The definition of a Gentleman; someone who knows how to play the bagpipes, but chooses not to.
When I was a kid and living in Scotland I had a few lessons on the chanter in Music lessons at School
So one Christmas about 10 years ago we were invited to a New Years party with friends for a Scottish themed evening and I thought it would be a hoot to buy a set of bag pipes and get a tune out of it on the evening
Bought a cheap set and disappointingly couldn’t get a proper note out of it despite a day trying
All I could get out of it was a rather short tuneless drone with about 2 notes before it collapsed
Put it away in the loft thinking it was just a cheap good for nothing set and not my technique that was in anyway to blame
Until
A friend of Rachel’s was seeing a new man and they came round to dinner 2 years ago
It came up conversation that he could play the bagpipes
I got the set out after dinner and even though we had lots a wine, to our amazement he immediately got the most fantastic tunes out of it
It was one of the best and most memorable dinner parties we have ever had
Hearing the bagpipes played at full belt in your own house by someone good is quite a thing
No wonder it was an instrument for the battle grounds
