Interesting facts about bagpipes

The word "bagpipe" is usually assosiated with picturesque views of Scotland, men in kilts... However this instrument is not only Scottish - it is well known in Asia as well as in Europe. But the most widespread instrument is the one created by the Scots.

A bagpipe is a compact wind instrument, which is not easy to play; it requires not only musical skills, but also physical fitness. The sound is extracted by pressing the beg with an elbow, which make the stream of air go into the pipe. The bagpiper inflates the bag through a tube, then presses it with his elbow, simultaneously pressing the tube with holes, from which the melody comes out. The sound of the bagpipes is quite strong and powerful - you can easily hear it from a distance.

Here are some interesting facts from the "life" of the bagpipe:

● Scotland has no official anthem. Instead of it the folk song "Flower of Scotland" is performed (of course, on the bagpipes);

The bagpipers have their professional holiday - it is celebrated annually on March 10;

● Parts of some bagpipes are made of ivory. This "material" is forbidden in a number of countries. Therefore the artists playing on such instruments can't perform in those countries;

In 2008, the Kremlin Star Military Band Festival was held on Red Square in Moscow. Among the participants of the event was a combined orchestra of bagpipers and drummers from all over the world, consisting of 350 musicians;

● Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain wakes up every day not to the sound of the alarm clock, but to the upbeat chords of military marches. A special bagpipe band plays solemn melodies to awaken Her Majesty;

●According to a Scottish legend, the bagpipes start to sound especially beautiful and melodious only after a year of playing them - during this period the instrument "gets accustomed" to its owner;

●Other nations also have their own variations of bagpipes: melodies on it are played in Chuvashia, Mordovia, Spain and Ireland. In Russia the bagpipes are not so popular. But one Russian bagpipe still exists. It can be seen in the Glinka Museum in the capital.