History
A bagpipe is a musical instrument which participates in a musical tradition development of many nations not only European ones. Pastoral regions of East Asia had been probably an original homeland of the bagpipe and its developmental ancestors. From this region the bagpipe had spread to north parts of Africa and step by step to all Europe. With regard to its technology development and society assert the bagpipe is not only a historical proof of musical heritage but also in many countries and regions a lively used or traditionally maintained instrument.
By organology the bagpipes belongs among wind instruments with single or double plates. But by the other marks we can furthermore classify them / the bagpipe with single, double or triple melodious chanters, without bordun chanter or with one, two or more bordun chanters, inflating by mouth or with blow bellow, with various holding systems, various decorations, tuning etc./ Many iconographical and written documents have evidences of its appearance, use and expansion since 10th century.
At the beginning of its development we can find the primitive chanters and the single chanter bagpipes. The technological top is the French baroque bagpipe "musette-de-cour" ( courtly bagpipe) with two double plates melodious chanters with stop mechanism, with bordun rocket device. This instrument was used in concerts and in aristocratic and noble saloons in 17th and 18th century. Many famous composers have composed for this instrument. Related instruments are still used today in England (Northumbrian small pipes) and in Ireland (Union pipes).
The first information about the bagpipes in Bohemia is from 13th century. But the name "bagpipe" in our country we can find later in 15th century. The older Latin sources mention a name "chorus", from this name arised the names "kór" and "kořec". In 14th - 15th century we can find in our country the names "kozicie", later "kozice", "koza", "kozlík", but also "kejdy", "kajdy", "gajdy".
We had used the bagpipe inflating by mouth in Bohemia until the 19th century, later we started to use the bagpipe with blow bellows. The bagpipe with violin was the most popular group in the 16th century. In the 19th century we also started to use the clarinet and this group was called "small farm music". By the requirements the musicians can use also the second clarinet, the second violin and contrabass.
If the good bagpiper was able to use nice variations, figurations, songs and humour he became very popular. And bagpiper Švanda from Strakonice was like this. Strakonice is the city at the confluence of the Otava and Volyňka rivers. It lies in the region called Prácheňsko known for its song, dance and good bagpipers. Thanks to this tradition Strakonice has become the bagpipers centre where the famous International bagpipe festivals take place every second year since 1967. This festival hosts groups and the bagpipers from different countries. The festival has the CIOFF status (International organization of folklore festivals by UNESCO) since 1995 and the IOV status (International organization for folk art) since 1997.
Josef Režný
Literature:
Režný J. - Veselá I., International bagpipe festivals Strakonice, city Strakonice 2002
Režný J. Bagpipe and bagpipers. City museum Volyně 1978
Režný J. History of bagpipers in Prácheňsko. Muzeum of the central Otava river, Strakonice 2004
Režný J. 5000 years with bagpipe. Aula Prague 2004