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Protocol for Piping a Formal Dinner: A Ceremonial Guide for Highland Bagpipers

2008-05-24T18:06:00.003-05:00

It is believed that the custom of dining in began in the monasteries, was adopted by the early universities, and later spread to military units when the officer's mess was established. British officers of the 19th century were drawn from the aristocracy, and while they considered themselves gentlemen, they were not necessarily men of means; third and fourth sons had little chance of inheriting title and lands under primogeniture. While the pooling of resources may have been out of economic necessity, the regimental officer's mess maintained the social stratification of English society and ensured that the traditions of gentlemanly conduct were maintained and inculcated to junior officers. The primary elements are a rigidly formal setting, espirit de corps and the camaraderie of peers, a fine dinner, traditional toasts to the head of state and military services, martial music and the attendance of honored guests or speakers. Today, although the purpose of a dinner may be to observe an appointment, promotion, retirement, or some auspicious occasion, a central theme of such events is a ceremonial focus upon the history of the host organization.

While the tradition of having a piper at high table may have it's origins in the clan system in Scotland & Ireland, the formal dinners and dining in ceremonies as we know them today are directly attributable to the traditions of the officers mess in the British Army and Royal Navy. Originally fife & drums or trumpeters were employed to sound the calls; as Highland regiments were organized, pipers were employed not only for this purpose, but to celebrate great battles and victories in the history of the regiment and to memorialize their dead, quite in keeping with the Celtic bardic tradition. It should be borne in mind that originally Army pipers were outfitted and paid not by the Exchequer but exclusively by the officer's mess; without their patronage, modern Highland regiments wouldn't have ever had pipers, and without the Army to maintain and build upon this tradition the great Highland bagpipe would be about as familiar to most people today as the zampogna.

When a piper is requested to pipe the calls and the music at a formal dinner, you might be engaged to perform throughout dinner; to provide a limited performance such as pipe in the head table, pipe the lament and/or pipe in the port; or to simply pipe in the head table and depart. While there are many different traditions associated with formal dining, the following are some of the customs associated with piping a formal dinner. You may be requested to perform some, all, or some variant of any of them on occasion.

Dress

Such affairs are invariably formal, requiring black tie, occasionally white tie, or full parade regalia. Miniature decorations and medals are worn. If flying a pipe banner, ensure that the drone cords and/or ribbons are to the left of the banner; i.e., not over the regimental crest. If there is more than one piper, the banner is traditionally flown by the ranking piper present, who will lead the detachment, formed up in order of rank or seniority.

Seating

The seating arrangement at the head table is always based on rank, seniority and status. The host sits in the middle, the next senior person (or guest of honor) to his/her right, the next senior person to his/her left and so on, until all are seated. The senior-ranking member of the mess is the head (or “President”) of the mess dinner and sits in the center. The President of the Mess may appoint a second (“Mr. Vice”), usually the junior officer of the mess, who will be in charge of planning, and who usually occupies the seat farthest from the host, sometimes on the far right, sometimes at another table. Officers take precedence over civilians. If a guest speaker has no rank or status, he/she is positioned as close to the center (right of the host) as possible without offending rank precedence. Chaplains are usually included at the head table, usually at the far left of the President.

Warning Calls

15 minute and 5 minute warning calls are usually sounded to alert the guests that dinner is about to be served, and may be provided by a piper. When piping warning calls a short up-tempo tune is required but no specific title may be prescribed. In some regiments it would be the Officers Call (e.g., “All the Blue Bonnets Are O’er The Border”). A naval tradition is to ring “six bells” (19:00) on a ship’s bell for the 15-minute warning (if dining at 7:15 PM, of course). Dinner may be signaled by a brief pipe tune (“Brose and Butter” is a traditional one), followed by the host or master of ceremonies announcing, "Dinner is served!”

March-in

The guests (except the head table) will proceed into the dining room and remain standing behind their chairs; the closer to top table, the higher the rank or seniority. You may be requested to pipe in the guests. The head table forms up in order of seating, led by the host and the principal guest. When cued, lead the people of the head table into the dining room playing an appropriate tune; “Roast Beef of Old England”, “A Man’s A Man for all That”, “Prince of Denmark’s March”, or the regimental march. If space permits, parade counter clockwise around the room. This is particularly important when flying a drone banner. The regimental crest on the obverse of the banner is always displayed first. When everyone is in place, continue to march, and finish playing at the halt near the dining-room entrance. At a signal from the host, stop playing and remain at attention until grace has been said. If you are not to provide the music during dinner, march from the room after grace is said.

