Kevin L. Rietmann wrote:Like I said I don't know much about Scottish piping rigmarole, except that it's there, the practice chanters, Scots Guards books, all those grips and throws, bands, competitions, etc etc. Irish piping is infinitely more laid-back. I've always referred to the stock style of playing the GHB as "military piping" because that's what my instructor called it, as opposed to "kitchen piping." Again, I'm an outsider to this tradition so bear with me here. "Military" doesn't imply non-traditional to me either, it's just the whole business of uniforms, parades, drilled instruction, grades of bands, etc, all is a bit martial in nature, and of course a lot of that takes place in the Army proper, so it's an understandable choice of terminology.
Don't know why you're bringing language into this, either; no, most great Irish pipers of the last century weren't Irish speakers but what does that have to do with anything? Are they supposed to be a cut below as a result? I know about Canntaireachd too but your average GHB instructor these days isn't barking crunnluaths and gearradhs at pupils either, I'd imagine.
I don't think Panceltic was trying to make any point about language as such, simply pointing out that the mainstream of 20th century GHB traditional teaching was done by people based very firmly in the tradition, and the fact that much of it flowed through the military is due to the unfortunate course of 20th century history and, to a certain extent, economics.
It's a funny thing, perception, and being on the inside looking out or vice versa. As someone who grew up in the heart of the GHB tradition, with the grips, the throws, the Scots Guards, the uniforms and the competitions, it didn't feel restrictive at all. It just was the culture inside which your own creativity found expression. In coming to Irish music and trying to learn something of it, relatively late in life, it's abundantly clear to me that there is just as much of a "right way" and a "wrong way", it's simply that it is not expressed through a relatively formal system of learning and tuition. And I do find it a bit sad that this debate is so often couched in the language of value judgements.
Hey, cheating! First place I ever heard about such digital shenanigans was the reissue of the Tribute to Michael Coleman record where Joe Burke wrote about going back and editing out the mistakes in the original 1965 recording. Have always hated that sort of tomfoolery. Like a mistake is going to be the end of the world. But that's show business I guess.
