Michael Dorosh Posted February 3, 2001 Share Posted February 3, 2001 Napoleon1944, I promised I would get back to you regarding the bagpipe mod at CHMQ - I thought I would post here and see if I can get some further feedback. Bagpipes are usually portrayed inaccurately in the popular media - check out The Longest Day for an early example. The piper is correctly identified as "Millin" (in fact, Bill Millin, Lord Lovat's personal piper), but the first time you see him, you hear his pipes playing while he is still trying to inflate the bag. The soundtrack was obviously an afterthought. The second time you see him, Lovat orders "Blue Bonnets" to be played - and the tune you hear is "Black Bear" - apparently it was the only sound track they had, for in the four (?) instances you hear Millin play, that is the tune you hear. Many people don't bother to get the sound right - the Highland bagpipe has four reeds - the chanter providing melody (different notes) and three "drones" that create background sound. Again, in the movie, you hear Millin strike in his drones in one scene - and then the canned bagpipe music takes over, and the drones disappear. Some people, advertisers especially, don't bother to use Highland bagpipes for their ads and use small pipes or other similar instruments. Sometimes band music is dubbed in and supposed to represent one piper playing. I like your download very much. You hear the drones starting up (without the chanter - as the bag is inflated, the drones have to be "struck in", and this is what you hear at the start of your .wav file) then the chanter. It is obviously one piper. And the tune is indeed "jaunty" as you call it, which is exactly what a piper would play during an advance or a charge. I was a military piper for nine years and have played for troops on the march. This .wav is very convincing. That said, I have no idea what the tune is - perhaps someone else will know? Each regiment had its own regimental march and duty tunes - including a "charge" tune. That isn't to say they were always played. At Dieppe, Alec Graham of the Winnipeg Camerons played "A Hundred Pipers" (IIRC) as the boats went in, and also "March of the Cameron Men" - the Regimental march. Charge tunes were usually strathspeys (tunes in 4/4 dance time), but playing the same 16 or 32 bars over and over can be boring for a piper, so they may very well have played other tunes as well. There are historical notes on pipers in action in WW II at - http://highlanders.freehosting.net/band.htm The tune in your .wav sounds like a jig to me - not usually played on the march, but not inconceivable either. A jig would be a not-too-bad choice for keeping up the spirit of a charge. Moneymusk, Haughs of Cromdale and other famous tunes made British army pipers famous in the 19th Century. I wish I had the ability to record some regimental charge tunes, but living in an apartment, it would be hard to do. Anyway, that is my long winded way of saying that I don't know what the tune in your .wav is - but I like it very much! And hopefully someone else might know. I suspect it may not even be a tune that existed in the 1940s, but really have no idea. (People presume bagpipe music is not recorded, or that all tunes are the same - not so, and most pipers have a repertoire of several hundred seperate tunes - all played without the benefit of sheet music, I will add, unlike military brass bands). If you don't mind me asking - where did you get the bagpipe music from? ------------------ http://wargames.freehosting.net/cmbits.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Napoleon1944 Posted February 3, 2001 Share Posted February 3, 2001 After all the accounts and movies dealing with Commonwealth forces, many accounts of bagpipes are most notably recorded. It seems as the bagpipes are easily remembered by all who heard them in battle. The frequency of the pipes is heard over the din of battle, its amazing! I have heard many at civil war reenactments albiet some not so good. Anyway, I thought I would add a bit of this heritage into CMBO. Turned out well. Thanks for the detailed info. ------------------ The only enemy I fear is nature. -Napoleon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lord General MB Posted February 4, 2001 Share Posted February 4, 2001 Soldier, I like it. Sounds kinda nice. Adds an air of reality to the game..... ------------------ Salute! Lord General Mr. Bill Supreme Commander 1st Army Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gen. Sosaboski Posted February 4, 2001 Share Posted February 4, 2001 The sound of even fifes and drums playing "Garryowen" in the Civil War reenactments I "fight" in chills me to the bone. Bagpipes are a step higher... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted February 4, 2001 Share Posted February 4, 2001 Lord God Almighty, we have us a bagpipe grog! LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted February 4, 2001 Author Share Posted February 4, 2001 Originally posted by Maximus: Lord God Almighty, we have us a bagpipe grog! LOL! After the wrench grog, I didn't think anything would surprise you! HA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crepitis Posted February 6, 2001 Share Posted February 6, 2001 A very interesting post Michael.Anyone interested in hearing some excellent bagpipe playing should search on Napster for "The Battlefield Band"(appropriately enough!) as their piper Dougie Pincock is probably Scotlands best piper at the moment.You can find some stirring stuff in there particularly good tracks are "Pincocks Pleasure" and "John Mackenzies Fancy". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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