Posting the Colors

An honor guard may post and retire the colors; as a piper you may be requested to pipe them in and out. As the American and Canadian national anthems cannot be properly played on the pipes, other appropriate patriotic tunes must be selected. If you march in with the color guard, make sure that you’re well rehearsed in their drill first; they march in close order with wheeling movements to change direction. Of course, if not playing stand at attention with pipes down for the National Anthem(s). If you're flying a drone banner, watch the color guard and drop your bass drone from horizontal when they dip the colors.

The Lament

In some military and veterans organizations it is customary to remember comrades killed in action, sometimes with an empty place setting, sometimes with a small table before the head table. You may be requested to play a lament in their memory. “Flowers of the Forest” is traditional, but other laments may work equally as well if the host has expressed no preference.

Piping in the Beef

In some traditions, the main course (traditionally beef) is ceremoniously piped in to the head table (or “Mr. Vice”), which will sample it and formally announce it fit for consumption. “Roast Beef of Old England” or “A Man’s a Man For All That” may be used if not played previously to pipe in the head table. You may pipe the beef out as well.

Piping in the Haggis

If haggis is served (such as a Burn’s Dinner), pipe the haggis to the head table to “A Man’s a Man For All That”. Stand at attention for the recital of Burn’s “Address to a Haggis”, and participate in the toast to his “immortal memory”. Pipe the haggis out to “Neil Gow’s Farewell to Whisky”.

Main Course Music

Wait until all at the head table has been served before beginning to play suitable selections intermittently throughout the main course. A piobaireachd is often considered customary. If parading around the room, it is customary to start “widdershins”; counterclockwise. If flying a pipe banner, it may be appropriate to countermarch as well, in order to display the unit crest on the obverse side. Prior to the port wine being served, the host/delegate will signal you to stop playing.

Piping in the Port

An old custom is the piping in of the port wine for the Loyal Toast. After dessert and coffee are served, tables are cleared except for the table decorations and wine glasses. No special music is required, but it should be short and appropriate. On cue, lead the wine stewards into the dining room, positioning yourself at a predetermined spot, and continue to play until the wine is about to be sampled and declared potable by the host. Sometimes the piper will play as the port is passed down the tables as the guests charge their glasses. Remain at attention until the Loyal Toast is drunk and then march from the room, unless required to stay for the Toast to the Corps.

Loyal Toast

If a Commonwealth dinner (or if UK guests are present), you may be requested to play “God Save the Queen” before the Loyal Toast. The person proposing the toast will ask everyone to stand and join him in a toast to the Queen. The member will then raise his/her wineglass shoulder high and say: "The Queen". The assembly will respond: "The Queen".

If an American dinner, the host may propose a toast to the Commander-in-Chief. Mr. Vice seconds this by rising and addressing the company, saying, "Gentlemen, the Commander-in-Chief of the United States". Each member and guest then stands, repeats in unison the toast (e.g., "The Commander-in-Chief of the United States"), sips the drink, and remains standing. The band then plays the National Anthem. If piping, play “America the Beautiful” or “God Bless America”. At the conclusion of the music, members and guests are again seated.

Toast to the Corps

You may be requested to play the regimental march prior to a Toast to the Corps. Unfortunately, the only American regimental marches that “fit” well on the pipes are the “Marine Corps Hymn” and “Semper Paratus”.

Paying the Piper

At the conclusion of your performance, the host may offer you (or the lead piper) a quaich containing a dram (about 3.5 ml) of whisky. Stand to the left of the host. Taking the quaich in both hands, hold it shoulder high and face the head table. It is traditional for the piper to toast the head table (Sláinte! “to your health” in Gaelic; phonetically Slanjer or Slanja), turn to the company and offer a formal toast. Following the toast, you’re expected to drink the whisky in one draught, toast the company (Sláinte!), and flip the cup over and kiss the bottom. Following the ceremony, take your leave of the head table and march from the room. Unless you’re Gaelic is very good, you’re probably best off offering your formal toast in English.

The traditional Pipe Major's toast of the Liverpool Scottish might be adapted to a range of events;

Gaelic

Slainte mhor, Slainte Banrighinn
Slainte agus buaidh gu brath
le Gillean Forbasach.

Phonetic

Slanjervaw, slanjer banreen
Slanjer aggus booey goo bra
la gillian forbusach

English

Good health, health to the Queen
Health and success for ever
to the Forbes lads

Conclusion

At the conclusion of the dinner, you may be requested to play the National Anthem. As neither “The Star Spangled Banner” nor “Oh Canada” can be played successfully on the limited tonal range of the pipes, play “America the Beautiful” or “Maple Leaf Forever” instead. Of course, if not playing stand at attention with pipes down for the National Anthem(s). If you're flying a drone banner, watch the color guard and drop your bass drone from horizontal when they dip the colors.

