Cornish bagpipes

Did You Know?

• Pipers were employed by William Thomas to entertain sheep shearers at Zennor as late as 1683.
• In 1830 an itinerant player of markedly quiet bagpipes, apparently disguised and wearing green spectacles, was noted playing for charity in Truro, Falmouth, Penzance and Bodmin.
• The Launceston bagpipe has a conical bore chanter, which would give a loud, full tone often associated with outdoor performance.

Early documentary references

The Cornish word piþhit (modern spelling pibydh 'piper'), glossing the medieval Latin lemma Tibicen, appears in the Vocabularium Cornicum of about 1150. The first named 'piper' in Cornish records is Reginald Tibicen, noted as holding land in Cuby before 1260/61, probably a player of the flute or pipe, perhaps a bagpiper. The Accounts of the Earldom, 1296–7, mention Henri the pipere of Trigg; his wife Joan was paying a fine of 2s 6d. The assize record of the 1302 Cornwall Eyre mentions Osbmus Le Pibith and Richare/us Le Pybyth, both of Mousehole. A 1344 account tells of a disturbance at a Cornwall stannary in Redruth involving a man with the surname Pipere. Pipers receive many mentions in Cornish-language plays from the 15th to early 17th centuries, including the Ordinalia (c.1400, known from a mid-15th-century manuscript), Beunans Meriasek (MS written in 1504), Bewnans Ke (probably c.1500–20), and Gwreans an Bys (MS written in 1611). For example, Origo Mundi, Resurrexio Domini, Gwreans an Bys, and both halves of Beunans Meriasek conclude with a speech urging the minstrels or pipers to 'pipe' so that the audience may go dancing.

Late Medieval iconography

The earliest known Cornish bagpipe image is a 15th-century gargoyle at St. Austell, though it is likely a stock design by the carver. A possible angel at Davidstow, from around the mid-1500s, may also be generic. A bagpiping dog at Braddock matches a common motif on European pilgrim badges. At Marwood, a biblical scene probably uses a standard bagpipe figure. However, matching clothing details at Altarnun and Launceston suggest those carvings reflect actual local practice from about 1520 to 1540. A bagpiper at Tavistock resembles those two, but the carving is too vague to be sure.

Modern Cornish bagpipes and bagpiping

Since the late 1900s, a small number of modern two-chanter bagpipes have been built. This double chanter setup allows for interesting harmonies, with one pipe covering the upper half of an octave and the other the lower half. Because both chanters can sound the tonic note, a player using covered fingering can produce a steady drone while playing a melody, a notable feature of these instruments. They also work well for low, rich accompaniment. From the 1990s, makers such as Julian Goodacre have created Cornish double-pipes. Merv Davey of Pyba has explored the instrument’s possibilities. Today, Cornish bagpipes are used at the Cornish Gorsedh, having taken over from the brass bands that led processions in the early 1900s.

Summary

Piping was a key part of music in medieval Cornwall, with strong documentary support. Carvings at Altarnun and Launceston, despite some possible stereotypical elements, likely show real Cornish practice from the early 1500s based on their clothing details. These instruments included both double and single chanter bagpipes. While double chanters were not exclusive to Cornwall, they may have remained in use there longer than in places like Dorset or Yorkshire, possibly because of Cornwall’s isolation or local taste. Although bagpipes are well-documented in the late medieval period, fewer later records suggest the tradition was fading. A revival began in the late 1900s, sparking new interest in the history and playing of Cornish bagpipes. This led to reconstructions based on local images and research into playing techniques and music.