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Video length: 3 mins.
The bagpipe is the emblem of Scotland. It occupies an essential place in the country, where the instrument is still made according to the rules of the art, by hand, by a handful of craftsmen.
This instrument resonates as much in the ears as in the hearts of the Scots: in the street or for special occasions, the bagpipes have been making people tap their feet for hundreds of years. So, at the European Pipe Band Championship, the musicians have the bagpipes in their skin. “It’s part of anyone who has even a little Scottish blood,” assures a man. This tradition, more than five centuries old, is preserved by a handful of craftsmen.
115 decibels
AT Stirlingin the east of Scotland, Alan Waldron is one of them. He manufactures and repairs by hand these complex looking and handling instruments. “It’s the loudest unamplified instrument in the world”explains this enthusiast. Bagpipes can reach 115 decibels. Achieving the perfect sound starts with the choice of materials. This know-how, Alan Waldron took several years to tame it. He has been perfecting it for over 26 years. The bagpipe is the symbol of the pride of an entire country. So the Scots take the European Pipe Band Championships very seriously. Hundreds of groups compete there.