Man these bagpipes bring tears to my eyes every time. It brings up something from deep within my genetic past. I just ordered the practice chanter, book and cd. Gotta start somewhere. If I like it I will get good enough to join a flash mob like this. Oh yeah!!!!!
You either love or loathe the sound of bagpipes, true. To me, it makes me feel homesick for a country I have never even lived in. Scotland the Brave....
Every time I hear Scotland the Brave played on the pipes I am reminded of my girlfriend's grandfather. He was born in Scotland. He would on many occasions reminisce about his childhood in Scotland and hearing pipers and drummers gather on the mountainside and play. He would listen to them from across the valley, their echoes bouncing between the mountains. Then when he was around 10 his family came to America. He never returned to Scotland even for a visit and missed his childhood home terribly. As it happened, when I was dating his granddaughter, they were planning his 100th birthday. We lived in a northern state with many mountains. One such mountain, not terribly big as mountains go, had a park at the top where you could hike up and view the other mountains and hold a picnic. It was breathtaking. Her grandfather was not in the best of health so the idea of arranging for him to visit Scotland was ruled out. So the family decided to bring Scotland to him. The only problem was for what they had in mind, he could not walk to the summit. The path was also pretty ragged so we built a chair with long poles and a canopy and his grandchildren and friends took turns 8 at a time carrying him in the chair to the summit. He was set down at the peak of the summit where we had a birthday picnic and BBQ all set up. Served were a number of Scottish dishes including one illegal to bring to the US but we got it smuggled in anyways. It was the first time in 90 years he had haggis. Then it was time for the presentation of the cake. But we had a surprise for him. From across the valley there was the distant sound of pipes playing happy birthday. ON the second verse pipes began to play from another direction in the distance on another mountain top. The third verse added other pipers from yet another mountain peak then the fourth verse and the rest of the song was piped in by 40 pipers and 20 drummers marching up in full highland dress up the path and to the peak where my girlfriend's grandfather was sitting on his makeshift throne. In a circle they played out happy birthday. The cake was presented, wishes made then the cake was cut and distributed and spirits poured and a toast was made and spirits drunk. This was followed by the most magical concert that lasted two hours beginning with Scotland the brave and ending with Danny boy. My girlfriend's grandfather was named Daniel and everyone always called him Danny. Every song was started by drummers or pipers who had been stationed on one of the nearby mountain peaks. The music reverberated back and fourth between the mountains. While the celebration took place twenty years ago I can still hear every note. When the party was over, he was carried down the mountain in his chair while the pipers piped and the drummers drummed him down marching behind him all the way to the bottom. The next day he died. When I went to pay my respects at the wake a few days later with my girlfriend we saw that he didn't just look peaceful in his casket, like the cliché goes, he had a smile on his face. The undertaker apologized to my girlfriend's Dad for not being able to change the smile. He said he had never seen anything like it. Needless to say there was more piping and drumming at the funeral. His body was finally returned to Scotland where he is buried.
Curtis Willett Thank you though my own participation was somewhat minimal consisting mostly of taking turns at helping to carry him and cleaning up after the picnic. His family made most of the arrangements. I still get chills just thinking back on that day.
Why the binary set of choices in arguably every case? Hehehe. I believe I have one Scot ancestor in my lineage. However, no one needs to have Scottish ancestry to love the pipes and drums. Oh my God. Happy Christmas 2012, Thousand Oaks!
These are the coolest guys on earth. They came to the rescue of the paratroopers who were stranded at a bridge during D-Day. The sound of the pipes made everyone there rejoice. I am an Honorary member of the 52nd Lowland Volunteers and I am proud to have served with such fine soldiers.
Brings tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat. I've always loved the pipes and I was proud when my son learned to play them so well in military school. He soloed for the Christmas late-night candlelight service at our church as we held our lights high at the end. This was a well-done "mob". I've seen others with pipes here and there and this one is the best!
When I was a child I went for a holiday to Adelaide in South Australia and as I was playing in the sand on the beach, a man stood on his balcony from his 3 story apartment and played the bagpipes for 15mins. That when I fell in love with the sound and the joy that bagpipes bring.
I like to think that one member of this event had the foresight to conceal his pipes long enough for things to start. Then, as the flash mob unfolded, he gave a long sigh and told those next to him, "I knew this was coming for a long time," and then unveiled his pipes and concluded, "I'll handle this." And there would stand the John McClane of bagpipes.
I have no scottish heart like you but everytime I ear such a bagpipes band ... huuu ! I shudder ! Maybe this is due to my celtic roots (I'm 50% from Brittany, but the small one, on the westside of France)
christophe RENAUD Thank you for your comment... Brittianny is a place I often hear of in connection with artists...I believe it must have been a wonderful place to have been raised. As an artist it is a possible destination if & when I travel. I'm so glad to come back and hear this incredible music...which makes me want to have a kilt on & do the highland fling!
byheavenlyhosts In fact I've just pagan roots (I'm German and swiss) but the bagpipes touch my heart, evry single time. I love evrything coming from Scottland...
Love it!! American born and raised. Spent 20 years in the Navy. On one of my 3 year tours over seas there was a fellow sailor who would play the bag pipes every morning! The music would reverberate through out the whole hanger deck. Love it!! :)
I'm from Edinburgh and the pipe reminded me of home and of my Mum....I'm also a bag pipe player .......This really made this Scotsman cry!! Thank you so much for posting this! I surely miss the sounds of home!
