Community Corner
A Bit o' the Irish with Sean O'Donnell's Bagpipes
The pipes, the pipes are calling from glen to glen, and down the mountain side and all the way to the Peters Township Public Library.
Irish eyes were smiling at the on St. Patrick’s Day.
Sean O’Donnell entertained a small green-clad crowd with his bagpipes. O’Donnell plays the Great Highland Bagpipes, native to Scotland and Ireland.
The bagpiper elaborated on his particular instrument, “The pipes have been around for thousands of years. Most people don’t know this, but their origin is in the Middle East, and not Scotland.” He explained about the history of the musical device.
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He mentioned, "The Great Highland Bagpipes, like many other kinds of bagpipes, were also called war pipes."
O’Donnell described their wartime use, “British military forces that included Highland regiments, the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe became well-known worldwide. The bagpipers would be on the front line, leading the battle. It must have been terrifying to hear and see a hundred bagpipers advancing on an enemy.”
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He played a march, “Scotland the Brave” as his opening number. “The pipes were played in war and in celebration,” he said.
The musician elucidated on the musical instrument, explaining the various parts of the mechanism. His Great Highland Bagpipes consist of a bag (made of Elk skin), drones (the pipes), the blowstick (a valve) and the chanter (the flute-like component to create the notes). Before each song, he would gently press on the bag to generate more airflow inside and then puff his cheeks up and blow.
O’Donnell was festooned in Scot’s and Irish regalia. He was wearing a tartan kilt. O’Donnell touched the hem of his kilt with reverence, “Most Irish kilts are one color, but I wear the Douglas tartan, a Scot’s tartan. It is the official colors of the Laurel Highlanders Pipes and Drums group. This is actually my uncle’s kilt. It’s because he played with them that I became interested in becoming a bagpiper. For a while, we played together with the Highlanders, but he has since passed on.”
The melodious sounds thundered through the library’s atrium. O’Donnell joked, “There is no volume control on the bagpipes. There is no variance. Everything is played at one setting — loud!”
O’Donnell selected a few famous pieces of bagpipe music, including “Pumpkin’s Fancy,” “Minstrel Boy,” “Whiskey in the Jar,” and, of course, “Danny Boy.”
He brought out a popular closing number, “Amazing Grace.” The mournful melody resounded through the building. Not wanting to end on a dour note, he finished with a jaunty little Irish jig.
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