Burning Issue: Do bagpipes need to be modernised – even at the expense of tradition?

Published on Wednesday 22 October 2008 20:10

Yes STUART CASSELLS, founding member of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers

I HAVE always been a firm believer that if something doesn't evolve, it dies. The bagpipes were a fairly new instrument to Scotland compared with bagpipe traditions in other countries. But from their arrival in the 15th century, they have continually evolved into what we know as the Great Highland Bagpipe.

The music has continually evolved too, depending on the functionality of the bagpipes. From being pipers to the clan, playing and composing piobaireachd, to being pipers in the regiments, composing military march tunes, to the evolution of the competition pipe band, music has continually "modernised". Now we see pipes starting to perform with other instruments more than ever. The repertoire is evolving, the appeal widening. They are featured in all sorts of ensembles, from orchestras to rock groups.

With this evolution, rich tradition is being preserved more than ever. There are now many courses around the world to study the bagpipes academically. Bagpipe traditions in other countries are also flourishing and festivals such as Piping Live! in Glasgow have seen bagpipes from different traditions sharing the same stage and swapping repertoire and ideas.

Competition piping is the only style perhaps in decline, with smaller audiences and less sponsorship. This is perhaps due to the slower evolution of the competition style. Fifty years ago there were many pipers showcasing their new compositions in the competitions. Nowadays pipers just play the safe same old, same old composed by the innovators of that style.To attract a new audience to competitions, the competitions have to become friendly for the audience.

www.redhotchillipipers.co.uk

No

RODDY MACLEOD,

principal of the National Piping Centre, director of Piping Live! Festival, gold medallist piper

SOME purists say contemporary piping is blasphemous and damning to the tradition of bagpipes. From my point of view, all types of music need innovators, but those who do so in the piping world must be grounded in traditional training. Artists like Finlay MacDonald and Fred Morrison have made great careers in contemporary piping, but both received traditional training and are excellent pipers with first-class technique. Similarly, Stuart Cassells is a graduate of the BA in Traditional Music and received training at the National Piping Centre.

You can hear if someone is a good player and the most complicated tunes in the traditional repertoire require a very high level of skill. I am sure the same goes for the most complicated contemporary tunes.

Traditional pipe music is not under threat because of contemporary music being played; both styles of music flourish together and events like Piping Live! allow this to be showcased. If contemporary music brings piping to a new audience, this can only be a good thing – but it doesn't need to be at the expense of the traditional approach.

Traditional events like the Glenfiddich Piping Championship are essential in the piping calendar and challenge pipers to raise the bar on their level of skill and technique. These events represent the foundation of piping and remain incredibly important. Traditional piping is currently the strongest it has ever been. With the introduction of the BA (Hons) Traditional Music at the RSAMD, more and more pipers are taught in time-honoured tradition, giving them skills required to play at all levels.