Welsh Bagpipes - Modern Pipes

Modern Pipes

Contemporary pipe makers in Wales base their chanters on measurements of extant historical examples of the pibgorn. Some of these instruments, dating from the eighteenth century, are on display at the Museum of Welsh Life. A single-reed type pipe with a drone attached via the bag is called the pibau cyrn. A notable player of these pipes is Ceri Rhys Matthews. Makers include John Glennydd from Carmarthenshire and John Tose from Pembrokeshire.

Other makers such as Jonathan Shorland from Cardiganshire have based the chanters of their idiosyncratic double-reeded pipes on measurements of the chanters of the Breton veuze, the Great Highland Bagpipe chanter, the Galician gaita chanter, the Breton bombarde, as well as historical descriptions, drawings and carvings of bagpipes in Wales. These may be furnished with one, two, or three drones. No standardisation is employed in the making of contemporary bagpipes in Wales. Shorland is also a significant maker of pibgyrn.

There are three Great Highland Bagpipe bands in Wales: The City of Newport Pipe Band, The City of Swansea Pipe Band and the Cardiff Pipe Band. A recent development of piping in Wales has been the use of imported Breton veuze and Galician gaita on which Welsh repertoire is played. These standardised foreign instruments have enabled a nascent marching pipe-band to be formed.