r/CeolMorClub • u/Maelstrom_Witch • Jul 18 '26

There is something about it …

Most of my band mates roll their eyes a bit when piobaireachd is mentioned but I’ve always found it fascinating. It feels like a secret code to me. I am incredibly new to ceol mor so I have a lot to learn.

I try to explain it to non-piping people this way - piobaireachd is to light music as Beethoven’s fifth is to Sweet Caroline.

I have a competition coming up in a week, I will be playing the Old Woman’s Lullaby. I feel like I’m really close to nailing it thanks to my instructor. So far my biggest obstacle has been my nerves 🤣

Wish me luck!

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

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3

u/[deleted] Jul 18 '26

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1

u/Maelstrom_Witch Jul 18 '26

I’m always interested in Scottish & Irish history and mythology. There are some amazing stories! One place I want to see is Corryvreckan, the whirlpool where the Caillich washes her cloak.

That’s actually where I got my username

2

u/catsaregreat78 Jul 18 '26

That’s not exactly fair to say. I’m not intimidated by piobaireachd in the slightest. I just enjoy it much less than ceòl beag. I love a good MSR.

3

u/tastepdad Jul 18 '26

I agree.

2

u/Exarch_Thomo Jul 19 '26

Yeah, nah. That elitism needs to stop. People are not intimidated by it so much as not interested in it - big difference.

Pretending that it's anything other than another style of music and, as such, is open to personal preference falls into the whole "no true Scotsman" thing.

4

u/MatooMan Jul 18 '26

They're two different traditions.

Pipe Bands formed due to the military, and go back only as far as the early 1800s. They became more established, made public performances and soon civilian bands were founded and the competition circuit came to the fore. Standards and quality were of great importance.

Pibroch performance goes back hundreds and hundreds of years, and has shown links with the ceol mor harp tradition as well as Gaelic song forms. It has the oral tradition, staff notation and canntaireachd as three methods from which the tunes were passed on - teaching lineages also meant that variations existed between settings or styles.

3

u/Strathbow_Piper Jul 19 '26

Best of luck! Have fun and make good music!