.
‘The Pipes, the Pipes Are Calling . . .’
Heritage Search Leads To Study of Bagpipes
By Star Traylor
The Winchester Star
March 15, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sign in Jim Gordon’s Frederick County living room says its all — “Parking for Bagpipes
Only.”
Learning to play the bagpipes is just one of the ways he has reconnected with his Scottish
heritage in recent years.
Although Jim has two sets of bagpipes, one of which is an expensive silver-mounted set,
and he has been playing for three years, he still considers himself an amateur piper.
Jim Gordon and John Taylor perform at
a benefit at Glen Burnie Historic House
and Gardens.
(Photo by Scott Mason)
|
“I am a very poor piper. It takes seven years to
make a piper, and I’ve got a number of years
before I become what they call a quality
piper,” he said.
He recalled his father’s death in 1994. At the
time, the only part of his family’s Scottish
ancestry that interested him was learning
more about his great-great-grandfather,
Archibald Gordon, who came to America from
Scotland, fought in the Revolutionary War,
settled in North Carolina, and had 27 sons,
according to Jim’s research.
“There are just hundreds and hundreds
of Gordons out there looking for
(information about) him,” he said.
In 1997, Jim’s wife, Abbye, won a trip to
Scotland. The couple flew to Glasgow
and took a train to Aberdeen, where they
met the Lady June Gordon, widow of the
7th Duke of Gordon.
The House of Gordon was, in Scottish
history, a large and powerful group.
Today, it has a presence in the United
States. Jim served as the convener, or
president, of the House of Gordon-
Virginia from 1997 to 2001.
It was this association that led him to the
bagpipes.
“They needed (a bagpiper) to lead the
clan on its clan march” at the Highland
Games held annually at Grandfather
Mountain in Linville, N.C., Gordon said.
He thought bagpiping sounded like a
neat new hobby. “My golfing days were
over . . . I had no idea how hard it would
be to play the bagpipes.”
John, whose grandfather was of Scottish
heritage, started playing the bagpipes in
the 1970s. Learning to play, he said, is
mostly a matter of interest and dedication.
Bagpipes Have Long,
Varied History
Star Staff Report
Bagpipes were not invented in Scotland or
Ireland, but in the Middle East, several
centuries before the birth of Christ.
The Romans were said to have carried the
pipes along with their trumpets and drums,
leading to the spread of the instrument’s
popularity throughout Europe and into the
British Isles.
During the 14th century, the bagpipes
became very popular in Scotland and Ireland.
They were used to provide music for
entertainment, and to rally the clans to battle,
usually against the English, who apparently
found the pipes very disturbing. When a
warrior died, mournful tunes were played on
the pipes.
The instrument was introduced to America
when the Irish and Scottish began migrating
to the colonies, and bagpipes, flutes, and
drums continued to be played by immigrants
because Celtic-influenced music reminded
them of their heritage.
Information from www.nleomf.com and www.
hotpipes.com.
|
“If it’s something you’re interested in, you’re willing to put in the time . . . (Gordon) just
worked so very hard at it and was so dedicated to it, it was inspiring to watch him work so
hard,” John said.
In 1999, about six months after the two had started playing together, Jim received a call from
Angus McDonald of the Piping Centre in Glasgow.
He was surprised when he received the call, hearing the thick Scottish accent on the other
end of the line.
“Is this the wee Dr. James Gordon?” McDonald inquired. He’d called to ask Jim if he was
interested in attending Scotland’s Piping Centre to learn to play the bagpipes.
McDonald asked him if he had a set of pipes and when Jim said yes, McDonald asked what
kind.
After Jim told him what kind he had, “McDonald said, ‘My God, man, you’ve got a Rolls Royce
and ya haven’t even got a driver’s license,’.”
For two weeks Jim studied at The Piping Centre, where he was taught to play the bagpipes
using a training instrument called a chanter.
Playing the bagpipes is nowhere near as easy as professionals make it look, Jim said.
“First, you’ve got to be able to read and memorize music. You also need stamina to fill the
bag with your breath, then play the music while walking and carrying what is often a relatively
heavy instrument.”
Jim’s first set of bagpipes is very heavy. He also has a more lightweight set that’s easier for
an amateur to use.
He’s currently taking classes in reading music at the Shenandoah Conservatory Arts
Academy.
Jim and John have been joined by about 13 other bagpipers and drummers in the area to
form the City of Winchester Pipes and Drums. The group’s musicians range in age from 16
to 66 and in skill from amateur to very experienced.
Jim thinks the appeal of learning to play the bagpipes lies in the “challenge of being able to
do something that few people can do.”
The City of Winchester Pipes and Drums performed at the dedication of the Timbrook Public
Safety Center in November, and they hope to perform in the grand feature parade during this
year’s Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival.
The group is currently raising money to buy uniforms, and will travel to six Winchester
restaurants on St. Patrick’s Day giving 15-minute performances. Donations collected during
the performances will be used for uniforms.
