TUNES

WEDDINGS

Rarely do I play during the ceremony, unless it's in a church and I play Amazing Grace in honor of family members who could not make it. Sometimes I play as guests arrive, welcoming and piping them in. Sometimes I begin during the ceremony to pipe in the bridal party and/or bride. Most commonly, I pipe the Bride and Groom out after the ceremony, either leading or following them out, and keep playing as the guests file out. I then frequently play the cocktail hour, but not if I have already played people in; that would be too much bagpipes.

A fun thing to do is to have me lead the wedding party and guests from the church to the reception area, especially when we are walking through the city; it's a real traffic stopper. Sometimes I also play the bride and groom into the reception.

FUNERALS

I can play as guests arrive. At churches I usually pipe the procession in at the beginning with Going Home and pipe them out at the end with Amazing Grace. If Irish, it's often Danny Boy. If no procession, I just play the tunes in front and maybe march out on the refrain.

OTHER EVENTS

Other events I play are birthday parties, anniversaries, family reunions, retirements, parades, graduations, etc. Depending on the event, I generally play a medley of up-beat tunes, sometimes leading processions, marching in piping unannounced as a surprise, or standing in place and entertaining.

A word of caution: bagpipes are loud, with little ability to control the volume. As such, playing in small confines such as a living room is entertaining, but not conducive to conversation. Carpeted flooring absorbs sound, while hard tile, wood or cement floors and walls reflect and almost amplify it. I frequently play inside churches which is usually not a problem, unless it is a small chapel with hard floors. Then, it is best for me to play in the foyer or just outside the entrance.

Tune Suggestions

Full Tune List