The Bagpipe

by Francis M. Collinson

Originally published in 1975, and written by an authority on Scottish music, this book traces the evolution of the bagpipe whilst also narrating the fortunes of the ‘Great Highland Bagpipe’ itself. Exploring history and archaeology of civilizations as far removed from the Scottish Highlands as Egypt and Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome this book offers a unique full-length history of one of the world’s most interesting and ancient musical instruments. Appendices list the bagpipes of other countries and the materials used in the instrument’s manufacture as well as a comprehensive bibliography.

Genres: Music

296 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1975

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a comprehensive book, so thorough in its scope and written with such passion for the subject. Even as she narrows her focus to the highland bagpipe, Collinson includes details on the highland abroad. Not only is her focus broad in terms of geography, but Collinson includes details on "girl pipers," even as they were ridiculed and not allowed to compete. Collinson includes some fascinating passages from all sorts of sources, that paint a picture of the importance of the pipers, and focuses on the impact of the sociopolitical sphere on the world of piping. Collinson's description of how British regulations could and did impact the population of pipers was fascinating.
My main problem is that I went into this with absolutely zero knowledge on any of the subject matter, from Scottish highland politics to piping setups, and at times, got a bit lost. Collinson did a good job describing most things, but especially when it came to Scottish history, I felt like Collinson missed a few descriptions.
But overall, this was a really interesting read. I enjoyed learning so much about the bagpipes from all angles, and most of the facts were fun tidbits to share with others!

[Tyler Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on bagpipe history I have found. Approximately half of the book deals with bagpipe history prior to the development of the great highland pipes. If GHP are your interest, then perhaps look elsewhere. The book covers extensive archeological and textual research going back to early pipes in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and elsewhere in Europe. While this is a scholarly read, its style is somewhat dated (published in 1975). I actually found this to be charming.

If there is a book that covers more recent archeological evidence of ancient pipes I am interested to find it, so please message me.