Hello John This is what Doubleday said of the pipes (my underscores):
Thus, this instrument is limited to a single octave; and this (little as it is) admits of all the airs, to which it is really suited, being executed by it's means ; with the additional improvement that it may be played perfectly in tune, whilst the tones it produces being all staccato and of a clear, ringing, pearly, and brilliant character, give the instrument a power which it's appearance by no means promises, and which is really superior when the diminutive size of its chanter or melody-pipe is considered. In truth, whilst every other description of bag-pipe is defective, wanting in distinctness, and more or less out of tune in the upper octave, the Northumbrian pipe, when played by a master, executes the airs for which it has been intended to perfection, and with a precision even in the most rapid movements very pleasing as well as surprising. This doesn't sound to me that he doesn't like the pipes. Yes, Chris Ormston plays the Blackbird beautifully but then having heard Greg Smith doing the same piece on the fiddle takes the air to a far higher, expressive and sublime level. The same is true of Andy May's wonderful Bonny Lass o' Bon Accord - great until you hear the same piece done by the likes of Kenny Wilson (Border Strathspey & Reel Society) again is moving in the way pipes can't achieve. This is true of course in other spheres. Did any one out there have the nisfortune to pay a small fortune to hear James Galway playing "The 4 Seasons"? What a disappointment! Much of the pipes attractiveness lies in the tone. Pair it with fiddle tand it gives acombination of real gut tingling expressiveness; a winning combination. This is as true today as it was when Jamie Allan (we assume) played with Blind Jack o' Knaresborough in the 18th century. Doubleday would have heard the airs he is talking about played intially on instruments with dynamics. Hence his quite understandable disapproval on the sweet sounding (takes a genius to get anything like expression out of these) pipes playing the airs he was used to hearing on fiddle. Doubleday is saying what I have felt myself myself for some time. The pipes are a brilliant but not capable of the highest level of expressiveness. Their strength is their beauty of tone. Pair this with a fiddle say and the effect is awsome. This is as true today as it was in the 18th century when Jamie Allan (we assume) played with Blind Jack o' Knaresborough. Here's my challenge Find me any recording of any fiddle piece played by someone of Chris Ormston's talent i.e a top notch fiddle player and convince me it is not at a different level of musical expression compared to the same piece played on pipes. As aye Anthony -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
