|
Welcome to our website, which has separate sections for visitors, and members of the Piobaireachd Society. If you are not a member, why not join? The new member's area has many sound clips (see list HERE ), proceedings of all previous conferences, and articles about piobaireachd. The rest of the website is open to all visitors, as it was before this change. To join, see the "membership forms" button on the left of every page. William Barrie
Listen to the Sound of Piobaireachd The Ancient Music of Scotland Andrew MacNeill of Colonsay
William Barrie sings the cantaireachd for the ground and variation then James Barrie plays the taorluath and crunluath. This is William Barrie's own composition so it would be considered a modern tune. (by Kind Permission)
What is a Piobaireachd
When the Highlands and Islands of Scotland adopted the bagpipe, perhaps some four hundred years ago, they began to develop the instrument and its music to suit their needs and tastes. What emerged was the instrument we know today and a form of music, piobaireachd, which is unique to the instrument. It is a very stylized form of music. There is freedom in the theme or "ground" of the piobaireachd to express joy, sadness, or sometimes in the "gathering" tunes , a peremptory warning or call to arms. Thereafter the theme is repeated and underlined in a series of variations, which usually progress to the "crunluath" variation where the piper's fingers give a dazzling technical display of embellishment or gracenotes.
"The Piobaireachd Society is a charity registered in Scotland, No. SC001113" |
