Ha ve you ever listened to an instrument that has invariably made you weep, for unexplained reasons? Many first-timers to Ireland have been overwhelmed by the strains of a unique instrument, which is the backbone of Celtic music. At street corners, traditional pubs with old-style wooden interiors and music festivals, you can hear the soulful notes of the uilleann pipes (pronounced ‘Ilun pipes’).
Unlike the bagpipes of Scotland, or any other region where ‘pipe’ would generally refer to a blown instrument, the uilleann pipes are bellowed by the elbow (‘uilleann’ in Gaelic and hence the name). The original Irish name for the instrument is píobaí uilleann or ‘pipe of the elbow’. Many mistook the instrument to be ‘Union Pipes’, probably because it is a union of various components, or representing the 1800 Act of Union ( of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland). The term ‘uilleann pipes’ is said to be an invention of noted Irish author, musicologist and composer Grattan Flood.
Francis Mcpeake 3 - guru Of John Lennon
The tone, resembling the Scottish bagpipes and even those from Norway, or even the earthy, raw Mezoued of Libya and south Tunisia, is distinct and mature. The underlying softness and purity of expression give soul and emotion to Ireland’s traditional repertoire of dance music, laments, airs, ballads and Sean Nos, an ancient form of vocal music.
Sing and play
The fairly large air bag is inflated by a small set of bellows strapped around the waist and the right arm (for a right-handed player). They relieve the player from the continuous effort of blowing into a bag to maintain the pressure. This enables players to even sing while playing and interact with the audience, a typical practice among Celtic musicians. Like the flute, there are finger holes on the ‘chanter’, the component on which the melody is played. There are regulators equipped with closed keys that can be opened by wrist action to provide chords, harmonic and rhythmic accompaniment. Uilleann pipes are made as sets for different levels. A full-set, or a fully equipped uilleann pipe generally would consist of a wooden reed chanter, bag, bellows, three drones and three regulators.
The most fascinating aspect of this instrument is its drone. Generally set to one single note, like say, D, the drone provides the pitch of the melody being rendered, which is set entirely to that note and pitch like in Indian classical music. The performance generally begins by the sound of the drone introducing the pitch followed by the melody, like the tanpura does with the raga. Coincidentally, many Irish melodies share similarities with Indian ragas. Many ornamentations are similar to that of ragadari and the tone of the uillean pipes can often resemble the shehnai or nagaswaram.
One of the greatest pipers of all times, Francis Mcpeake 3, the guru of John Lennon, has contributed immensely to Irish traditional music with his heart-rending compositions. The Belfast-based Mcpeake believes that the pipes would have entered Ireland through India, as did many of the dance steps. “The soldiers went dancing, not for the women, but for a wholesome musical experience.They must have brought in several influences,” he said.
The uilleann pipe is as indispensible a part of Irish music as is the tin whistle, the accordion, the bodhran drum and the banjo, to name a few. But it is only the bodhran that is the indigenous while the others trace their origins to other lands.
Mcpeake believes that like the tanpura, the drone of this instrument which continues throughout the performance, has a spiritual significance. “Like in Indian music, the drone is the backbone of the melody and has a spiritual significance in Irish music as well, we believe that it is meant to appease the Lord. It is symbolic. Just like how all life emanates from the universal source and returns to it, all the music we play emerges from the drone and merges back into it,” he says, referring to the ‘Omkaar dhwani’ of the tanpura that stalwarts like the late Pt. Dinkar Kaikini spoke of to his disciples.
The uilleann pipes can be played solo or give support to an orchestra. Legends like Seamus Ennis, Willie Clancy and even living masters like the multi-faceted Mike Mcgoldrick have made history with this intriguing instrument.
The writer, a multi-linguist, is
an international performer
and composer
