Grace Notes

A short quick introduction for this edition in order to make room for all the interesting and varied articles which follow on. But I can’t fail to mention the amazing time I had in Plovdiv, Bulgaria attending the International Bagpipe Organisation’s conference. Not only was there a great range of interesting papers but there was some stunning playing and music, all set in the most fascinating of cities. I am very grateful to Andrea Kirkby who has written her account of the event and described it far better than I could have. I have heard several people say that they won’t attend the IBO

conferences as they are dry and academic and Andrea addresses this very issue and attendance at any one will prove that they’re not. I hope her article will encourage more to attend the next conference in 2026 which will be held in Belgium. The IBO is very much the baby of Cassandre Balosso-Bardin, who is also a regular and welcomed contributor to the pages of Chanter, so I am particularly pleased to know that she is the subject, at long last, of In the Bag.

Nicholas Konradsen is a gifted musician, maker and craftsman and seems to excel at anything he puts his mind and talents to – and his latest project, to recreate the Lincolnshire bagpipe, is described here. Nicholas has already made a name for producing a number or single reeded northern European/historical bagpipes and now he turns to an instrument much closer to home, one from his home county. It is reassuring to have a young maker enter the fold and someone who is prepared to investigate, challenge convention and recreate traditional instruments. Another maker who is featured in this edition is Adam Casey – an Australian who has built a great reputation in his part of the world for making smallpipes.

Education is at the heart of The Bagpipe Society and, as members, we have an unending task in educating all we meet (and will listen) to learn more about bagpipes! It’s also important to encourage new players and help them start on their bagpipe journey. As a result of an enquiry, Simon Pickard travels to address a group of young Great Highland Bagpipers to show that piping has a long and illustrious history – and one that started outside of Scotland! Siggy Parratt-Halbert gives another entertaining account of playing pipes out and about, this time at Medieval Music in the Dales – this is yet another event where the BagSoc loan pipes are in great demand for beginner classes.

Following on from Jon Swayne’s exploration of a possible bagpipe slight from Roman times in the last edition, Yannis Pantazis now delves even further back to early Greek literature and shows that bagpipes have been the butt of ribald humour for a very long time indeed. A trope copied and mimicked ever since, even by Shakespeare.

Electronic bagpipes have been in existence for some years. I must say that I’ve been tempted from time to time but never made the plunge but I know people who find theirs invaluable. One of the reasons I’ve hesitated is that I’m not really sure of what’s out there and if it will be right for me and so, if you have the same thoughts, you will find Paul Miller’s piece of great interest.

I have actually contributed an article in this edition in order to bring you up to date with some exciting new discoveries in my long-term search for Hale the Piper.

Finally, I have to admit I’m biased, but I love the sound of the torupill and its music. So I was delighted when I spotted that Cätlin Mägi had initiated a new recording alongside 6 other female players of this once, male only instrument. The result is joyous and one of the members of the group, Kadri Allikmäe, has written about how the project came about.

I hope you all have a great summer and I look forward to seeing some of you at my annual pilgrimage to Le Son Continu in July.