Came across this print of Geordie Sime, piper of Dalkeith in the late C18. Hadn't heard of the 'wait' before- a kind of nightwatchman, armed with a musical instument, a role stretching back many centuries, apparently.
Must have been a bit tricky chasing ne'er-do-wells, while toting a set of pipes!
This prompted thoughts of Chief O'Neill's Chicago police force, stuffed with pipers and fiddlers, in a kind of Keystone Cops scenario, frantically chasing robbers across the city, brandishing their instruments.
Could this be tried in modern policing, I wonder? The bodhrans at the front, instruments locked together in a protective shield for riot control. Every bobby issued with protective body armour in the form of an accordion.
And for the unruly, taken into custody:-
"You just sit down over there lad, while the sarge plays you nice bit of O'Carolan on his harp. That'll soon calm you down."
Intenational ITM peace keepers !!!!!!!
Where can I Join !
Will I be sent to
Palestine ? Iraq ? Stoke Newington?
Stop fighting or I play the
a) pipes
b) bodhran
c) banjo
d) yellow shaky egg
Some local councils have used, with some success, the technique of clearing undesirable local youth away from some city areas by playing Mozart and Vivaldi at them from loudspeakers.
The piper looks like a left-handed player and has the bag under his right arm - all of which makes me assume the picture is a coloured-over print (an engraving always prints an image on paper that is the opposite way round to that drawn / engraved on the actual metal plate, or whatever) - and that he was really right-handed.
But I can't make out a mouthpiece or any evidence of bellows, so as to know what kind of bagpipes they are; annoying!
Highland bagpipes are not very far away from Palestine; the Jordanian army uses them, or did.
Bombing with grand pianos might quell a rowdy crowd for a bit.
I was pretty well put off Vivaldi when living in Canterbury in the late 80s. Every tacky tourist shop in town was playing Nigel Kennedy's take on "The Four Seasons", out of open doors and into the street, ad nauseam.
You put me in mind of a story I heard many years ago, (unconfirmed, I am afraid) of a man in GB who died laughing while watching some comedian on TV doing a routine of a Scotsman fighting his bagpipes using kung-fu.
The US used music as a weapon when they invaded Panama in 1989. Loud rock-and-roll was played 24 hours a day until Manuel Noriega surrendered. I believe this was just a terrestrial test application of a more much more awesome weapon that used technology that had been developed for Reagan's SDI. It would have beamed ITM from space through huge loudspeakers orbiting the earth. The mere thought of it had the Communists reeling.
Greenwiggle- you must have some really bad kids out there. Barry Manilow is pretty close to 'zero tolerance', isn't he? There is someone else who springs to mind, of course...
Ripon (North Yorkshire) has a Hornblower (a night-watchman similar to a Wait), who appears in the Market Place every evening to give his speech and blow his large cow-horn.
Many moons ago, I had a bet with the Hornblower that he couldn't blow a note longer than me. He lost (and we bought him a pint).
I didn't tell him until afterwards, I trained as a singer and played brass.
Musical Peacekeeping
Musical Peacekeeping
http://waits.org.uk/pictures/originals_undated.htm#geordy
Came across this print of Geordie Sime, piper of Dalkeith in the late C18. Hadn't heard of the 'wait' before- a kind of nightwatchman, armed with a musical instument, a role stretching back many centuries, apparently.
http://www.waits.org.uk/
Must have been a bit tricky chasing ne'er-do-wells, while toting a set of pipes!
This prompted thoughts of Chief O'Neill's Chicago police force, stuffed with pipers and fiddlers, in a kind of Keystone Cops scenario, frantically chasing robbers across the city, brandishing their instruments.
Could this be tried in modern policing, I wonder? The bodhrans at the front, instruments locked together in a protective shield for riot control. Every bobby issued with protective body armour in the form of an accordion.
And for the unruly, taken into custody:-
"You just sit down over there lad, while the sarge plays you nice bit of O'Carolan on his harp. That'll soon calm you down."
