"Typical" Way of Playing?

[Brent Lyons]

I recently saw a band in which the U-piper played standing-up. It seems that he is the only one that I have ever seen playing in that position and it looked awkward - is it common like that?

[PJ]

Not common to play standing up but some have managed it. The most famous was Johnny Doran who died in 1950. He built himself a rig for holding the pipes so he could move around while he busked. He could jump all over his regulators while walking. It must have been something to see. There are some photos of him but they don't do him justice.

I've seen a few pipers play while leaning against high chairs or tables, but they couldn't play regulators while in that position.

[Kevin L. Rietmann]

Johnny could play standing up but didn't actually play while moving about, according to the stories people tell about him. Playing while walking would be a bit precarious - he used a shoulder strap of some kind (saxophone? Seamus Ennis looks to have used one of those, and perhaps got the shoulder strap idea from Johnny, from the pics of Johnny it's a bit hard to tell) to hold the set up. Walking around with just the shoulder strap to support things would require a bit more kit to hold things in place, I'd reckon. Feel free to give it a try and correct me if I'm wrong. But as far as I recall no one talked about Johnny playing while strolling about, he'd move from one place to another and then start playing.

Another piper in the old days had a crutch to support his leg up so the knee would be in place. Seems like you'd cut off the circulation that way. Johnny had a metal shelf soldered to the bass drone that stuck out so he'd have something to place the chanter down on. He was a whitesmith and ferrier so work like that was nothing new.

[ennischanter]

I play in a Leo Rowsome Position...

[tommykleen]

I've tried the crutch thing. It is actually your locked standing leg that feels it. Plus you tend to pivot all over the place if you make any move at the regs.

Best thing (next to JD's mysterious set up) is using one of those forearm supporting crutches, the main stock sits in the U shaped forearm support. You still need to anchor that rig to your waist or something.

I think the hardest thing to get used to in JD's "free chanter " style would be the lack of contact when you seat the chanter (his made contact with a padded plate). I think this informed the sound and style of his playing to a great extent.

[CHasR]

Johnny had a metal shelf soldered to the bass drone that stuck out so he'd have something to place the chanter down on. .

ive given some thought about rigging the action on a popping valve so the spring keeps the valve shut. its then a short step to attach a cable from the bottom of the valve to somewhere on the pipes; then being able to pull the chanter up against the cable and open the bore...or am i just really off base here

[bobkeenan]

If you could come up with something like this..... Just think.... You could create a precision UP marching band!!! Imagine that!

[PhilD]

Johnny had a metal shelf soldered to the bass drone that stuck out so he'd have something to place the chanter down on. .

ive given some thought about rigging the action on a popping valve so the spring keeps the valve shut. its then a short step to attach a cable from the bottom of the valve to somewhere on the pipes; then being able to pull the chanter up against the cable and open the bore...or am i just really off base here

Sounds a bit complicated. Maybe some sort of cod-piece/chastity belt combo could be employed with a flat surface welded to it that you could stop the chanter on. A kind of virtual thigh!

[Driftwood]

ive given some thought about rigging the action on a popping valve so the spring keeps the valve shut. its then a short step to attach a cable from the bottom of the valve to somewhere on the pipes; then being able to pull the chanter up against the cable and open the bore...or am i just really off base here

I read somewhere that that was the set-up used by Johnny Doran

[Driftwood]

ive given some thought about rigging the action on a popping valve so the spring keeps the valve shut. its then a short step to attach a cable from the bottom of the valve to somewhere on the pipes; then being able to pull the chanter up against the cable and open the bore...or am i just really off base here

I read somewhere that that was the set-up used by Johnny Doran

[CHasR]

Johnny had a metal shelf soldered to the bass drone that stuck out so he'd have something to place the chanter down on. .

ive given some thought about rigging the action on a popping valve so the spring keeps the valve shut. its then a short step to attach a cable from the bottom of the valve to somewhere on the pipes; then being able to pull the chanter up against the cable and open the bore...or am i just really off base here

I read somewhere that that was the set-up used by Johnny Doran

I'd put my money on Kevin;s asessment of what the guy did- Ive heard that shelf idea from more than one piper. If not, then its just truly a happy coincedence.

[an seanduine]

I'm not at all sure Johnny Doran habitually played the same pipes. I seem to recall reading that both Johnny and Felix were in the habit of dropping in on various other pipers., R. L. Mealy and Brother Gildas spring to mind, and swapping pipes for months on end. In Wilbert Garvin's interview with Cecil Colville Johnny is tentatively identified as a standing piper at the Ballymena Fair in the 1940's. But the chanter described as tying directly into bag.
Has anyone asked the Doran-Smith family in Manchester if they have any recollections of Johnny's rig?


Bob

[Kevin L. Rietmann]

They would swap sets with pipers they knew. I think the Kenna Ken MacLeod owns is one example of such. They owned multiple sets of course. First time Willie Clancy heard Johnny he was playing a Coyne, for instance.

Never heard of this reversed popping valve idea, that might work. Attaching a shelf of some kind might be simpler to make, though.

[PJ]

It is disputed whether the following piper is Johnny Doran, but it gives an idea of the "standing piper":



Note the chord between the popping valve and the pipes.

[Mr.Gumby]

Problem with that picture is that the piper doesn't look remotely like Johnny Doran. I have over time shown the pic to several people who knew Doran. They were certain it wasn't him in the photo. Yet his children are said to be adamant it is him. Who can argue with that?

A while ago I found the picture was taken by George Pickow. At the time I didn't think that tallied with the field trip he did with (his wife) Jean Ritchie, which took place after Johnny accident (and possible after his death). As it seemed odd the pic was not among the negatives from that trip, which are in the Hardiman library in Galway university, a further dig revealed that Pickow had possibly visited Ireland prior to that visit. A, not thorough, search didn't bring up the picture among the Pickow/Ritchie collection held in the Library of Congress. So we're really non the wiser.

At some point the picture was on the McPeake's website identifying the piper as (old) Francis McPeake. There is a striking resemblance between Francis McPeake in the photo in O'Neill's IM&M and the piper in the photo, the timelines and ages don't add up however.



Doran here in a picture with, among others, Josie Hayes and Josie's sister (the future Mrs Paddy Killoran). A different set, a different look.