![]() ![]() More clear-eyed historians have noted that police and fire departments offered lots of public sector jobs for Irish political bosses like "Honest" John Kelly to spread among the members of machine-supporting Irish families. The sanitized explanation why so many Irish became cops and firefighters is that these were dangerous jobs that no one else was willing to take. In any case, there was enough overlap between the two musical traditions that Scottish-style pipes, which are louder and better suited to outdoor events, began to appear at American Irish funerals in the 19th and early 20th centuries-right around the time big-city police departments in the U.S. (Could this bellows-powered instrument be the long-theorized missing link between the twin hells of bagpipes and the accordion? Inquiring minds…) The origin of The Unipiper is shrouded in mystery, but reportedly stems from an incident with local-resident Brian Kidd. Scottish pipes get their air from a bag the piper blows into, while Irish pipes use an arm-operated bellows. Bagpipes from Durham, NC (24 miles from Wake Forest, NC) Bruce Wright has played bagpipes for many high-profile events in central North Carolina, including the opening ceremonies for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, graduation services at the University of North. Of all of Portland’s colorful characters, none are as easily recognized as The Unipiper, with his fire-breathing bagpipes, colorful costumes, and unicycle, reports of Unipiper sightings stretch back over a decade. It's true that Irish uileann pipes-that's pronounced "illin'," for you Run-DMC fans-aren't quite the same as their Scottish counterpart. Still, how did they catch on with American cops?Īn answer may begin to suggest itself when I tell you that bagpipes are not unique to Scottish culture-they were culturally important in Ireland as well, where they featured prominently in traditional weddings and funerals. More charitably, you could say bagpipes are for situations where you want to have music but not in a way that might make people start having a good time.Įither way, we can all agree that few instruments are better at conveying the bleak futility of the human condition. Those of us who have lived near bagpipes might be forgiven for assuming their purpose at funerals to be the fallen hero's final "screw you" to an ungrateful world. And they know only ONE SONG! A little variety might make them tolerable! Why are they here and not in Scotland? -Dirty Al So what's the deal with cops and bagpipes? It seems like every police event-especially funerals-features one or more bagpipe players. (David Mark / Pixabay) By Marty Smith Septemat 10:18 pm PDT ![]()
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