Barry Shears at The Pipers' Gathering 2019

A nice set on smallpipes played by Barry Shears: MacIsaac’s Strathspey / The Down North Strathspey / The Devil in the Kitchen / The Devil in the Kitchen Reel / High Road to Linton / Are Sleepy, Maggie?

Barry Shears has played highland bagpipes for over 45 years and Scottish smallpipes for almost 20. He spent the last 30 plus years researching and publishing information about the old style pipers and music in Nova Scotia, especially Cape Breton. His latest publication is titled, "Play It Like You Sing It" is available with many of his other books on his website capebretonpiper.com

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Were the Bagpipes Banned as an Instrument of War?

For centuries, there has been a long-held belief that bagpipes were classified as an instrument of war and were banned in the Act of Proscription of 1746.

The story goes that in the aftermath of the Jacobite Rising of 1745, culminating in the now infamous Battle of Culloden, possessing a set of pipes or playing bagpipes them was banned.

Unfortunately, history is always far more complicated than we think...

Bagpipes and the United States Military

From its origin in Scottish clans and culture, the Great Highland Bagpipe has long been associated with the military.

Especially in more recent history, the Highland Regiments of the British Armed Forces, and some of the Lowland Regiments as well, have had bagpipers since their first formation.

The United States Armed Forces has historically had a very close relationship with the British – so the spread of the bagpipes was inevitable.

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