Thought I’d share this story with y’all from the Celtic College which took place last week in Goderich, Ontario. Wednesday night I played pipes on the teacher’s concert. I spoke with Peter Kennedy the next day (he was there teaching folklore), and the subject of pipes and piping came up. Here was our conversation:
PK- “There was a lady piper on the concert last night… she had terrible posture.”
Me- “Uh…that was me. But you’re absolutely right, my posture was terrible.” (I had on a slinky dress and had to sit funny to keep the dress straps up-bad performance wardrobe choice.)
PK- “I’ve never seen a lady piper before, however did you come to play them?”
I was quite astounded that he’d neither seen nor heard any other women upipers…is it that unusual in the UK?
It’s unusual but not unheard of. There are so few pipers to start with, and then maybe 2-3% of them are women, although I hope that is changing.
Perhaps UP-playing isn’t considered “lady-like” over there, what with all this straps business going on. 
djm
Seamus Ennis considered the Northumbrian pipes to be a better choice for the ladies. Good old fashioned sexism! As it happens on the NSP you’ve got Kathryn Tickell and Pauline Cato, just for a start. Real monster musicians, those two. There were at least four lady Union pipers during the revival about 100 years ago, a couple of whom were said to be quite good.
There’s this Becky Taylor person in Yorkshire, who has a website. So, it can be done. When’s Maire ni Ghrada going to make an album, anyone know?
Gee, Janice, if you had just lived in Nova Scotia you could take up the highland pipes and join the Dunvegan All-Girl Pipe Band.
Which just goes to show you, you can take the piper out of the girl, but not the girl out of the piper…(left up to yourself to interpret).
If you think a girls’ pipe band is an odd notion, here is something truly bizarre, the Edmonton Alberta Hockey Team of 1916:
The swastika had been in use, in cultures worldwide, for thousands of years as a symbol of prosperity and good luck before the Nazis adopted it, you see. http://www.manwoman.net/swastika has lots of information, and various examples of its use, by Coca Cola and Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, among others.
I once saw a video of a pharonic Egyptian pipe band. Here’s a link with some pics: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/mayumi/watanabe/rtw/13/tatoo2d/tatoo2d.htm
Cool guys! The Egyptian Military Musical Group, it says they’re called.
There was supposed to be a picture of the girls in the Dunvegan pipe band. Instead of putting it here I’ll just give you the address for their web page. I wonder if Dunvegan means “I’m not going to eat that vegan crap any more.”
http://www.geocities.com/dunveganpipeband/
Steve
Funny thing this business about “lady” pipers. I took a female piper to a piping “Tionol” and everyone presumed she was my g/f or wife with comments like “Do you think you can put up with the noise this weekend” etc., Doh ! (This was the UK, so who knows??)
I’ve come across some great female pipers. In particular Kevin mentions Becky, a rock’n’roll piper if I ever knew one. And let’s not forget Emer Mayock the fluter.
Alan
…maybe this could be a niche market.
Any of you lads out there fancy a sex change op?
I’m sure I’ve got a book of instructions and a scalpel somewhere in one of my cupboards
B
Scalpels! Scalpels? Near pipes?
A few prescriptions will take care of what U need to do the change…no knives need be involved.
And I’ve seen you handling sharp knives Boyd so I’ll stay the way I is!!
Alan
Janice there are thousands of female pipers out there they just don’t know it yet!!
Thats because of all the bollocks(literally) spoken by a lot of the male fraternity.
I have seen quite a few woman pipers in the UK both in London Cambridge and Glasgow and very good too.Lets not forget Heather Clarke either,whom ,without her publication of the Red Tutor, I suspect many of ye would still be struggling today .
As for Seamus Ennis ,his treatment of women was notorious(ask his wife or daughter )he was a heavy drinker and his references to"lady pipers" probably came through an alcoholic haze.
Anyways keep up the good work and if ye are in Scotland anytime give me a call
Slan go foill
Liam 
Posted: 15 Aug 2003 18:11 Post subject:
And I’ve seen you handling sharp knives Boyd so I’ll stay the way I is!!
…what about using sandpaper then?
Would 240 grit wet & dry do it, dya think?? 
B
Louise Mulcahy, Maire na Ghrada, Sorcha ni Muircha…
I’m surprised that no one has mentioned Dr. Heather Clarke.
There, I now have.
Dr. of what?
Brianc… I am surprised that you are surprised because surprise surprise read above quote and you will no longer be surprised!!
KLR …Dr Heather Clarke is a doctor of medicine she may well be a surgeon by now,she worked for a while at my local hospital and no doubt the therapuetic qualities of the pipes helped many a glum patient?
Why do ye ask?
Liam :roll:
Knowledge is power. If you get smart enough you can power a light bulb, I’m told.
