Union Pipes - Irish Traditional Music Archive
Union Pipes - Irish Traditional Music Archive
Union Pipes - Irish Traditional Music Archive
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65<br />
SPreAD OF ‘UnIOn PIPeS’<br />
Courtney. The following year ‘Mr. Arbuckle, The Caledonian<br />
Conjuror’ is presenting a show of ‘Magical Deceptions’ in Derby and<br />
varying the proceedings by playing a selection of the ‘most ancient<br />
and beautiful Scotch Airs on the grand <strong>Union</strong> <strong>Pipes</strong>’. 199 In 1811 a<br />
Philadelphia production of Oscar and Malvina featured ‘union pipes<br />
to be played by Mr. Bunyie’, who also played on the ‘Scotch bagpipe’<br />
and was by his name a Scotsman; 200 the following year Bunyie<br />
was again appearing on the ‘union pipes’ in another production of<br />
the show in Baltimore. 201 he was the first of a number of Scottish<br />
players performing on the highland pipes and the union pipes in the<br />
United States in the first half of the nineteenth century; they too referred<br />
to the latter instrument both as ‘union pipes’ and as ‘<strong>Irish</strong> union<br />
pipes’. 202 In 1812 a Malcolm Macgregor of glasgow (who had been<br />
a prizewinner at the highland Society of london’s competitions for<br />
the highland bagpipe from 1802) 203 was awarded a premium by the<br />
Society for ‘essential improvements made by him on the great<br />
highland Pipe, and the <strong>Union</strong> and northumberland <strong>Pipes</strong>, on which<br />
last instruments he played several tunes in an excellent style’. 204<br />
From 1818 Macgregor was appearing on the london stage playing<br />
airs from Oscar and Malvina on ‘union pipes’, as well as ‘highland<br />
pipes’ and flute, in both Scottish and <strong>Irish</strong> contexts: in a Caledonian<br />
Melange in April 1818; 205 an <strong>Irish</strong> ‘aqua-drama’ O’Donoghue and<br />
his White Horse in June 1818; 206 and a Sons of Caledonia fundraising<br />
199<br />
Derby Mercury, Derby, 11 Aug. 1808.<br />
200<br />
Poulson’s American Daily Advertiser, Philadelphia, 23 Feb. 1811; Alexandria<br />
Gazette, Alexandria, Virginia, 25 July 1811.<br />
201<br />
Federal Republican, Baltimore, 1 June 1812.<br />
202<br />
See below, and Carolan 2011: 22–5.<br />
203<br />
Manson 1901: 389; Campbell 2011: 23–5.<br />
204<br />
Minutes of the highland Society of london, quoted by Campbell 2011: 24.<br />
205<br />
The Times, london, 6 Apr. 1818.<br />
206<br />
The Times, london, 17 June 1818. M’gregor was accompanied on the harp by<br />
O’Farrell’s former musical partner nicholson.