Duty Tunes of the 48th Highlanders of Canada

Officers Mess Call (15 minutes) “Bannock & Barley Meal”
Meal Call (5 minutes) “Caller Herrin’”
Pipe in Guests “Lt. Col. Robertson”
Pipe in Head Table “Highland Laddie”
Lament “Flowers of the Forest”
First Set (Main Course) Ends with “Highland Laddie”
Second Set (Dessert) Ends with “Lt. Col. Robertson”
Pipe Major’s Toast:
Host:
A Mhàidseir na pìoba, òlamaid deoch-slàinte!
(Pipe Major, let us drink a toast)
Pipe Major's reply:
A h-uile latha a chì 's nach fhaic, an dà fhicheadamh 's a h-ochd gu bràth! Slàinte don Bhànrigh! Slàinte Mhòr! Slàinte!
(Every day that I see you, or that I don't see you, the 48th forever! Health to the Queen! Great good health! Health!)

Piper for Hire; Tampa Bay, FL

Bagpiper available for weddings, receptions, formal dinners, ceremonies, corporate functions, funerals, memorials, and special events of all kinds throughout the greater Tampa Bay area.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emmet_Bondurant

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Getting Used Bagpipes Without Getting Ripped Off

2008-05-24T17:50:00.001-05:00

by Victor Epand

The bagpipe sound is often compared to the sound of cats fighting, or dying, but the reality is that when it is played by a professional, it is one of the most beautiful instruments around. It is of little surprise that the bagpipe is used at ceremonies honoring war veterans and those who have died. It has a mournful sound to it that can bring tears to the eyes of individuals who are touched by the raw beauty of the bagpipe sound.

That being said, you may have someone in your family who does not want to try out the well-known instruments like guitars and pianos, and instead wants to try something a bit harder to learn; the bagpipe.

Before you start cringing at the thought of bagpipes echoing through your home, relish in the fact that they are choosing to learn how to use an instrument that is considered to be one of the hardest to learn in the entire world. However, the problem with bagpipes is that they have to be specially made, and that means they are very, very expensive. This then creates a problem when you do not want to shell out a lot of money for bagpipes when you don't have the assurance that your child will keep using the bagpipes after the novelty of them has worn off.

Many children do not like to practice for hours a day, and when that happens, they usually stop playing it. What do you do then with bagpipes sitting in your closet? You could sell them, but its hard to find a buyer, and even if someone does buy them, you are going to be out a lot of cash. The alternative is to buy used bagpipes.

Now, before you start heading off to the pawn shop to buy bagpipes, you should take into consideration that not many people play bagpipes, and unless you are really lucky, you are only going to find bagpipes online. The best course of action in this scenario is to then search online for 'Buy Used Bagpipes'. If you are lucky, you should be able to find the bagpipes you are looking for, and you will pay much, much less than you would otherwise at a bagpipe manufacturer. As well, you can then sell it yourself online if your son or daughter decides that playing the bagpipes is simply not for them.

Bagpipes are actually a very beautiful instrument that only the best musicians in the world can play. When you have a child who wants to learn how to play the bagpipes, then you have someone who could turn out to be a musical prodigy, because only the best of the best want to learn how to play bagpipes.

As a result, you are going to be looking for ways that you can nurture their gift, while saving costs, and buying used bagpipes is the best way to do this. You get the good bagpipes, at a cheap price, and you can worry about buying nicer ones when you know for sure your child is not going to give up on it.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments. You can find the best marketplace for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments at these sites for used bagpipe CDs, autographed bagpipe CDs, and

Bagpipes - Buying Your First Bagpipe

2007-09-26T19:55:00.000-05:00

By Ilse Hagen

Bagpipes are musical instruments belonging to the family of aerophones, producing sound using reeds. A bagpipe typically consists of an air supply, a bag, a chanter, and usually a drone. Bagpipes have evolved into different kinds, each with its own unique feature.

Great Highland bagpipe

The Great Highland bagpipe was developed in Ireland and Scotland, and still remains to be the most popular type of bagpipe. The typical Great Highland bagpipe consists of a bag, a blowpipe, a chanter, one bass drone, and two tenor drones. It plays in a mixolydian scale ranging from the natural key of low G to the key of high A. It is also commonly used by pipe bands in both military and civilian performances.

Irish Uilleann bagpipe

This type of bagpipe is considered to be the most developed type of bagpipe. It plays in a diatonic scale two octaves in the keys of D major and natural C. It usually has leather pads that can be replaced with air-tight popping valves at one end of the chanter. This type is usually played in short staccato passages.

