The Pipes, the Pipes are Calling

Colin lives in Hollywood, California, where he’s a professional bagpipe player. But does he play the bagpipe or play the bagpipes? Either is correct, although most bagpipers use the plural form. Bagpipe music consists of a skirl, the “shrill, wailing sound,” and the bourdon, or “drone,” a term also applied to “the tall, low-pitched stopped pipe on a pipe organ.” Before he hangs up, Colin gives us a taste of his skills and skirls. You can see and hear more at his website, including him riding a 10-foot-unicycle while piping, at Kilted Colin. This is part of a complete episode.

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