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What does a bagpiper play at a wedding?

Wedding Bagpipe Music and more

Here are some recordings of the wedding bagpipe music I play piping at a Wedding. There are particular tunes I play for specific occasions, particularly weddings where there a number of different parts of the day which I play the pipes for. Hear some of the tunes I play at different stages of a wedding, and some of the tunes I play for other events.

Piping the Bride up the Aisle

She Moved Through the Fair

This is a well known Irish song. The melody is very old and has been traced back to both Ireland and Scotland. It is common to find different Irish and Scottish gaelic songs sharing the same melody.

The Dark Island

This is a song written about the island of Benbecula in the Western Isles. The song became popular in the 1960s, but there disputes as to who wrote it. Regardless, it’s a great tune which your guests will recognise.

Signing of the Register

The Mingulay Boat Song

During the Signing of the Register I play a Slow Air and then to provide a contrast I play a fast jig. The Slow Air here is the Mingulay Boat Song and the following jig is called the Jig Runrig. The Mingulay Boat Song is a song written in the 1930s and was recorded by The Corries. The length of these two tunes put together lasts approximately the same amount of time it usually takes to conduct the Signing of the Register.

The Mingulay Boat Song

Newly married couple down the Aisle

The Highland Wedding

As well as being the tune of choice for playing the bride and groom out of their wedding ceremony, the Highland Wedding is also one of the greatest competition pipe marches. The version played today was composed in 1856 and is still played by the top competing solo bagpipers and Grade I pipe bands.

John Macdonald of Glencoe

John Macdonald of Glencoe is a tune composed prior to World War 1. It’s a tune all pipers enjoy playing and is a great tune to play for this part of the day. It’s also a competition pipe march, which I’ve played frequently in solo competitions and in the Grade I World Pipe Band Championships.

Married couple to the Top Table

Mairi's Wedding

To play you to your seats at the Top Table, Mairi’s Wedding is the tune traditionally played – recognisable and easy for your guests to clap along to.

Mairi’s Wedding

Other tunes I play

For events where a lot of playing is required, such as the guests’ arrival at a wedding or welcoming people to a corporate event I play a great many different tunes – both traditional and contemporary. Here are a few samples of pipe tunes I play at these times.

Hornpipes on Highland Pipes

A set of both two modern, and two older “hornpipes” played on the Highland Pipes

The Rakes of Kildare and other jigs

A set of jigs played on the Highland Pipes

Jigs on Small Pipes

Two quick jigs played on the Scottish Small Pipes

Cro Chinn t-Saile

This is a slow air often played at Highland funerals. Cro Chinn t-Saile is the Gaelic name for the ‘Cro of Kintail’ in Wester Ross in the Highlands – the Cro being the place cattle were rested overnight when being driven to the cattle markets of Falkirk or Creiff during the 19th century.