Northumbrian smallpipes

Northumbrian smallpipes are bellows-blown pipes. They usually bear some similarities with the Irish Uilleann bagpipe, requiring unusually tight fingering to produce a staccato style. A typical bagpipe of this type usually consists of four drones that can be tuned to various combinations of pitches.

Biniou

The Biniou is an old style bagpipe from Brittany, France. It is played by blowing through the mouth and is played in a one-octave scale, producing a very high-pitched sound.

User's guide

When buying bagpipes, look for two things:

1. Materials – to get a rich sound, choose a bagpipe made of Cocobolo or African Blackwood that has a low density, allowing for elimination of buzzes.

2. Durability – a bagpipe that has a carefully threaded mount and ferrule ensures durability and correct fit.

Shopping help / Consumer information

A complete Guide to BAGPIPES is available in Picky Guide, one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer advice and product information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ilse_Hagen

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North American Championship Results

2007-09-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

Glengarry Highland Games
Maxville Saturday, August 4

Grade 1 Overall

1. Scottish Lion- 78th Fraser Highlanders
2. Peel Regional Police
3. Toronto Police
4. Fredericton Society of St. Andrew's
5. City of Washington

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World Pipeband Championships

2007-09-01T20:31:00.001-05:00

COWAL GATHERING
Saturday August 25, 2007

1. Field Marshal Montgomery
2. The House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead
3. Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia
4. St. Laurence O'Toole
5. Strathclyde Police
6. Scottish Power

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World Pipeband Championships

2007-09-01T20:19:00.001-05:00

Results from Glasgow 2007
Grade 1 MSR

1. Field Marshal Montgomery
2. Simon Fraser University
3. Scottish Lion 78th Fraser Highlanders
4. The House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead
5. Strathclyde Police

Grade 1 MEDLEY

1. The House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead
2. Field Marshal Montgomery
3. Simon Fraser University
4. Scottish Lion 78th Fraser Highlanders
5. Strathclyde Police

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PiperGeorge.com

About Bagpipe Chanters- How to Buy Chanters for Your Bagpipes

2007-08-27T18:52:00.000-05:00

By Ilse Hagen

A bagpipe chanter is the part of the bagpipe that produces the melody. It is usually a narrow, conical tube that has a series of small holes. These holes are alternately covered and uncovered to control the pitch produced by the chanter. At the top of the bagpipe chanter is the reed.

Bagpipe chanters usually consist of two main divisions: the parallel and non-parallel bored. The former allows the bagpipe to produce a sweet tone while the latter allows for the control of volume in bagpipes.

Wood or resin?

Wooden chanters are made of solid, durable wood such as African Blackwood, Cocobola, or Rosewood. They usually come in the key of concert pitch D and the key of B and are usually tuned to the key of A in 440 Hz. Most wooden chanters have keyblocks for adding brass keys and mounts usually made of maple wood or synthetic ivory.

Meanwhile, a resin bagpipe chanter is made from durable resin and comes in the key of concert pitch D and the key of B. They are usually tuned to the key of A in 440 Hz. Resin chanters are ideal for both beginners and advanced players.

For beginners

Practice chanters are mainly used for practice in Great Highland Bagpipes. It is smaller than the typical bagpipe chanter and has a top piece that can be blown directly from the mouth. It is generally used by beginners so that they do not have to master the mechanics of controlling the bag. Practice chanters are usually made of hard wood or plastic.

Tips

When buying bagpipe chanters, look for those that have a blowpipe made of plastic. Plastic blowpipes are sturdier and do not crack easily. Also, plastics are not vulnerable to extreme moisture and temperature changes that can cause blowpipes to crack.

Shopping help / Consumer information

A complete Guide to BAGPIPE CHANTERS is available in Picky Guide, one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer advice and product information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ilse_Hagen

2007-07-24T23:05:00.000-05:00

Winnipeg Bagpiper

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Piper of the Scottish Highlands

In all the world there is no more spectacular figure than that of a Scottish Highland Bagpiper. Resplendent in colourful kilt and tunic and playing the traditional Scottish tunes, the Scottish Highland Piper is an irresistible attraction for young and old.

Now all the colour and splendour of a Scottish Highland Bagpiper can be hired for your event for a modest cost. Whatever your event you can now enjoy the attention grabbing excitement that comes with a Scottish Highland Bagpiper.

