Features Pipingcentre 240501 The Piping Centre In Glasgow
The Piping Centre in Glasgow
As The Piping Centre in Glasgow celebrates its fifth anniversary Hilary McNally takes a look around and finds there's far more than just good music to keep visitors entertained.
Scotland and piping go back a long way, as far back as the 14th century according to the museum within Glasgow's Piping Centre. So significant has the instrument been to Scotland's history and culture that it has become one of the country's most identifiable symbols.
It's hard to believe therefore, that Scotland's only dedicated piping centre is a mere five years old. Before its creation there was a real concern that greater investment and better facilities overseas might shift the focus of piping outside Scotland.
Since it opened in the former Free Church building in Glasgow's Cowcaddens area, however, it has become a world wide centre of excellence attracting pipers from all over the world and placing Scotland, once again, at the heart of the piping tradition.
"The only reason we are here is for piping," explains general manager Gemma Laidlaw. "The interior of the building was specially designed for piping. All 12 practice and tuition rooms are soundproofed.
"We are the only place in the world to have such a centre of excellence. All our tutors are world class and people come from all over to play the pipes here.
"We've had people from Bermuda, Argentina and Colorado and last year we had the Pipe Major from Tokyo City staying here."
Dedicated to preserving the history of the bagpipes and safeguarding its future the piping centre offers a range of tuition under the guidance of Roddy MacLeod as Director of Piping.
Students can choose from day and evening classes and summer schools through to master classes and a degree in piping. All levels are catered for from absolute beginners to the highly proficient. But although the promotion of piping is the centre's guiding principle it is not just for musicians.
"We have the Pipers Tryst Hotel with eight bedrooms decorated with very Scottish designs," says Gemma. "There are also four meeting rooms which we let out and we have the Pipers' Tryst caf� bar which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food is very Scottish but with a contemporary twist.
"We also have weddings, banquets, ceilidhs and there is an 180 seat auditorium for concerts. We can seat 110 people for weddings and we only ever have one wedding at a time unlike some hotels where there can be two or three.
"A piper is always included and the menu is very Scottish. We also have ceilidh bands to play at the reception and because there are only eight rooms in the hotel the wedding party tends to book them all and it turns into a bit of a house party."
The centre also boasts a piping museum charting the history of the pipes in Scotland and Europe. Assembled by the National Museum of Scotland it draws on collections from the Royal Scottish Museum, the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland and Scottish United Services Museum.
Although relatively small the exhibition covers a vast period of history from the 14th century to the present day and includes displays of pipes from Scotland, England, Ireland, Italy, Spain, France and Bohemia. There is also a set of bellow pipes said to have been used by Prince Charles Edward Stewart.
The exhibition highlights the decline of the bagpipes after the 45 Rebellion when Gaelic culture in general was actively suppressed and the rise in popularity again through efforts by the Highland Society of London, the adoption of piping by the British Army and the patronage of Royalty.
The history of pipe bands, the role of pipers in war and examples of piping music and methods of teaching are all also included in the museum. Visitor can also listen to examples of pipe music, interviews with pipers and historians and a narration of the history of the pipes on special headsets available in five different languages.
A small audio visual theatre also introduces visitors to the bagpipes and places piping firmly in its cultural, military and social context.
For more information on The Piping Centre visit the web site at http://www.thepipingcentre.co.uk
Or visit this week's food review on the Pipers' Tryst caf� bar at: http://www.travelscotland.co.ul/food/pipers_tryst_240501.htm
