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Bagpipes

miss anniemiss annie
edited June 2011 in Local discussion
This is somewhat belated, but did anyone see the huge funeral cortege led by a real live bagpiper (in a kilt and everything) last week? I happened to be having a lie in that day and it was rather a jolt to the system to be awakened in such an unexpected manner. For a minute I thought that it was especially for my birthday. I leaped from my bed and peered out of the window to see what was going on and couldn't believe my eyes...or ears.
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  • DougDoug
    edited 10:40AM
    Being awakened by bagpipes must be unpleasant.

    I am usually awakened by the irritating Nokia wake up call.

    I think all these reveille calls are meant to be irritating, it's the nature of the beast. Happy Birthday anyhow Miss Annie
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  • checkskicheckski
    edited 10:40AM
    I had just left the launderette on the corner of Moray and Fonthill when I heard a tiny bagpipe sound. What was it - somebody practising, in their Andoverwards home? What would their neighbours think? Or some sort of recording? Puzzled, I noticed nearby builders also looking around.

    Suddenly a distant procession came into view. Of course. Funeral. St Mellitus. Irish or Scottish? Irish neighbour said it depended on with or without sporran. This one was with - but I bet they were Irish.

    At the head, the professional funeralist, with top hat, stick, and measured tread. Then the bagpiper, kilt swinging, cheeks permanently puffed, unceasing perfect fifth (sorry - muso technicality), piercing trad funeral music chanter pipe. Gut-wrenching.

    Followed by small (not large, Miss Annie - if it was the same event), shambling bunch of sad mourners, bewildered children in best clothes, and one or two of the adults, close family I imagine, faces contorted with grief.

    The cortege swung slowly, impressively left, up Fonthill. Lump in throat time. Coffin piled high with wreaths. Line of traffic trailing respectfully in the rear, more cars waiting silently down Fonthill, traffic lights doing their red-green thing more then once, unaware of their redundancy, or the solemnity of the occasion.
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  • AliAli
    edited 10:40AM
    What tunes were being played ?
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  • checkskicheckski
    edited 10:40AM
    Don't know, Ali. Didn't recognise any of them. Something deeply traditional, I imagine.
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  • R&JR&J
    edited June 2011
    Too late to check the church website's newsletter as it would have had at least the name of the deceased on last week's. It appears they do not archive them online
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  • andyhallandyhall
    edited 10:40AM
    the tune was Danny Boy, it was beautiful
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  • checkskicheckski
    edited 10:40AM
    I'm sure it wasn't, Andy - at least, not when they were going past me. Speaking only for myself, that would have been far less impressive. What I heard wasn't really a tune at all. It felt arcane, a direct expression of grief, almost part of the funeral service, rather than a thing called music. Heard as music, it was arguably not an aesthetic experience at all, arguably not even beautiful. As an expression of death and mourning, it was overwhelming. I would have found Danny Boy banal, by comparison. Perhaps it was played earlier or later; I'm glad I didn't hear it.
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  • twinsparktwinspark
    edited 10:40AM
    The bagpipes are an undeniably beautiful sound, expressive and emotional - wish I 'd heard them.
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  • DetritusDetritus
    edited 10:40AM
    I am sorry but a bagpipe sounds like a Badger full of wind being poked with a sharp stick.
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  • twinsparktwinspark
    edited 10:40AM
    Badgers sound more like a dog, lots of growl and a bit of a bark - not sure how wind effects that but I wouldn't poke one with even a blunt stick. [ they hate company you know]

    Badger is also Van Morrison's nickname as he's often grumpy and miserable.
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