The most recognisable sound of Uilleann pipes

[rorybbellows]

I've heard it said that many pipers got into playing the pipes after hearing Davy Spillane play during River dance or some say after hearing the piping in the Titanic movie, some after hearing either Paddy Keenan or Liam O'Flynn playing in groups or Solo. All the above pipers play concert pitch pipes. So I would safely say that concert pitch pipes are the most commonly heard pipes by pipers and non-pipers and because of this would you say that ,the concert pitch pipes are most recognisable sound of the Uilleann pipes and because of that, the concert pitch pipes IS the sound of Uilleann pipes and flat pitched pipes are just an esoteric relic from the past.

RORY

[ennischanter]

Ah, but one of the most viewed uilleann pipe videos on YouTube, are of Seamus Ennis playing a Slow Air....




You can also hear a B Chanter in the Titanic Theme..

[NicoMoreno]

Except there's no way Ennis could have played a slow "aire" because such a thing does not exist.

he does, however, play a slow air.

[ennischanter]

Sure...

[MTGuru]

Except there's no way Ennis could have played a slow "aire" because such a thing does not exist.

Sometimes though I think it's a shame that aire is not correct. Because "slow air" does sound like we're talking about a leaking tire - or bag.

[Sirchronique]

The first time I heard a set of uilleann pipes (knowing it was uilleann pipes) was a flat set in C.

[Tony]

....concert pitch pipes are most recognisable sound of the Uilleann pipes....

RORY

For me they are/were.

My introduction to Uilleann pipes came from David Arkenstone's CD "The Celtic Book of Days" released in 1998. The piper was Eric Rigler. Having played oboe in the school symphony, my ears said it was a double-reed instrument, however the expressiveness was like nothing I had heard before.
Reading liner notes didn't mean much then and information about Uilleann pipes on the internet back then was sketchy.
Certainly not traditional, Arkenstone's use of Uilleann pipes was tuned for my musical taste.
Here are some YouTube videos from that album, featuring Eric Rigler...

Stormcry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-WCan1wYLg

Behind Walls of Stone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma9dtj4I_oM

The Dragon's Breath
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0tdt0oVQkA

[Lars Larry Mór Mott]

I've heard it said that many pipers got into playing the pipes after hearing Davy Spillane play during River dance or some say after hearing the piping in the Titanic movie, some after hearing either Paddy Keenan or Liam O'Flynn playing in groups or Solo. All the above pipers play concert pitch pipes. So I would safely say that concert pitch pipes are the most commonly heard pipes by pipers and non-pipers and because of this would you say that ,the concert pitch pipes are most recognisable sound of the Uilleann pipes and because of that, the concert pitch pipes IS the sound of Uilleann pipes and flat pitched pipes are just an esoteric relic from the past.

RORY

To me that's like saying concert pitch flutes are "the definitive" sound.. which is to be honest, baloney. The average non ITM-savvy person can't hear the difference between a B and D set anyway..

[rorybbellows]

One of the reasons why piping nearly died in first half of the twenth century is that flat pitch piping is a stagnant art form and all art forms that dont progress die.Thankfully a few thing happened in the second half of the century ,the formation of NPU,the leap forward in development of concert pitch pipes and the recognition of Leo Rowsomes playing on the concert pitch pipes . With that, players like Johnny Doran and after Leo players like Paddy Maloney and Liam O'Flynn brought on the the progress of different styles ,up to modern day players like Davy Spillane,Barry Kerr and Micheal McGoldrick have kept the progress in motion. It has been concert pitch players and pipes that have spearheaded the resurgence in the popularity of Uilleann pipes and flat pitched pipes have been carried along in the wake of that popularity.
The future of piping is concert pitch pipes and unless someone does something new with flat pipes they will go the way of the dodo.
RORY

[oleorezinator]

Except there's no way Ennis could have played a slow "aire" because such a thing does not exist.

he does, however, play a slow air.

aire
Noun
Obsolete spelling of air.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aire#Noun

[NicoMoreno]

Citation needed.

There's no other source to be found for that, and no source listed on the page...

[uillmann]

http://lostinthecloud.files.wordpress.c ... s-aire.gif

This amusing composition is, however, of dubious musicality.

[Sirchronique]

Here the "aire" conversation has already come up. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=65865

[oleorezinator]

Citation needed.

There's no other source to be found for that, and no source listed on the page...

Ok

[rorybbellows]

To me that's like saying concert pitch flutes are "the definitive" sound.. which is to be honest, baloney. The average non ITM-savvy person can't hear the difference between a B and D set anyway..

I dont know enough about flutes to have an opinion about that,but I think concert pitch and flat pitch pipes could nearly be considered different instruments in much the same way as clarinet is to saxophone,and just to clarify what we're talking about here is the old style flat pitched pipes or union pipes and not the modern style flat pipes. I think it was Ken McLeod who first pointed out that they should be classed differently(union pipes v flat pipes).

RORY