My father passed away on 12-20-07, and he was a Presbyterian minister and Scottish through and through. I can't help but believe that there is a lot of him in this. Thank you so much for moving me so deeply-I treasure and value your sharing of your gifts so tremendously. Thank you.
Yup, pipes are LOUD and carry a long, long way. I don't think i have ever heard them indoors, but i can imagine those close could physically feel the music.
keep the pride strong friend, keep the Scottish blood flowing strong!! I may live in america but I'm saving to move over. see the cliffs and fields again...
I'd like to visit Falkirk. My dad was born and raised in East Kilbride and Hamilton. And he immigrated to Canada in 1960. The first prime minister of Canada is from Falkirk; Sir John A. MacDonald. I've been to Scotland 6-7 times as a youngin', but I only remember sterling Castle and the beauty of one specific Ben my dad showed me. I also remember thinking Loch Ness was astoundingly small (google Lake Ontario), and Edinburgh was eerie, yet gorgeous. I'll never know which mountain it was, as he passed away a few years ago. It was such a picturesque mountain... truly like a drawing of a mountain. In the middle of nowhere.
I don't understand how some people don't like the bagpipes? They are a pretty sound. The first time I heard the pipes, I was 5 years old. My family was taking a drive through a park at sunset, and a man was walking along the shore of Lake Winnebago playing Amazing Grace. He was dressed in full Highland garb, kilt and all. It was a perfect scene
as far as I know I have no Scottish ancestry. but every time I hear bagpipes I can only think of one word: "EPIC" That instrument fills me with all kinds of emotions all at once. love it!
As a serving soldier in a scottish regiment there is ALMOST nothing like marching to the bag pipes. With God in our hearts we would march into the very depths of he to fight satan himself with the sound of the pipes blaring.
Mexico has bagpipes who play Irish music as a tribute to the San Patricia's- Irish Americans who fought on the Mexico during the Mexican -American war!
When I was a little kid, my Dad took me out to Kennywood Park every year on "Scots Day" to hear the pipe and drum bands from the Pittsburgh area. He knew a few fellas who played. The hair would raise on my arms and my pulse would quicken when I first heard them warming up a 100 yards away . That has not changed. Piping and drumming is a great tradition!
Always brings a wee tear to ma eye, when oor brothers and sisters overseas get a wee reminder of the pipes and drums and that we have no forgot about them xx
Katie Speed I'm with you there! Loved to hear one piper on a lonely hillside beside Loch Ness - sent chills right through me. They soothe me when I need soothing, raise my hackles when I'm ready to fight back - whomever or whatever that may be.
Katie Speed This sound was with me since childhood as I heard it almost every week in Olde Towne Alexandria, Virginia. It's either cry or scream with me. I can't hear this without feeling something in my chest and jaw muscles, and the tears well up, and I give a crazed shout as if i were a blue-painted Pict on a rampage! "...insane amount of pride...". Cheers and have a great weekend. Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease to you and yours!
+Katie Speed I doubt many people realize how loud even one bag pipe is in an enclosed space. With all those pipers and drums, it would have been thunderous.
As a born Canadian with a Scottish born Bubu I want to return to his native Ayrshire and be where he and his family came from...I love this music and feel the spirit of you all!
Love, love, adore bagpipes, I get so emotional when I see and hear Pipe bands and Drums, they stir my heart strings. I really love a Scotish Tattoo, What a lovely Christmas present to all shoppers. I love the spirit of this group of people. Thank you so much.
Very well done...kind of surprised how many people walked right by, hardly paying attention...I would have been completely mesmerized. I love Bagpipes, I would have thoroughly enjoyed seeing this in person.
You guys rock! I love the brother/sisterhood & camaraderie. Love it! There are no "bagpipes" in my culture, but I stand in amazement & delight each and ever time I hear them... Do it again, then once more at the Collection in Oxnard, and the Pacific View Mall, Center Pointe Mall, etc... Keep it going!
Hot Rod Roddy piper comes rolling in at 3:46. BTW, I had tears, as always when I hear this music, rolling down my face. Don't know why, don't care why, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Tom Donovan what"s jones have to dp with what happened? i have never been so happy as to see and hear such a display of scot cultural pride. surely it rivals other cultural spontaneous displays, e.g krystalnacht, king riot, lynch mobs, inquisitions, etc. no more identity politics.
OMG! The tears now! I've always loved the pipes for some inexplicable reason (I was born & reared in the USA & have no Scots blood that I'm aware of) In the year 2000 Mom & I were in Piccadilly Square and I started running ahead & heard someone ask "where's she going?" Mom answered "she hears the pipes" She KNEW I had to be near them! Today I finished a Scottish romance novel & was on YT to look at Calzean Castle & ended up here,the 4th anniversary of Mom's passing.SERENDIPITY. RIP MOM, LOVE U!
Hearing the Christmas music was nice. But when they broke out in The Green Hills Of Tyrol,tears hit me so fast that I had no chance to stop them.My love and pride in my ancestral homeland.
how can anybody say the scots pipes dont sound good, in fact brilliant. If they do look back., the Scottish have always been their in many a war, and the pipes were always their for pride and the pipes spurring the Scots and their allies on even the English especialy. I've nothing bad to say to the English, but you must admit the pipes make you proud, first in last out. A Scotsmin and very proud.
