A piper attending Burns Night in trousers???

[Raphael]

Of course, that Scottish cultural icon most likely never wore a kilt in his life. Remember that a Burns Supper is really celebration of the man and his works, not necessarily Highland attire or Scottish culture in general. INMHO, many Burns Suppers these days are really "Scottish" dinners with only brief references paid to the ploughman-poet.

Well Said.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

It just dawned on me how odd it probably seems to most X Markers that every year I'm hired to play uilleann pipes for an hour at a Burns Night Dinner, and for this gig I wear what I usually wear to uilleann gigs: orchestra black.

Actually this brings up an entire issue, that of the lack of any sort of traditional "piper's dress" amongst uilleann pipers.

Uilleann pipers perform in suits, and have going back as far as we have photos. There did exist, back in the 19th and early 20th century, something called "a suit of the Irish cut" which was a swallowtail coat, kneebreeches, stockings, and oftentimes buckled shoes. This was worn with either a bowler hat or a top hat, and it's the suit we think of as being a Leprechaun suit. These Irish cut suits were often of green baize. But no piper in the last 70 or 80 years has performed in such a thing, I don't think.

I've often thought about trying to come up with some sort of Irish uilleann costume, perhaps something as simple as wearing kneebreeches instead of trousers.

I think you idea of knee breeches has a great deal of merit. I'd eschew the "leprechaun" look, but a Georgian or Regency brocade waistcoat and knee breeches would probably look the biz while preforming.

My Irish trad trio for years has worn a vaguely "Far and Away" type outfit with collarless shirts and tweed vests and caps. This is absurdly hokey to most Irish trad musicians, but clients love it.

This looks pretty hokey to most of us Irish, too-- I'm not sure who we blame: the movies, or Riverdance? But the tourists visiting Johnny Fox's Pub in Glencullen really go for it. Maybe you can launch a costuming renaissance in traditional Irish music!

[Jaggy thistle]

Trousers would be OK as I cannot see this fashion for the kilt at Burns suppers as Burns would never have worn a kilt ,more like moleskin trousers or breeches for riding

[Semiomniscient]

I said that mostly tongue-in-cheek. Being a kilt related board, I figured we would all understand the extreme dislike of wearing pants to a celebration of a Scottish cultural icon.

Personally, I would think it IS a travesty if a person wants to wear a kilt to Burns night but feels some reason that it wouldn't be right.

But that all being said, the board is predisposed to encourage kilt-wearing. I personally would say that if you don't care for wearing your kilt at a particular Scottish engagement for whatever reason, go in tartan trews. I picked up a couple pair at local thrift shops. I assumed them to be golf pants originally, but they actually appear either very old or custom made. One pair was Black Watch and the other MacLean of Duart (I think). Of course that was a rare find... and trews can be pricey! But I think every Scot should own a pair of tartan trews anyway. As much as we like to call pants "Saxon" for the pan-Celtists out there (of which I'm not) pants were much more Celtic than some other garbs used.
But if tartan trews aren't an option, of course wear what you feel comfortable wearing... but be not afraid to wear a kilt. If you fear the audience may view "something" then wear dark briefs.

[Schiehallion]

At St. Columba's Church ( Church of Scotland ) in London, few if any kilts are worn for their traditional Burns Supper. The reason being that in the time of Burns, kilts were highland dress, and being a lowlander Burns would not have been kilted.... I am told.

There is an engraving of Burns, dancing 'The Triumph' a Scottish Country Dance and he wears breeches as most lowlanders would have worn at the time, and not a kilt.

However kilts are often worn and more so by the one who addresses the Haggis, along with the piper.

I shall be kilted at a house party for my Burns Supper, and I shall be kilted as I have the honour of addressing the Haggis.

[NorCalPiper]

My Grandfather always finds amusement with his observation. When attending a burns supper in America, he usually spots the Scots as the ones NOT wearing kilts! This is not spot on of course, but I have noticed throught the years that he and a number of Scots don't wear kilts and find them sort of a "dress-up" thing. Go figure

[GMan]

I could be all wet with this statement, but it may just be one small step for the gent.

