Brighde Chaimbeul at 2023 SXSW Music Festival

Winner of the BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award and youngest ever winner of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, Scotland’s Brighde Chaimbeul has established herself among the leading experimental purveyors of celtic music.
A native gaelic speaker from the Isle of Skye her style is rooted in her native language and culture but takes inspiration from a variety of global forms.
Brighde plays the Scottish smallpipes, a bellows-powered set of bagpipes with a double-note drone. She has devised a completely unique way of arranging for pipe music that emphasises the rich textural drones of the instrument; the constancy of sound that creates a trance-like atmosphere.
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[@bryantsmith3372]

I love Scottish smallpipes, very haunting.

[@user-lh8pn9nd2z]

Wonderful! What great talent!

[@usmapiper88]

I love the way she modulates the drone while she is playing. Absolutely beautiful piping!

[@danmulligan9818]

That is called "the chanter." The "drones" are the pipes that are resting on her shoulder, They each play a steady note that is tuned to compliment the chanter. She isn't "modulating those at all.

[@usmapiper88]

​@@danmulligan9818 She retunes and tweaks the drones a number of times (like at 2:00 and 2:27, when she seems to use her finger on the end of the drone to modify the tuning or create a different tone. As a piper of 25+ years on the great highland bagpipes and Gibson fireside pipes, I do understand the difference between the drones and the chanter; it's just I have not seen that type of drone manipulation mid-June except by those who play the uillean pipes.

[@robertlynn7332]

I was trying to figure out if she was unhappy with her drone tuning or doing it on purpose. (I'm also a great highland and smallpipes player). As her pipes have a baritone drone, there is a need occasionally to tweak that drone. It can sound better tuned to E or D depending on the tune. Otherwise the bass and tenor drones are normally tuned to A (assuming, of course that an A chanter is being used)

[@SilverWolf941]

I'm no piper, but I think she's using it as an embellishment of sorts. The chorusy contrast it creates is amazing! A very rich tone!

[@patrickcannady2066]

The drones are tuned I - V - I with the biggest and smallest drones being an octave apart. The medium sized drone is tuned to the dominant or fifth degree of the chanter scale. Something bothered her about the behavior of the largest drone, so she shut it off, then turned it back on and retuned it mid performance. You can turn a drone off or on by closing off the exit at the tip of the drone and you tune it by moving the slide (the part that moves) in (to sharpen) or out (to flatten).

[@jamescassidy5852]

Magical.Just read about you in the guardian.I love the sound you get from the pibes, its unik.Looking forward to hearing more from you.

[@TradTV]

Incredible playing ... as ever!

[@erikm8372]

That’s so great she came to SxSW!!

[@patrickmclaurin]

Brilliant!

[@davidsoutar6898]

absolutely fantastic.

[@saykay123]

An extraordinary talent, entire worlds built into one instrument, shades of Phillip glass and Brian eno at their most transcendent.

[@Numptee86]

Fantastic performance!

[@TheGameStorePiper]

How calm and nimble she is. Just quickly reach up and touch a drone to adjust or improve while playing without losing the groove or even a note. Professionalism right there.

[@patrickcannady2066]

It’s not her first rodeo. She has a great deal of piping and performance experience in her short years.

[@TheGameStorePiper]

No kidding, right?

[@justsome-guy7596]

wow!!!

[@MAMDAVEM]

Awesome playing and great tunes.

[@hafer88]

🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻🌿🌻

[@pedrolorca5835]

she needs to record with Iarla O Lionaird - a sublime combination. PLEASE !

[@user-dz6sh8md9j]

She should record with Yanni better yet.

[@antonaidh]

Dìreach sgoinneil!

[@SilverWolf941]

Anyone know the name of the tunes?

[@ch4ir_0f_b0wli3s]

the second half is uguviu (ii) from her latest album

[@NikoHL]

I can see a Wicker Man burning in the distance..

[@executetrumpfortreason1400]

Very Nice! Unfortunately for pipes, the minute they sit down they have to retune.

[@patrickcannady2066]

They settle down, eventually. It takes some time though and festival organizers/promoters are not always sensitive or accommodating to this need.