numerous tunes appropriate for weddings. Any piper will have a good selection for the occasion.

Russ

http://www.bagpiper.com/directory/ba.../pennsylvania/

**Cowher** · 7th February 11, 10:04 PM

I play highland cathedral For weddings. It's a well known tune and is really lovely. Another good one is "isle of the heather". Once you find a piper put them to the test tell them to play some "slow airs" that would be appropriate.

**ohiopiper** · 8th February 11, 12:15 AM

While there are some tunes that just donlt sound right on the pipes, a surprising number of the "standards" do well for wedding music.

The Wedding March can be done and sound good, so can Pachabelles Canon. Something upbeat for a recessional, maybe "Maris' Wedding".

Like RusselSm said, there's lots of tunes good for weddings. Find a piper and have them do a quick audition. Just don't walk in on him and expect it right now. Pipes MUST be tuned first to sound good. Call and arrange a meeting.

Now here's my own advice, as a piper myself.

1) Sit down with the people making the decisions and determine how much pipe music you want, both number of tunes and minutes. Doing a wedding is a royal pain in the **** for a piper. Brides and their mothers being the main reason. Firm details are more likely to make us accept the gig.

2) ONE PERSON is the liason to coordinate with the piper. I have my base rate I charge. When doing a wedding, I tack on an extra $50 for every extra person that shows up to meet with me. You show up, no extra charge. You show up with the bride, her mother, father and second cousin, that's another $200 bucks for putting up with everyone thihnking they can change details at the last minute.

3) Dramatic entrances will cost you. They usually involve doorways where I'm likely to whack my bass drone because the kid holding the door for me didn't realize "Hold the door" meant "Hold it until the piper is on the other side of the doorway". Please allow me to just stand there and play the music you requested. You don't make the pianist parade around, do you?

4) Being a summer/Spring wedding, some tunes will likely be played indoors and one or two outdoors. It's easier on the piper AND the listening audience if I can tune up indoors before the ceremony, play indoors during the ceremony, then do one or two quick ones outdoors while the happy couple make their getaway to their honeymoon. This gives my pipes less time to go out of tune due to temperature and humidity changes.

PM me if you've got any more questions. And no, I'm not close enough to do your wedding!

**robbiethepiper** · 8th February 11, 04:12 AM

Only 9 ( ish ) notes can be played on the pipes and it can only be played in one ( ish ) key, so all tunes are not possible. It takes a LONG time to learn a tune to performance standard. For both these reasons it makes sense to select your tunes from the pipers existing repertoire early in the planning.........

**MacSpadger** · 8th February 11, 06:19 AM

Originally Posted by robbiethepiper

Only 9 ( ish ) notes can be played on the pipes and it can only be played in one ( ish ) key, so all tunes are not possible. It takes a LONG time to learn a tune to performance standard. For both these reasons it makes sense to select your tunes from the pipers existing repertoire early in the planning.........

I have to respectfully disagree here, it's quite possible to learn a couple of 2 part tunes in a day. Some guys I know can pick up a couple of tunes in an hour, some can just busk it from the off.

Bandwise, I've been given 8 or 9 tune medleys before and been expected to give a reasonable stab at them, in the circle, a week later. I'm 50 now, though, and my memory isn't quite as sharp as it once was, so maybe not anymore

With reasonable notice, a piper should be able to play a requested tune, so long as it sits within the GHB scale.

**Biathlonman** · 8th February 11, 06:42 AM

I'm planning now for a wedding in September - that of my eldest daughter. I've talked to two regimental pipers - both tall, impressive and who inspire utter confidence. One's an XMarks member.

If you're associated with a clan - there are clan tunes you may consider. We have a few - march pasts etc. Mairi's Wedding is a standard too for anyone and not hard to play either. We're marching from our house to the church - less than half a mile - and I fully expect that it will stop traffic. Inside, there's an organist. Pipie will wait until we all emerge.
I'll wear the full gear - will leave my broadsword behind though. My son may go kilted and the bride can wear a clan sash. But it is not too early to get this planning underway. If you want a tune, get your piper and ask him to learn it Toronto has lots of pipers but not all municipalities are so blessed.

**ohiopiper** · 8th February 11, 10:11 AM

Agreed with MacSpadger. Learning a tune to COMPETITION standard takes a while. Learning one so it is pleasing to the ear can go pretty quick.

Having said that, this is NOT to be considered license to change it up on the piper at the last minute. Remember what I said about pipers and weddings? They're a pain, mostly in the **** and mostly because of brides and their mothers. This is due to them feeling that they can change everything from the tunes played, the amount of time played and the location played, all the morning of the wedding.

**EldarKinSlayer** · 8th February 11, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by ohiopiper

Agreed with MacSpadger. Learning a tune to COMPETITION standard takes a while. Learning one so it is pleasing to the ear can go pretty quick.

Having said that, this is NOT to be considered license to change it up on the piper at the last minute. Remember what I said about pipers and weddings? They're a pain, mostly in the **** and mostly because of brides and their mothers. This is due to them feeling that they can change everything from the tunes played, the amount of time played and the location played, all the morning of the wedding.

Seems to me, firm agreement in advance including larde penalty fee for every attempt to change that agreement with escalating scale up to day of wedding. Firm timeline with HUGE penalty for every minute over schedule due to wedding party additional penalties if it is the bride doubled if it's her mother.