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Word of the Week (135): ZAMPOGNA (probability 34096), by David Sutton

A ZAMPOGNA is a kind of Italian bagpipe with two drones and two conical chanters. If you thought the bagpipes were a peculiarly Scottish affair, think again: it seems that many other nations have hit upon the happy idea of squeezing a bag to produce a sound which is perhaps best described as interesting. The BINIOU, for example, is a small high-pitched Breton bagpipe. The GAITA is a Spanish bagpipe. The Italian PIFFERO can be a fife, but apparently it can also be a kind of bagpipe. The CORNEMUSE is a French mouth-blown bagpipe with chanter and small drone in one stock, and a separate large drone. The MUSETTE is another French contribution, a small bagpipe with a soft and sweet tone, and France also gives us another small bagpipe, the SOURDELINE.

Ireland gives us the UILLEAN (or UILLEANN) pipes, worked by squeezing bellows under the arm.

Wouldn't it be a great idea to get all these kinds of bagpipe together in one international orchestra and have them play a PIBROCH...

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