things
A slow air from 2021 that I kept meaning to record on the appropriate date!
The tune is in the key of C which is an uncommon key for the smallpipes but perfectly playable. In this case the tune actually fits on the standard 7 key chanter as there are no F naturals. Drones need to be tuned to G and a C if you can get one; my A drone can be pushed up to a C.
David Burleigh, the most prolific, and now retired, maker of Northumbrian Smallpipes very helpfully numbered his instruments from the mid 1970s onwards topping out at a whopping 3,269 in 2012. The exact dates for some instruments are known and from those a rough timeline can be derived. Sometimes, however, sets come along with the potential to cause confusion!
First up is an early set from the mid 1970s I had a play on last year and it was one of the earliest numbered sets I have seen – and there’s an obvious challenge in reading the number – is it #66 or #99?
The number is always on the low E key (with the name on the low D key) and in all chanters I have seen the numbers are read with the E key on the top of the chanter. This would mean that this set would be #99. In later sets there is a number marker – it’s not consistently applied pre/post the number but it is non-reversible!
Here’s the other set that caused some confusion; the owner had asked me to fettle a set and the number was reported (entirely legitimately!) “81 something but it’s hard to read”. I was expecting something from the mid 1970s. As it turned out the set was a good 20 years younger dating from the early 1990s:
The number marker that can be seen here appears to be the Greek letter Psi (Ψ) – it’s not known why this was chosen, it may well have just been an unused / non-roman type stamp that was too hand!
Here’s a concert pitch (D) set of Northumbrian Smallpipes made by David Burleigh in the mid to late 1990s (#2395). It’s standard construction; blackwood and brass with a 7 key chanter and 4 drones with a single tuning bead. Chanter responds nicely with a rich tone and the drones have the original cane reeds which match the chanter really nicely.
Fully reeded, original bellows & full playing condition – case included.
Price: £850 + delivery
Location: West Northumberland – and occasionally elsewhere
Contact me to buy or for more details.
A slightly bonkers boxing day tradition for Northumbrian Pipers is Wannies Yomp. Whatever the weather pipers gather at the top of Great Wanney crag at a sensible and not very strict ‘mid morning’ and play a few tunes – not the least of which is of course the “Wild Hills of Wannies”.
This year was no exception – although the post Wanney session in a local pub was definitely not on the menu. Numbers were sorely depleted with COVID restrictions – but one fool was up there in the gale:
The weather always clears the head – this was definitely one of the windier ones and playing was only really possible tucked down in the mini stell this year!