PIPERS IN THE HIGLANDS
The pipes in the Lowlands seemed to flourish until
the time of the Reformation, when the playing of the bagpipes as well as any
musical instrument was classified as sinful by the Calvinists. The use of the pipes greatly discontinued in
the Lowlands while the Highlands, largely unaffected by
Lowland politics, became the stronghold for bagpipe music.
There are many references at the close of the
16th Century to the prevailing custom of a piper being considered an
indispensable member of the Clan Chief’s establishment. The pipes were played in the great halls to
mark special occasions for both the Chieftain and the clan while they were also
used to mark the passing of noted kinsmen during the procession to the final
resting place.
A good example of the retinue for a Highland Chief is
given in the book ”Letters from a Gentlemen in the North of Scotland to his
Friend in London” written in 1726.
The following is quoted from letter XXI: “When
a chief goes a journey in the hills, or makes a formal visit to an equal, he is
said to be attended by all or part of the following, viz
The Henchmen basically a bodyguard
Bard his poet
Bladier his
spokesmen
Gillie-more carries
his broadsword
Gillie-casflue carries him across
streams when on foot
Gillie-comstraine leads his horse in rough and
dangerous areas
Gilly-trushanarnish the baggage man
Piper who being
a gentleman, I should have
mentioned
him sooner
Piper’s Gilly carries the
bagpipes”
In the same letter he further
describes the Piper; “I have had occasion to say something of the
piper, but not as an officer of the household.
In the morning, while the Chief is dressing, he walks backward and
forward, close under the window without doors, playing on his bagpipes, with
the most upright attitude and majestic stride.
It is a proverb in Scotland, viz ‘The stately step of a piper’.
When required, he plays at meals, and in an evening is to divert the
guests with his music, when the Chief has company with him: his attendance in a
journey, or a visit, I have mentioned before.”
PAYING THE PIPER
It is understood that Clan pipers would often be
rewarded with rent-free land in return for the services provided the Chieftain
and the Clan. Exact records as to how
much the pipers were paid by Clan chiefs are difficult to find, but some
examples do exist.
The oldest reference is not to a payment but simply
an offer of payment made to Angus Dubh MacAuthur, piper at the time to
MacDonald of Islay, in the mid 1600’s.
It is on record that Angus was offered a bonnet full of silver and gold
if he would change his name to MacDonald.
He refused the offer and sometime after this moved to Skye to and became
the hereditary piper to the McDonalds.
In the MacLeod’s rental roles of 1664 there is a
note of rent due by Patrick Mor MacCrimmon for Galtrigall. The amount due was 151.16 pounds Scots. This rent was cancelled by what MacLeod owed
MacCrimmon for his service as piper.
Sometime
the payments were also in the form of clothes or pipes. In 1711 MacLoad made a
purchase of two bagpipes for 21.45 pounds Scots. (Today’s equivalent almost
$3000.00) And in 1714, payment was made
to Pat Morrison of Edinburgh for “livery clothes for
MacCrimmon, MacLeod’s piper”. The sum of
this payment was 57 pounds Scots.
Charles MacAuthur, son of
Angus, was paid 59.6 pounds Scots in 1720 for service to MacDonald of
Skye. In 1729, MacAuthur accompanied his
young Chief to St. Andrews when the Chief was attending university and was
paid about 65 pounds Scots.
In 1732, Donald Ban, second piper to MacLeod after his
brother Malcolm, received a payment of 26 pounds Scots and this had risen to 33
by 1738.
Now we will mention the famous Fraser Indenture, from
about 1740, a written agreement, whereby David Fraser was to serve the Lord
Lovat for seven years on condition that he was sent to learn the pipes from
Malcolm MacCrimmon on Skye. He was to be
given about 35 pounds Scots per year and also receive bed, board and cloths. If David made it to Skye the rising of 1745
would have interrupted his studies, as he is known to have been at Prestonpans,
Falkirk and Culloden fighting for
the Stuarts.
These
Clan pipers were mostly hereditary and held in much esteem. The best known were the MacCrimmons, pipers
to MacLeod of Dunvegan; the MacAuthers, pipers to MacDonald of the Isles; the
MacKays, pipers to the MacKenzie; the Rankins, pipers to MacLearn of Duart; the
MacGregors of Glenlyon.
