Small pipe chanter for a set of Northumbrian small pipes

Add to album

Small pipe chanter of ivory for a set of Northumbrian small pipes with a leather, stitched bag inside a red baize bag trimmed with red braid. The drones, chanter and stocks are made of ivory and the drones have metal mounts. The chanter is of the plain open type. Attached to the blowpipe is a small keyhole shaped bellows with possibly mahogany boards inlaid with satinwood and a skin body covered in plum velvet. The instrument is of 18th century date when there was a vogue for the use of ivory in musical instrument making. Although they were never tonally successful in comparison with hardwoods, such instruments were treasured for their visual qualities. The keyed chanter may be of early 19th century date.

The Northumbrian pipes are a small bellows-blown instrument with drones in a single stock and a chanter stopped at the lower end and played with 'closed' fingering, that is producing he desired note by lifting a single finger. This gives a staccato style of playing and the melodic range was extended by adding keys to the chanter.

John Peacock, a famous player of the Northumbrian pipes, is said to have added four keys to the chanter about 1800, and Robert Reid of North Shields added more keys and improved the instrument. In the late 18th and 19th centuries the finest pipes were being made in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and North Shields.

Record details

To search on related items, click any underlined text below.

• Online ID: 000-000-579-734-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: The Bagpipe Collection
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  H.LT 62 (2)
• Date: 18th century (date of manufacture of pipes)
  
• Material: Ivory, leather, metal, wood, skin, and velvet
  Small pipe chanter Northumbrian small pipes
  
• Dimensions: Chanter 249 mm L; blow pipe 171 mm L; 235 mm x 267 mm
  
• What: Small pipe chanter Northumbrian small pipes
  
• Subject:
• Who: John Peacock (player and improver of pipes)
  Robert Reid (improver of pipes)
  The Museum of Piping, Glasgow (place of display)
  
• Where:
• Event:
• Description: Small pipe chanter of ivory for a set of Northumbrian small pipes with ivory drones, chanter and stocks.
  
• References:
  • Baines, Anthony,. Bagpipes. Occasional Paper on Technology 9, Oxford University Press, 1973. 
• Translations:
• Related Records: