Bagpipe bands told to hush up
By JASON ALLARDYCE The Sunday Times
Sun. Apr 20 - 5:19 AM
Their high-pitched skirl has put fear into the hearts of Scotland’s enemies and sent sensitive tourists reaching for the cotton wool.
Now, however, the bagpipes are to be quietened by an edict from Brussels.
From this month, pipers must adhere to strict volume limits or risk breaking European Union health and safety laws. Bands have been ordered to tone down or wear earplugs to limit noise exposure to 85 decibels.
Typically, a pipe band played at full volume peaks at 111 decibels outdoors, roughly equivalent to the sound in a nightclub, rising to 116 decibels indoors, the level of a chainsaw.
The prospect of more subdued bagpipes will be welcomed by some, but musicians have warned performances will suffer. Pipe majors claim it is virtually impossible to play quietly or to tune a band when the musicians are wearing earplugs, raising the prospect of a cacophony at showcase events such as the Edinburgh military tattoo.
The rules in effect limit practice without earplugs to about 15 minutes a day. While piping schools have begun issuing students with hearing protectors, pipe majors are preparing to make a stand.
Ian Hughes, head of the RAF Leuchars band in Fife, claimed the new legislation in effect outlawed bagpipe playing for the first time in more than 250 years.
"These limits are far too low. If we have to go with these regulations, pipe bands won’t exist," said Hughes.
"Every pipe band in the world will be above the maximum volume level.
""Bringing in a law making pipers wear ear protection means the playing of pipes is outlawed. Earplugs take away the clarity of the sound and create a problem if you’re trying to tune a band up to a certain standard. "You can’t play the pipe quietly; they haven’t got a volume switch."
The rules are part of the control of noise at work regulations, introduced by the Health and Safety Executive following a Brussels directive.
The rules cap weekly average noise exposure at 85 decibels, meaning periods of loud play need to be cancelled out by quiet periods.
The idea is not to protect audiences at concerts but performers and other staff.
The new directive also affects rock and classical musicians. Classical orchestras are considering whether they may have to hold quiet rehearsals for music by composers such as Wagner or Verdi to offset the loudness of their concerts.
The loudest rock bands have included the Who, who in 1976 reached 126 decibels. They were beaten last year, however, by the Watford punk band Gallows, who hit 132.5 decibels.
Originally Posted by JerseyLawyer
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