Here are some suggestions and tips for using a piper:
Piping at 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.
Piping at 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.
Piping at 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.
Piping Indoors
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 Selections For Weddings
Processional Pieces
Here Comes the Bride
Highland Cathedral
Flower of Scotland
My Home
Ode to Joy
Lord of the Dance
Here I am Lord
A Man's a Man for a' that and a' that
Recessional Tunes
Scotland the Brave
Highland Laddie
Mari's Wedding
Bonnie Dundee
Garry Owen
Reel's - various (for a really peppy march out)
The Black Bear
Tune Selections For Funerals
Amazing Grace
Going Home
Flowers of the Forrest
Danny Boy
Skye Boat Song
The Dark Isle
Irish Eyes
The Battle's Ore
The Ballad of Glencoe
