----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Edmund Spriggs" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 5:56 PM
Subject: [NSP] Re: peacock pipes


> I've asked one or two pipemakers whether a stopped "Dixon Peacock"
> chanter could be made, with a slide or a bead so that you could set the
> chanter to either a sharp seventh or a natural seventh.

   Having once made a sliding thumb-hole for a rather unconventional (and 
long) C chanter (fascinating project but incredibly fiddly and 
time-consuming, even with the extra space available) I would suggest that as 
keyless chanters are pretty easy and quick to make, it would be more 
cost-effective to have two chanters.

To add to this festival of Peacockery, my favourite set to play is the 
little four-key "Peacock's improved" I made for myself after the Dunn set in 
the museum. Early Music meets Northumbrian Piping.

When I first got into NSP's back in the post-hippy, back-to-nature, and 
knit-your-own-muesli culture of the mid to late 70's, I seem to remember 
there was a bit of a reaction against what was seen as the over-virtuosic 
culture of competition playing on 17-key sets etc. etc. and this led to the 
appearance of what is still one of my all-time favourite piping LP's "Cut 
and Dry Dolly". featuring Anthony & Carole Robb, Colin et al. all looking 
young and long-haired.
Everything comes round again in the end!

Philip 




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