Any thoughts?
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by P-K
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Intenational ITM peace keepers !!!!!!!
Where can I Join !
Will I be sent to
Palestine ? Iraq ? Stoke Newington?
Stop fighting or I play the
a) pipes
b) bodhran
c) banjo
d) yellow shaky egg
Your music needs you!
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Wow International ITN peacekeepers for International Peace and Quiet
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
What an interesting idea P-K ... 12 Bore Bagpipes!
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by Ptarmigan
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Backed with a shorn-off shawm!
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by P-K
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Oh I think bagpipes could bore more people than that Pt
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Some local councils have used, with some success, the technique of clearing undesirable local youth away from some city areas by playing Mozart and Vivaldi at them from loudspeakers.
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by lazyhound
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
The piper looks like a left-handed player and has the bag under his right arm - all of which makes me assume the picture is a coloured-over print (an engraving always prints an image on paper that is the opposite way round to that drawn / engraved on the actual metal plate, or whatever) - and that he was really right-handed.
But I can't make out a mouthpiece or any evidence of bellows, so as to know what kind of bagpipes they are; annoying!
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by nicholas
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Highland bagpipes are not very far away from Palestine; the Jordanian army uses them, or did.
Bombing with grand pianos might quell a rowdy crowd for a bit.
I was pretty well put off Vivaldi when living in Canterbury in the late 80s. Every tacky tourist shop in town was playing Nigel Kennedy's take on "The Four Seasons", out of open doors and into the street, ad nauseam.
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by nicholas
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Nicholas- I think you are right- it's a coloured-over print, dated 1789.
Don't know if this link helps.
http://waits.org.uk/notes&queries/sime.html
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by P-K
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Thanks for the morning laugh, P-K.
You put me in mind of a story I heard many years ago, (unconfirmed, I am afraid) of a man in GB who died laughing while watching some comedian on TV doing a routine of a Scotsman fighting his bagpipes using kung-fu.
I can scarcely imagine.
Cheers.
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by Rook
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Rook - The Goodies in "Kung Fu Capers pt 1" where an exponent of LAncastrian martial art "Ecky thump" confonts a Scottish opponent. It's on You Tube
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by Bren
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
The US used music as a weapon when they invaded Panama in 1989. Loud rock-and-roll was played 24 hours a day until Manuel Noriega surrendered. I believe this was just a terrestrial test application of a more much more awesome weapon that used technology that had been developed for Reagan's SDI. It would have beamed ITM from space through huge loudspeakers orbiting the earth. The mere thought of it had the Communists reeling.
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by Jim Stetson
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Jim- sounds like the Eurovision Song Contest last night, where the Irish entry certainly put the wind up the Eastern Bloc...
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by P-K
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Ha-ha, yes P-K, I just read that thread. Glad I missed that broadcast.
# Posted on May 13th 2007 by Jim Stetson
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Lazyhound
A local council in Sydney has been doing the same thing - using Barry Manilow to great effect.
# Posted on May 14th 2007 by Greenwiggle
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
They should get the BBC on the job
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxqR5NPhtLI&mode=related&search=
# Posted on May 14th 2007 by Johannes J
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Sweeney's Rant- brilliant! Love the way he drops an octave for the quiet bit at the end.
# Posted on May 14th 2007 by P-K
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Greenwiggle- you must have some really bad kids out there. Barry Manilow is pretty close to 'zero tolerance', isn't he? There is someone else who springs to mind, of course...
# Posted on May 14th 2007 by P-K
Re: Musical Peacekeeping
Ripon (North Yorkshire) has a Hornblower (a night-watchman similar to a Wait), who appears in the Market Place every evening to give his speech and blow his large cow-horn.
Many moons ago, I had a bet with the Hornblower that he couldn't blow a note longer than me. He lost (and we bought him a pint).
I didn't tell him until afterwards, I trained as a singer and played brass.
# Posted on May 14th 2007 by geoffwright