Well I hope everyone who was affected by the great blackout of aught 3 is fairing well. Last night I had to go to my parish for 7:00p.m. mass. I figured maybe I should bring my pipes and whistles just in case. I no sooner hit foot on the church steps and one of the women from the parish comes running out, “Marc did you by chance bring your pipes?” So I got to replace the organist and got roped into doing early mass this morning. :roll: Oh well, it was fun and different(and I had a captive audience).
Gives a whole new meaning to the concept of a “reed & pipe” organ. 
djm
Hya all hope ye all practiced during your blackout.
The pipes were often used in Ireland for church services as the parishes being poor(the tithes going to the unnattended Saxon Church)they could not afford organs,so step forward an piobaire,that was until the Polka came!!!
The dance of the polka and waltz were considered far to intimate and raunchy for the Victorian clergy so what better than to decry same from the pulpit and call the pipes when played for these lascivious steps"the Devils Instrument" pretty well overnight the pipers stopped playing at the church and instead went off to the polka party(much more fun) so nothing has changed really.
And Out Of The Darkness Came…
Slan go foill
Liam :roll:
The preface of HJ Clarke’s pipes tutor mentions a set built expressly for being played in church, with six regulators and no drones. This was built by Maurice Coyne, and is still owned by the Kildare family who commisioned it.
Fintan Valley’s Encylopedia of Traditional music has a profile of Jack Makem, piper and brother (I think) of Tommy Makem, who also played the organ in the local church; one morning after a night of playing traditional music he warmed up by playing a few bars of “Rakish Paddy.” That’ll get you excommunicated!
And now you can buy a couple of electronic organs for the cost of a set of pipes!
But they won’t work in a blackout. 
Neither do I. 
djm
Depends… Casio makes a keyboard MIDI instrument that works well with batteries. 256 voices, drum machine and it has a self contained amplifier & speakers.
Stop Tony, you’re scaring me! 