Going on a Scottish tour
By: Leeanne Bispo
Issue date: 11/16/09 Section: Entertainment
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Scott Beach was dressed in a Scottish kilt, differing from a skirt because of the knife he had tucked into his sock called a Sgian Dubh, meaning black knife in Gaelic, and tall socks made for him by his grandmother with the national symbol of Scotland, the Thistle, on them, and Ghillie Brogue shoes.
After explaining his odd manner of dress to the audience he proceeded to bring out his bagpipes, of which there were two different sets. The first set he played he called the Great Highland pipes made by a company called McCallum.
Beach was taught to play the bagpipes when he was younger in Scotland. His father was in the Navy and was stationed there giving Beach a great opportunity to learn to play the bagpipes. He has been playing for about 30 years and has even played for royalty. He does about 250 to 300 shows a year and he plays throughout Colorado and parts of New Mexico. He is a full-time entertainer and says that putting on these presentations is "another way to perform more." He also stated that he does these presentations because there are a lot of interesting facts that many people don't know about Scotland, for instance that Scotland had the first ever Constitution.
Before playing the pipes Beach gave those attending a brief history of the bagpipes. He stated that while most believe the bagpipe was created in Ireland or Scotland they are theorized to have actually come from North Africa either with the Romans or during the Crusades. He also talked about how the pipes were incorporated into a military instrument with Ireland and Scotland and that the English even called them a weapon. The Irish and Scottish military would have the pipes lead them into battle and because they were stirring up the men with these instruments the English said that anyone, even the pipe players, were considered hostile.
He also explained how the two sets of pipes were different. The first set that he played, the Great Highland pipes, he said are played by blowing into the bag and keeping a steady pressure, while the second set of pipes, the Scottish Small Pipes, is filled with a bellow that fits under one arm and keeping the same steady pressure with the other.
Beach then played a few songs on each instrument, a few Irish and a few Scottish pieces each to show the crowd the difference in the music even thought they are played with the same instrument. Some of the songs Beach played on the Great Highland pipes included, "Scotland the Brave", a dancing song "Pipers Bonnet", and Irish as well as a Scottish Jig "The Foxhunters Jig", and a funeral piece "The Dark Isle". On the Scottish Small Pipes he played "The Rakes of Mallow" and a few others that he did not name, some slow and some a much faster and more upbeat pieces.
To end the presentation Beach took the group on a "tour" of Scotland. At an earlier time Beach had gone on a tour of the distilleries in Scotland and after explaining the process for distilling Scottish Whiskey he showed the audience photographs of the Scottish countryside, presenting the land from the Highlands, the Lowlands, and even the two coasts. He did this he said in order to show the vast differences from one area of Scotland to the other.
During the presentation one of the audience members pointed out that they were from Scotland themselves. Alistair Caldwell said Beach's presentation "Made me want to go home." The Nontraditional Student Desk office was the host of this event. Esthela Banuelos said that they "Wanted Scott to give more than bagpipes" and that it "was a treat" to see his presentation come to Eastern New Mexico University.7