Inglis Collection of printed music > Printed text > Story of the bagpipe

Appendix E
is supposed to be twelve. The iSth Royal Irish in India have
a set of Brian Boru war-pipes.
In the British Army there are only six pipers officially recog-
nized, the Pipe Major and five others, who are known as "full"
pipers ; but mostly there are eleven players in addition to the
sergeant piper, the six unofficial pipers being known as
" acting " pipers, whose pay is arranged for by the officers of
the battalion.
As has been stated in Chapter XXL, there are a number of
volunteer pipe bands like the Glasgow Highlanders and the ist
Sutherland H.R.V. Some of the Scouts have likewise formed
pipe bands.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the war-pipes are most
effective in British regiments ; and even though the twentieth
century Philistine may term the music as "archaic" and
"barbarous," yet the skirl of the pipes has a charm that makes
a special appeal to the Irish and Scotch, and Celts in general.
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