THE MACCRIMMON
The
MacCrimmon family is primarily responsible for evolving Highland Bagpipe music
from a fairly uncomplicated movement consisting of a few variations to the
complex structure of known today as piobaireachd. This classical music is an
art form, which can compare to the music of any other country. It is remarkable that most of it was composed
a hundred years before the invention of pianos and without any form of written
notation.
It would be difficult to ever know where the family
MacCrimmon came from but a few theories do exist. Some believe that they came from Ireland. The links between the two countries were
strong and the distance is not great. In
1595, Rory Mor MacLeod went to Ireland to fight for the
O’Donnells. It is said that MacLeod brought back with him Iain Odhar
MacCrimmon. But, there are no indications
that Ireland had any form of music even
remotely resembling piobaireachd.
Another possibility is that they came from the island of Harris. The MacLeods owned the Island and it is said that Patrick
Og’s wife was from there. It is also
suggested that the family possessed lands on the island in the 12th
century.
The
most shocking theory is that the MacCrimmon came from Italy as suggested by Dr. MacLoad
in 1841. The name itself may have been
derived from the town of Cremona. This would suggest that MacLeod on a Grand
tour of Europe may have heard an Italian piper of great ability and brought him back
to Skye. The naming of a man by the name
of where he came from is not uncommon in early Scotland. It has been suggested that some members of
this family believed this to be their origin.
It
does not mater where the MacCrimmons came from; it is sufficient to say they
were responsible for the changing of pipe music forever.
The
first in this great line is reported to be IAIN ODHAR and nothing much is known
of this man except he may have laid out the very beginning of
Piobaireachd. One of his sons was DONALD
MOR (1570-1640), who led a wild and adventurous life as told in folk tales. He is the first in this long line of
distinguished pipers to stand out and he may have had a small piping school at
Galtrigall.
Donald Mor was followed by his son PATRICK
MOR (1595-1670). Patrick was a great
composer of laments. His music was
shaped by the tragic death of seven of his eight sons within a year. Now we bring in the founder of the piping
collage at Boreraig, PATRICK OG (1645-1730).
Patrick
Og is considered one of the greatest pipers of all time, he is reputed to have
been the best of the MacCrimmons.
Patrick’s eldest son MALCOM (1704-1760) succeeded him as teacher at
Boreraig. His youngest son DONALD BAN
(1710-1746) was killed near Inverness fighting for the loyalist against Prince
Charles. IAIN DUBH was the last of the
MacCrimmons to teach at Skye.
OTHER GREAT FAMILIES
To Talk of MacCrimmon we
must also talk of the other hereditary pipers in the Highland during late 1600’s and
early 1700’s.
The MacKay’s were attached to the house of
Gairloch. Blind Roderick was a
distinguished piper and was accounted only to MacCrimmon in individual skill on
the pipes. Roderick’s son was Iain Dall
MacKay, the blind piper known as “Am Piobaire Dall.” He was born blind and learned the elements of music from his
father. Sent to study at the Collage at
Borreraig, he easily outstripped the other students and left after seven years,
acknowledged as an equal by MacCrimmon.
He composed no less than twenty-four Ceol Mor and numerous Ceol
Beag. He was a good Gaelic poet, singer
and authored many songs. (Unfortunately most of his tunes were lost.)
The MacArthur’s, who were the Pipers
to MacDonald of the Isles, were esteemed next in excellence to the MacCrimmons
and like them kept a seminary for instruction of pipers. The most celebrated of the MacArthurs was
Charles, who was taught by Patrick Og.
He stayed at the Collage for Eleven years to master the instrument. Ian Dall said of him “ I think a great deal
of him, he is a good piper…. He will excel in his profession.” Charles was an excellent teacher and his
brother’s son learned from him and became the appointed piper to the Highland
Society in the late 1700’s.
The Rankin’s, a branch of MacLean,
were the Pipers to their Chief. One of
this line that was said to be a fine performer of first-rate abilities was Conn
Dauly. He may have attended either collage
on Skye but we can find no record to support that he did.
The Campbell’s, who were the Pipers
to Campbell of Mochaster in Argyleshire, attained considerable eminence in the
field of piping. Donald was sent by
Colin Campbell to learn from Patrick Og MacCrimmon. He remained with him for a considerable time
and was esteemed a performer of merit.
At
the college, students would devote between six and twelve years learning the
Piobaireachd alone, for the playing of reels or quicksteps was not allowed.
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