Scottish Small Pipes are a quiet chamber instrument with a warm
woodwind timbre. Their design dates from the early 1700’s. This particular bagpipe
is related to other bellows-blown bagpipes found throughout Northern Europe, but
is similar in fingering and gracing to the popular (and much louder) Highland Bagpipe.
Scottish Small Pipes were developed as an option for indoor performances of Highland
music when a pipe is favored.
In a rare, critiqued performance in 2011, a native Scottish juror noted of Tyrone's Small Pipe selections...
"Lovely sound, lovely opening tune, musically played. Well handled instrument, well chosen tunes (sic.) & thought-out. Very pleasant to listen to, very expressive playing."
The Scottish Small Pipe is about the same volume as a clarinet, and sounds like
a combination of clarinet and fiddle. Its tendency toward lower, conversational
acoustic tones makes it suited to play with other instruments. Tyrone explores this
music in a chamber music fashion with cello, fiddle, guitar and bodhrán in the Scottish
acoustic ensemble
Iona
Abbey.
Tyrone performs on Small Pipes made by David Naill & Company of Somerset in
1996. His instrument is comprised of African blackwood with silver chasings engraved
with a detailed Victorian design.