[OC Richard]

Thanks for the ideas about tartan trousers- these "trews" have been worn by the Scottish Lowland regiments for many years so are very apropos.

I think I'm going to hit some thrift shops in the morning!

Now people may be wondering why they're hiring an uilleann piper. They have a Highland piper as well, but they heard me play the uilleann pipes at our local "Pipes of Spring" concert and they wanted that sound for their event.

Actually, most Scottish folk songs don't fit on the range of the Highland pipes. I'll be playing a number of Burns songs that are perfectly playable on the uilleann pipes but not on the Highland:
The Lea-Rig
My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose
Ca' the Yowes
Afton Water
Ye Banks and Braes
Loch Lomond
and of course
Auld Lang Syne.

(Yes Highland pipers including myself play some of these but the melodies have to be mangled somewhat to fit onto the limited gamut of the Highland pipes.)

A very interesting recent book, Bagpipes: A National Collection of a National Instrument by Hugh Cheape demostrates that the so-called uilleann pipes probably had its origins in London, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen as well as Dublin:

"On the basis of material evidence alone, it is possible to argue for a Scottish origin for the Union Pipe, or at least shared and coterminous develpoment of the intrument between the urban centres of Edinburgh and Dublin and possibly Newcastle."

"By the early 19th century most of the surviving sets of Union Pipes are marked and the picture becomes clearer: with Hugh Robertson and Donald MacDonald in Edinburgh, Malcom MacGregor in Glasgow and London, Robert Scott in London and James Reid in North Shields."

For some unknown reason the Union Pipes fell out of favour in Britain but flourished in Ireland. With the instrument's past conveniently forgotten and a spurious Gaelic name concocted, the uilleann pipes by the mid 19th century had become the Irish national instrument in popular culture.

[Freelancer]

Whether Scottish or Irish, the sound is beautiful and can be enjoyed by all. That's what really matters.

[seanachie]

Thanks for the ideas about tartan trousers- these "trews" have been worn by the Scottish Lowland regiments for many years so are very apropos.

I think I'm going to hit some thrift shops in the morning!

Now people may be wondering why they're hiring an uilleann piper. They have a Highland piper as well, but they heard me play the uilleann pipes at our local "Pipes of Spring" concert and they wanted that sound for their event.

Actually, most Scottish folk songs don't fit on the range of the Highland pipes. I'll be playing a number of Burns songs that are perfectly playable on the uilleann pipes but not on the Highland:
The Lea-Rig
My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose
Ca' the Yowes
Afton Water
Ye Banks and Braes
Loch Lomond
and of course
Auld Lang Syne.

(Yes Highland pipers including myself play some of these but the melodies have to be mangled somewhat to fit onto the limited gamut of the Highland pipes.)

A very interesting recent book, Bagpipes: A National Collection of a National Instrument by Hugh Cheape demostrates that the so-called uilleann pipes probably had its origins in London, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen as well as Dublin:

"On the basis of material evidence alone, it is possible to argue for a Scottish origin for the Union Pipe, or at least shared and coterminous develpoment of the intrument between the urban centres of Edinburgh and Dublin and possibly Newcastle."

"By the early 19th century most of the surviving sets of Union Pipes are marked and the picture becomes clearer: with Hugh Robertson and Donald MacDonald in Edinburgh, Malcom MacGregor in Glasgow and London, Robert Scott in London and James Reid in North Shields."

For some unknown reason the Union Pipes fell out of favour in Britain but flourished in Ireland. With the instrument's past conveniently forgotten and a spurious Gaelic name concocted, the uilleann pipes by the mid 19th century had become the Irish national instrument in popular culture.

Too bad I wasn't introduced to this board earlier, you are close to me. I live in Lomita and we had a piper at our wedding Mass in Redondo (we had a Protestant service at my wife's church as well but had restrictions on live music) and a uilleann piper at our reception. Of course at the reception we ended with a rousing Amhrán na bhFiann which, while certainly not for a Burns night, was a great end. Alas, I was not kilted because my wife had bought me a suit for our wedding as Christmas present and I had to put her feelings first as it was a fair investment.