Highland Piper George Clark

Piper George Clark, 71st Highlanders, 1st Battalion Light Infantry, at the Battle of Vimiera in Portugal in 1808, continued to pipe after being severely wounded.

Piper George Clark was promoted to Sergeant supernumerary to the regimental establishment and received a gift of silver-mounted pipes from the Caledonian Society of London for his courage.

The Highland bagpipe of Scotland is a universally recognised musical instrument but historically, in the last 2-300 years, only one in a variety of bagpipes growing out of the rich piping and musical traditions of the British Isles. Though its precise origins are still obscure, it seemed to arrive in the Highlands in the 15th or 16th centuries and was adopted as the principal musical instrument after the clarsach of the Gaelic clans. By the late 18th century, the Highland bagpipe had emerged in more of less fixed form with chanter and three drones, the style and embellishment becoming a matter of fashion as well as standardisation with a uniformity being required for band playing and competition. By the early 19th century professional bagpipe makers were offering different sizes of Highland bagpipe such as 'Full-size', 'Half-size', 'Reel' or 'Lovat Reel Pipe' and Miniature.

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