Brian Boru War Pipes

Engraved advertisement for the 'Irish War-Pipes' as developed by Henry Starck of London. The instrument has a chanter with keys to give a chromatic scale and three drones, bass, baritone and tenor, in a common stock.

The 'Brian Boru War Pipe' was introduced by the London wind instrument maker, Henry Starck, in the first decade of the 20th century. An interest in the 'War Pipe' of Ireland, its history and music, led to the adoption of an instrument that was more distinctive than the surviving 'War Pipe' of Scotland - the Great Highland Bagpipe. A new model of bagpipe was designed and patented by Starck, extending the scale of the chanter with key work and varying the drone intervals and using the name significantly of the 12th century Irish king or Ard Rì, Brian Boru, traditionally the first King of all Ireland.

The firm of Henry Starck, Musical Wind Instrument and Bagpipe Maker, making Highland and Irish bagpipes, was founded in London in 1876. He went into a partnership with William Ross (1815-1891), Queen Victoria's Piper from 1854 and began making bagpipes, and Ross's name appeared on Starck's early work. Henry Starck introduced a new bagpipe about 1906 with a keyed chanter and bass, baritone and tenor drones set in a common stock. He took out a series of Patents between about 1906 and 1910 for 'Irish System' and 'Scottish System' War Pipes. The firm closed down in 1962.

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