Pibgorn (instrument)

Three examples of Eighteenth Century Welsh Pibgorn
Illustration of a Pib-gorn from A Tour in Wales, 1778
Huw Roberts playing a pibgorn, Welsh hornpipe made by Jonathan Shorland

The pibgorn is a Welsh species of idioglot reed aerophone. The name translates literally as "pipe-horn". It is also historically known as cornicyll and pib-corn.[1] It utilises a single reed (Welsh: "cal", or "calaf"), cut from elder (Sambucus nigra) or reed (Arundo phragmites), like that found in the drone of a bagpipe, which is an early form of the modern clarinet reed. The single chambered body of the elder pipe has a naturally occurring parallel bore, into which are drilled six small finger-holes and a thumb-hole giving a diatonic compass of an octave. The body of the instrument is traditionally carved from a single piece of wood or bone (See photograph right). Playable, extant historical examples in the Museum of Welsh Life have bodies cut and shaped of elder. Another, unplayable instrument at the Museum, possibly of a later date, is made from the leg bone of an unspecified ungulate[2] (See photograph right). Contemporary instruments are turned and bored from a variety of fruitwoods, or exotic hardwoods; or turned from, or moulded in plastics. The reed is protected by a reed-cap or stock of cow-horn. The bell is shaped from a section of cow-horn which serves to amplify the sound. The pibgorn may be attached to a bag, with the additional possibility of a drone, which is then called pibau cwd; or played directly with the mouth via the reed-cap.[3]

Ceri Rhys Matthews playing a Welsh Bag-Hornpipe or Pibe Cyrn

A double-pipe (having two parallel chanters both ending in cow-horn, with a common stock) of unknown provenance, dated 1701 [4] held by the Museum of Welsh Life has caused some controversy as to its possible Welsh or Mediterranean origin.[5]

  1. ^ "The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle, for the Year ..." Edw. Cave, 1736-[1868]. 21 April 1824. p. 412. Retrieved 21 April 2021 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Jonathan Shortland. The Pibgorn. Tapas Magazine number 21. 1987
  3. ^ Bagpipes by Anthony Baines. Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, Occasional papers on technology series, 9, ISBN 0-902793-10-1
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-04-25. Retrieved 2011-07-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ The Bagpipe. The History of a musical instrument by Francis M. Collinson