International holidays - International Bagpipe Day

One of the most ancient wind musical instruments is the bagpipe The French call it "musette", the Scots - highland bagpip ("mountain bag with pipes"), the Bulgarians - "gaida", the Georgians - "stviri", the Ukrainians and Poles - "duda" and "goat" Playing the bagpipes not only delighted the ears of visitors to fairs in Rus' watching the performances of buffoons In Scotland, its melody was used to notify townspeople of the end of the working day, to entertain people at weddings, and to accompany funerals and military marches On March 10, a holiday established in honor of virtuosos playing the popular reed instrument is celebrated - International Bagpiper Day The significant International Bagpipe Day appeared in 2012 According to the creators of the holiday, it should draw attention to the history and technique of playing bagpipes, which number more than 130 types Many fans see a magical background in its sound - the sounds produced by the wind instrument resemble the guttural singing of a person The Scots believed in the ability of the bagpipe to drive out evil spirits with the help of a truly “trumpet voice,” especially since the instrument has extraordinary power In open and mountainous areas, a sound of 108 dB can be heard over a distance of up to 6 km It has long been believed that playing the bagpipes is not easy - only strong and well-built men can do it Nowadays, this spiritual instrument also attracts women Women bagpipers, like trumpet players and horn players, are part of many orchestras around the world The ancient Roman Emperor Neuron was fond of playing bagpipes, enthusiastically listening to melodies performed by other people Elizabeth II wakes up every day to the sound of the instrument The Scottish bagpiper ensemble wakes up the royal lady at exactly 9:30 am The appearance of the instrument has not changed for centuries A bagpipe is a bag made from the skin of a cloven-hoofed animal, with one tube for blowing air and several with holes for playing The principle of its structure, with the exception of some design features, is the same for all peoples of the world As well as production materials Pipes are most often made of wood The bag is sewn from goat, sheep or goat skin, sometimes cow, elk and even kangaroo leather are used, extremely rarely - synthetic material Some peoples give the appearance of the instrument a resemblance to artiodactyls: they decorate it with a goat’s head and horns Musicians who play the bagpipes are distinguished not only by their professionalism, but also by their fearlessness The Scots traditionally went into battle to the sounds of their national instrument Pipers always marched ahead of the troops, supporting the strength and fortitude of the mighty highlanders During the First World War, more than 500 bagpipers were killed on the battlefields, becoming easy prey for enemy bullets International Bagpipe Day honors both the masters who have left their mark on history and modern musicians who can play this amazing, beautiful and somewhat magical instrument