The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-11-26
THEY ARE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN
introduced Into Erin at the Dawn
of Civilization.
C0EvAL WITH THE AB0RIGINEs
Bagpipes Supplied With Bellows of
Celtic Invention.
Oh, the day of the Kerry dancing!

Oh, the day of the Kerry dancing!
Oh, the ring of the piper's tune!
Oh for one Of those hours Of gladnessI
Gone, alas like our youth, too soon.
How often have we heard Molloy's fine
old song swelling out In the silver tones
| OF some noted singer, and felt the thrill
| Of national pride in our hearts at the
| thought that an instrument with which
| we are 50 familiar could inspire the COM
position of such lyric and such a mel
| ody! But how many Of us bestowed
| second thought on the fine old instru-
| ment that is fast becoming relic of the
past? We applaud "Caoch the Piper"
| when the mastery reader recites 1t, but
the real "Caoch O'Ieary" Is forgotten. In
the whirlwind of our political contests.
the worry of our business matters. the
cares of domestic life and in the atten-
tion to social functions, we are OBJ
livious to the fact that an in
| strument that is immortalized in song
and story is fast disappearing. 1t Is
true that we are fonder of more modern
| instruments. 1t is also true that but
few, II any, of us agree with the Draw
Scotch laird, whose idea of heaven was
"one sma room wi four and twenty
pipers in 1t, and ilka one tryin' a differ
ent tune" Our ears are scarcely educated
to the fine point Tin spite Of the heroic
efforts of Wagner), which would enable
us to enjoy such concert or find celes-
tial qualities In it, writes M. j. Murphy
in the Union and Times
There is no good reason that can be
| shown which will prevent the formation
of a society to preserve the musical ira
| ditions Of ancient Ireland. her inscru-
| ments and her melodies. The harps, the
pipes and other instruments might be
| brought out at patriotic gatherings, and
Il standard of excellence set for them by
| experienced musicians.
The invention of the bagpipcs is sur
rounded by mystery. None can fix with
any degree of authority its birthplace or
the date Of that interesting event. Per-
haps it is well 1t is so. A rather irrita-
bic gentleman who was aroused from an
enjoyable sleep by the wild strains of
n Highland piper once invoked a rather
bitter curse on the man who invented
such an instrument Of torture. l firmly.
believe that curse Is still hunting for the
| inventor. 1t certainly cannot alight on
any race with the sanction of recog-
nized authority NJ Soncnrat, cele-
brated French traveller, tells US in his
interesting book, LES Voyages aux Indies
Orientales" that the East Indians per-
form upon an instrument called Tourti,
which resembles the bagpipcs and gives
a sound resembling the bassoon.
The ancient Greeks we're we'll acquaint-
ed with the instrument. At the palace of
Santa Croce, In Rome. there is q fine
basso relieve OF Grecian sculpture on
which figure is represented as per-
forming on an instrument exactly resem-
bling the bagpipes, called the Askaulos,
which was termed the Tibia Utricularius
by the Romans. Vossius defined the noun
Utricularius as species of hydraulic Or
taken, as a passage in Dion Chrysostom
shows. This Greek writer, speaking Of
Nero, describes him as playing upon a
flute, with a bladder or leathern bag of
wind under his arm. A better descrip-
tion of the ancient bagpipes could hardly
be given. The Tibia Utricularius was
the favoritc instrument of Nero and one
of the coins of his reign is ornamented
with a figure playing the bagpipes.
There is comical reason ascribed to
larius-"that he might avoid those dis
tortiOns of the countcnancc occasioned
by the flutes being blown by the mouth,
and which SO greatly dsgusted Mi
ncrva."
If it is true that Nero performed on
musical instrument as he watched Rome
burning around him, and we have no rea-
son to doubt the words Of the great his
torians, it is safe to conclude that the
inspiring strains of "Tlere'll Be Hot
Time in the Old Town Tonight" came
from the mcodious nose Of bagpipe.
The introduction of the bagpipe into
Britain by the Romans (whO owed it to
the Greeks), has been determined by Mr..
Pcnnant by means of an antique found
at marlborough, in Kent. No date can
| be established for its Introduction. The
period is remote and uncertain. Caledo-
mia also received it from the Romans,
and the hypothesis is that the Irish,
from their carly intercourse with the
Calcdonians, received the baspipes from
that people, as the instrument is not in
| digenOus to Ireland.
The Irish in return gave the harp to