Now Available to Perform At Your Event

How can you use a Scottish Highland Bagpiper at your event? It's a great attraction for just about any event you can think of. How about having the head table led in by a piper at your next company dinner? Or how about the newly married couple getting escorted out of the Church to a lively Scottish tune? And of course there are store openings, curling bonspiels, birthdays, funerals, parties, graduations, to name but a few. The list is bounded only by your imagination.

The Bagpipe and Its History

2007-07-18T00:35:00.000-05:00

By Duco Sminia

You may have heard that bagpipes are a Scottish invention; you may have heard that they are an Irish invention. The truth (of course) is neither one. The bagpipe was invented in the middle east.The Old Testament mentions the instrument in the book of Daniel chapter 3, where it is listed as one of the instruments that was used to call the people to worship a golden statue that king Nebuchadnezzar had set up. (Anyone who disobeyed had to be thrown into a blazing fire --yaiks!!) This event took place in ancient Iraq, which was then part of the Babylonian empire.

From the middle east migrating tribes of peoples took the instruments to different parts of Europe, Asia and northern Africa. Some 200 years ago the instrument was very popular throughout Europe. It was around that time that the ruling class started to forbid the instrument. It was decided that this instrument, with it’s droning sound was a “poor man’s instrument” and should have no part in modern music.

As a result, the instrument was forbidden in almost all of Europe, except for a few outposts such as Scotland and Bulgaria. The bagpipe in its many forms, as of today still has retained its natural tuning.

The melody pipe or chanter has to tune in with the drone, therefore, it is hard to play together with other “tempered tuned” instruments. The key cannot be changed, also on account of this droning.

However, modern music, even though more sophisticated, has lost a very important ingredient of music, namely the rich overtones.

Those rich tones that you can hear in a well-tuned bagpipe can only be heard when the notes are exactly tuned. This is only the case in bagpipes, hurdy-gurdies (a similar instrument that operates with strings instead of pipes) and in voice.

However recently the bagpipe has been revived in modern music and there are now world wide many people who play the instrument. This is primarily due to the fact that the (scottish highland)bagpipe has been used as a military instruments.

Today the instrument is being used in many different types of music, there are not only players of many different kinds of bagpipes again, there are also modern bagpipe builders.

This modern revival of the instrument has been inspired by painters such as Pieter Brueghel, who painted the instrument as it was played in the 1600’s.

Duco Sminia, Bagpipe maker.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Duco_Sminia

Types of Bagpipes

2007-07-17T23:41:00.000-05:00

While bagpipes may seem like crudely traditional instruments, there are actually several types of bagpipes—each with a distinctive character and sound. The seven types of bagpipes are: Great Highland bagpipes, Irish Uilleann bagpipes, Northumbrian bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, Biniou, Center-France bagpipes, and Gaita.

Great Highland Bagpipe The Great Highland bagpipe is probably the most popular bagpipes type. It originated from Scotland and Ireland and is commonly used by soloists and pipe bands in civilian and military performances. It is played in the mixolydian scale, from the natural low G key to the key of A, consisting of two tenor drones and one bass drone.

Irish Uilleann bagpipes The Irish Uillean bagpipe is the most advanced type of bagpipe. It is played in the diatonic scale, in the key of natural C and the key of major D. It is usually played in staccato—a type of playing that is short and rapid.

Northumbrian smallpipes The Northumbrian smallpipe is a bellows-blown type of bagpipe. It typically consists of four drones that can be tuned to various pitches and combinations. It has chanters with seven 17 keys and possesses some of the unique qualities of the Irish Uilleann bagpipes. However, it requires very tight fingering to play in staccato.

Scottish smallpipes The Scottish small pipe is popular among highland pipers. It is also a bellow-blown type of bagpipe but has the same fingering system as the Great Highland bagpipe. It can also be mouth-blown but will not produce the same sound and tone quality because it has a delicate reed construction.

Biniou Originating from Brittany France, the Binou is designed to be mouth-blown. It is played one note above the octave scale and a flat lead tone below it. It produces a sound that is one octave higher than the Great Highland bagpipe, producing a very high pitched sound. Together with the bombarde, it is commonly used to accompany folk dancing in Breton.

Center-France bagpipes Also known as the chevrette, the Cenetr-France bagpipe is made of goatskin and is also a mouth-blown instrument. It is commonly used in the Bourbonnais, Morvan, and Nivernais regions of France.

Gaita The Gaita is played by pipe bands and folk groups, usually in some regions of Portugal, and particularly in Asturias. It has a conical chanter and can be played in the key of D, C sharp, C, B flat, B, A, and G.

WHERE TO BUY A BAGPIPE

A complete GUIDE TO BAG PIPES is available in Picky Guide, one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer advice and product information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ilse_Hagen