The Bagpipes

Description

History’s first named bagpiper is a man playing a pipe ‘with a bag tucked under his armpit’ in the first century CE. He was the Roman Emperor Nero. Since then, this improbable conflation of bag and sticks has become the world’s most beloved and contested instrument. Another piping emperor, Tsar Peter the Great, decided that his departed pet bear would live on—as a bagpipe.

This vivid history tells the long story of an instrument boasting over 130 varieties, yet commonly associated with just one, from one country: Scotland’s Great Highland Bagpipe. In fact, the pipes are played across the globe, illuminating societies in remarkable, unexpected ways. Richard McLauchlan charts the rise of women pipers; investigates class, privilege and capitalism in the piping world; and explores how a ‘national instrument’ can shift in meaning amidst the currents of identity.

The vibrancy and inventiveness of today’s pipers showcase the allure of this fabled, fascinating instrument, to which McLauchlan is our surefooted guide.

Reviews

‘Richly entertaining and perceptive. A revelation for pipers like me, and for anyone interested in how an instrument can transform culture.’ — Alastair Campbell, author of But What Can I Do? and co-host of The Rest Is Politics

‘Historically insightful and full of character. Richard has captured the essence and beauty of piping’s vibrant culture with historical, musical and characterful insight.’ — Finlay MacDonald, world-renowned piper and composer

‘With infectious enthusiasm for his subject, Richard McLauchlan traces the cultural significance of the bagpipes across the globe and over many centuries. His multi-storied and learned account reveals the bagpipes’ history to be just as intricate and variegated as the most complex piobaireachd/pibroch tunes showcased by its virtuosi practitioners.’ — Clare Jackson, author of Devil-Land: England under Siege 1588-1688

Author(s)

Richard McLauchlan is a Scottish writer, educated at the Universities of St Andrews and Cambridge. The author of Serious Minds and The Bagpipes, he also collaborated with John Campbell on acclaimed biography Haldane (all published by Hurst). Richard co-founded the educational charity Light Up Learning.