Bagpipes in church

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Mother in law has requested grandson to play amazing grace at her funeral service …are bagpipes allowed at catholic funeral service in church…have heard different opinions
 
First off–

It’s NOT your mother-in-law’s funeral.

It’s the CHURCH’S funeral that is being bestowed on your mother-in-law.

Now that we have that settled, speaking as a musician, bagpipes are not intended to be played indoors.
 
The Cardinal’s housekeeper was from Scotland and her brothers were pipers. She hated the bagpipes.
On the other hand Agnes was subjected to having them played in the confines of a house. This is hardly to be compared to that same playing in a church building. Unless you have a very small church building or chapel, the pipes will not be too loud for the congregation.
Alternatively, the piper may repair to graveside where the funeral march “Flowers of the Forest” may be played. You may also consider “Lochaber No More,” “Going Home,” “The Mist Covered Mountains,” “Loch Lomond,” "Oft in the Stilly Night, or “My Lodging’s on the Cold Ground.” These may all be found in “Wedding and Funeral Music for the Great Highland Bagpipe” copyright 1997 by John R. Recknagel

Matthew
 
I would think graveside piping would be beautiful.

I love bagpipes, my husband is Scottish and he too has requested bagpipes at his funeral.

I, too, would want my grandson to play the pipes at my funeral…well, that is, if I had a grandson … something to look forward to, I guess.

God bless!
 
The bagpipes are magnificent instrument. We had the Saint Andrew’s Scottish Festival here a week ago and the sound of the pipes made one’s soul ring. I’ve often thought that when our Lord comes in His glory and Satan is finally and completely cast down, it would be really cool if a massed bagpipe band played by the archangels were what we got to listen to while Saint Michael lead the army that beat the stuffing out of Lucifer.

The* tune* for “Amazing Grace” shouldn’t be problematic. And a lone piper would not be too overwhelming indoors.
 
The Uilleann pipes would be OK in a small church but I see no problem with the great pipes in my Cathedral parish. As a son of Alba and Hibernia, I want pipes at my funeral. A lament would be fine on the way to the gravesite but when my body is placed in the ground, I want a jig. As a native New Orleanian, I could do this with a brass band, as we do the same thing. “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” to the cemetery and dancing back to joyous music. And then to the food to celebrate my life. 😃 I have always been raised to believe that we Irish mourn when a babe is born into this vale of tears but we rejoice when the soul goes Home.
 
JKirkLVNV said:
The* tune* for “Amazing Grace” shouldn’t be problematic. And a lone piper would not be too overwhelming indoors.
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A lone piper in church shouldn’t be a problem.

That said, I’ve always thought that “Amazing Grace” should only ever be played outdoors, by a piper --------------- walking away.😉
 
I’m a proud son of Clan MacDougal and I want pipes at my graveside!
 
In my family, weddings and funerals typically include bagpipes as one leaves the church – being “piped out of the church” was Da’s expression. Bagpipers also lead the procession to the gravesite. Don’t think I would want to have bagpipes inside a building . . . The sound is much more appealing when it has room to “soar.” Otherwise, tends to sound like someone is irritating a cat . . .
 
IrishAm said:
In my family, weddings and funerals typically include bagpipes as one leaves the church – being “piped out of the church” was Da’s expression. Bagpipers also lead the procession to the gravesite. Don’t think I would want to have bagpipes inside a building . . . The sound is much more appealing when it has room to “soar.” Otherwise, tends to sound like someone is irritating a cat . . .
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When my sister was in High School, she played the Bagpipes. So when she got married, there were some pipers who played outside the Church after she and her husband were married. It was really cool. :extrahappy:

:kissme: Kathy :irish2:
 
My wife and I had a piper at our wedding, and what an experience that was! We planned everything with the intention to keep the sacred and worldly aspects of the wedding quite separate. It almost worked!

After a beautiful Mass of chant, polyphony, and gorgeous organ music, we began to make our way down the nave, and the piper (who was waiting outside) was cued to start playing just a bit too early. My wife, the parish organist, and I nearly had a mild heart attack. We thought that several ranks of reeds had suddenly gone on the fritz. :eek: Thankfully, our organist kept on playing! Everyone loved the piper, who entertained them until we made our way over to the parish hall for the reception 😃
 
I am only a wee bit Scotch, Grandma McDonald was half, and perhaps of all the forms of music the pipes really stir my soul as they did my Dad’s. 🙂
 
Bagpipes are beautiful except when the piper is warming them up! That has to be the most horrendous sound…and I heard it inside of a house…
 
brotherhrolf said:
The Uilleann pipes would be OK in a small church but I see no problem with the great pipes in my Cathedral parish. As a son of Alba and Hibernia, I want pipes at my funeral. A lament would be fine on the way to the gravesite but when my body is placed in the ground, I want a jig. As a native New Orleanian, I could do this with a brass band, as we do the same thing. “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” to the cemetery and dancing back to joyous music. And then to the food to celebrate my life. 😃 I have always been raised to believe that we Irish mourn when a babe is born into this vale of tears but we rejoice when the soul goes Home.
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You sound like my mom (who is Irish-Scottish), she wants a good ol’ fashioned Irish wake, I’m sure which would include bagpipes.
 
There used to be a young priest in our old parish who was learning the bagpipes and would practice…in the rectory! :bigyikes: Good thing the elderly pastor was hard of hearing!

That said, when well played, and in their proper place, I do love the sound of pipes. Unfortunately, I have rarely heard them played well outside of Celtic regions (a certain piper at a friend’s wedding comes to mind - painful.)
 
An Irish musician/comedian friend of mine said the Irish gave the bagpipes to the Scots, they just didn’t tell 'em it was a joke!

That said, there shouldn’t be any liturgical problem with pipes. The Shannon Rovers lead the procession on the “High Holy Days” at my parish.

John
 
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