The Irish standard., 1898-11-26

/, colnshire bagpipe."
| Butler must have had the drone of the
Lincolnshire bagpipe in his mind when
he wrote in "Hudibras:"
Then bagpipes. of the loudest drones,
With snuff1ing, broken-winded tones,
Whose blasts of air, in pockets shut
.. make viler noise than swine,
In windy weather when they whine"
The jury in recent law case tried in
Milwaukee evidently shared in the opin
! ion of Butler. A canny Scot was parad-
ing the streets of that city cajoling the
nickels from the pockets of the citizens
by the mellifluous strains of his pipes.
! Doubtless some old memories of THE
Land O Cakes" brought patriotic feryor
to his heart and more power to his ell
bow, but wild blast of The Bonnets Of
Bonnie Dundee" struck dismay into the
heart of a staid German horse, which at
once sought safety in fight. Carriage
and harness were knocked into smither-
Gems in that wild pursuit of peace, and
the owner brought suit against Sandy.
The latter exhibited a license to play a
musical instrument in the streets, and
stoutly defended his rights. Alas, for
the ancient chanter. A jury, composed
chiefly of Germans found that the bag
pipes was not a musical instrument;
that Sandy had no right to blow.it in the
! streets, and was therefore, liable for the
damages claimed by the plaintiff in Tie
suit
The bagpipes which are supplied with
a bellows are of Irish origin. We find
that although the bagpipe was so much
cherished and studied by the Caledoni-
ans. it never underwent any particular
improvements; and it was reserved for
the Irish" according to Penant. Ito take
it from the mouth and give it its present
complicated form. 1t consists of an air.
bag inflated by the small bellows-from
the air trunk two large and one smaller
! mental harmony of D, the principal key
forming the chorus mentioned by Cam
brensis In his work on Ireland. The
chanter Is the tube that is held in the
/ hands. 1t has double reed similar to
the oboe, and it's tone is not unlike that
instrument. There is complete scale of
two octaves with all the scmi-tone i'll
tervals we'll divided. Two other tubes
placed laterally together, but so voiced as
to produce a series of thirds at the upper
4 combinations are produced by double
row of keys which are played with the
wrist Of the right hand while lingering
the chanter, or with the fingers If they
ody. The continuous fundamental bass
drone may be stopped at pleasure by a
valve, SO that the melody may have it's
appropriate harmonies, or it may also be
given simply as an unaccompanied mel
ody. The quality of tone in the instru-
ment is modified by the application of
wax on the reeds to regulate the vibra-
lions.
The tout ensemble is not uninteresting
to the musician. who will, no doubt, con-
slider the instrument thus described as a
great improvement on that blown by the
mouth, as from the Irish pipes may be
heard music in three parts, or with APP
propriate harmonies.
OF such a character is the dear old
pipes. It's strains may be rude when
measured by the standards of our Gull
tured age. but then it is not the confor-
nation to standard that makes mel
ody effective. 1t is not the delicate bal
ance of a musical composition that sends
thrill through our very being, but the
association of sentiment with the song.
We may not even know the words con-
nected with the tune, but let us become
familiar with the sentiment and every
phrase breathes a message to our souls
What is ruder than the drum beat? The
savage in the wilds of almost every
cline has his crude drum. and it comes
down to us from prehistoric ages with
but little Improvement. Yet the roll
upon that stretched sheepshin makes our
heart beat high at the call to arms: our
blood to course like maddened fire
through our veins when it tells of vic
tory; or stills our very breath when 1t
knells in muftled tone the passage of a
hero soul.
Who can, then, describe the effects OF
national music upon the patriot exile?
Who can say with what emotion he hears
"The Wild strains of his dear native
land?"
All the joyous light of his former
happier days, all the affections, the
hopes and the dreams of youth come
crowding into his mind as the melody is
waited to his thirsting ear, giving the
toil-worn one a momentary Joy rarely
vouchsafed this side of heaven. He lives
in the past, and his spirit scars above
dull earth In that one blissful moment:
but when the strains die out, he again
awakes into the shadow Of the present,
into the valley Of tears.
We are proud of our treasures Of mel
ody. Our grand old airs, whose sweet
ness is as limitless as the waters that
bathe the shores of Ireland, breathe a
pathos and soul of feeling that melts
in our hearts and challenges the world s
admiration. We love them, and the