Page 83 - Stories Told about the Bagpipes

ISSUE : Issue 50

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1989/1/1

Bagpipe Stories continued from inside front cover One day when the steamer was eighteen miles off shore, it began to leak. The captain did not know what to do. Then the boy said to him, "If you warm my fingers, I'll play distress music so loud that they will hear it on shore." So they warmed his fingers, and he went up on the upper deck, and he played distress music so loud that they heard him on shore and sent out an? other boat and rescued all the passengers. After that the boy came ashore and settled in this valley, and all his sons were great pipers after him because they learned from him. And that is why this valley is called Piper's Glen. Dan Angus Beaton, Blackstone In Issue 45 of Cape Breton's Magazine. Dan Angus Beaton told the story of "Colainn gun Cheann." In it, a piper entered a cave, a dangerous place, and using bagpipe music he communicated a description of what he was seeing to people outside the cave. We asked Dan Angus whether the music was actually- giving the message.... Dan Angus Beaton: Giving the message of everything he was seeing in there. (People would hear that music and understand the words?) Oh, definitely, in Scotland they would. Definitely. They could tell every note and describe every note. Oh yes--in Scotland. I'll tell you more about the music, too. I'll tell you how accurate they were. The father and son in Scotland were the two best pipers in Scotland at the time. And they were going to a contest. And the father knew the only chance he had of beating his son was to have.a tune that the son couldn't play. That was his only chance--compose a tune that the son didn't know anything about, and play it. Oceanside Assistance Group Limited Providing Small Business Development Assistance Renwick Place 17 Commercial St. Glace Bay, N. S. B1A3B9 Tel. 849-0544 Now, I'll tell you now what pipers they were, and what musicians they were. So, they were on their way across the mountain to where the contest was to be held. And the old man had a cane. Here he was, practising the tune on ' the cane, "" " behind him. The other allow was '. watching the %-' fingering on -J'" the cane. .*?"* Watching him all the way across the mountain. The old man was practising the tune all the way, playing it on the cane. "Oh," the son said to himself, "uh-huh, oh"--watching him. The son was asked first to play. He tuned the pipes up and this is the tune he played. The old man was so surprised he almost fainted. He said, "Where in the name of God did you hear that tune? You never heard me play it." "No," he said, "but you shouldn't have been fingering it like this on the cane coming across the mountain!" That's, now, how quick they could catch on. (But you're giving me the sense that the GEORGE JONES FUELS FURNACE and STOVE OIL SYDNEY • GLACE BAY • NEW WATERFORD LOUISBOURG 7 DAY DELIVERY 849-2822 B We Accept $100.00 Calls Hot Water Heaters Hot Water & Forced Air Furnaces Riello Efficiency Furnaces and OIL TANKS Special Prices Wtioiesale & Retail Ph. 849-2822 (Reserve Mines) GEORGE JONES HEATING SUPPLIES

Cape Breton's Magazine