Pibgorn (instrument)
A
Pibgorn is a reed instrument from
Wales. It has a single reed like that found in the drones of traditional
ScottishBagpipes, and generally six finger holes and a thumbhole giving a diatonic compass of an octave. The body of the instrument is made of wood, usually a hardwood in modern examples though historical instruments often had bodies of
Elder or bone. At the mouthpiece end is a
reedcap made of horn that protects the reed from contact with the players mouth. At the bell end is a distinctively carved horn bell which serves to amplify the sound.
The Welsh Pibgorn is mentioned in the laws of
Hywel Dda (codified 940â€"50) which specify that every master employing a pencerdd (chief musician) should give him the necessary harp, crwth and pibgorn. However the instrument is almost certainly older than that, and is part of a pattern of distribution of similar reedpipes that includes the
Russian
zhaleika, double reedpipes from the Arab world like the
Lebanese Mijwiz, the
Indian
Been or
Pungi and the
Roman Sambuca.
It is likely that at one time the instrument existed across the British Isles (
Robbie Burns tried to track down surviving Scottish players) but by the early nineteenth century seemed restricted only to
Anglesey. By the late nineteenth century the tradition of playing had been broken.
As part of a general revival in interest in Welsh folk music that has also seen the recreation of the
Crwth and an increase in the popularity of the
Welsh Triple Harp, musicians and instrument makers have attempted to revive the tradition of Pibgorn playing.
Modern instruments play a tempered scale to fit in with other instruments (historical instruments seem to play a scale with only the fifth and the octave in tune, and the other notes equally spaced, though this may have been modified by cross fingering) and are generally pitched in D. The Pibgorn has also been used as the chanter for recreated
Welsh Bagpipes by John Tose.
Modern instrument makers making pibgyrn include Jonathon Shorland, John Tose, John Glenydd of Llanfihangel and Keith Lewis of Pontardawe.
Collections of Welsh folk tunes and Hymmn tunes have been scoured for melodies that fit its limited compass, and a common repertoire is starting to be generated. Bands like Fernhill, Pibau Preseli, Rigantona,Carreg Lafar, Crasdant and Moch Pryderi have popularised the instrument and some of these melodies.
*
John Tose maker of Pibgorn and Welsh Bagpipes.*
FFlach Trad, Welsh Folk music label.
